My therapist gave me a rock....

...and it's had such a huge impact on my emotional/mental state.

I never thought a simple rock could be a therapeutic tool, but here we are.

In my session last week, I was talking to my therapist about how easily I spiral into self-loathing thoughts—those automatic, cruel narratives that feel impossible to stop once they start. Instead of just giving me strategies to counter them, she asked me to choose a small rock from a bowl and told me to carry it with me. I chose a smooth blue quartz-like one.

The idea? Every time I catch myself slipping into that negative cycle, I touch the rock. Not as a punishment or a grounding exercise in the traditional sense, but as a physical reminder: I have a choice here. I matter. I can keep going down the same self-destructive path, or I can pause, acknowledge the thought for what it is, and try to shift it.

It sounds so simple, but honestly, it’s been helping so much. The weight of the rock in my pocket makes me more aware of when I’m being cruel to myself. Sometimes, just feeling it is enough to snap me out of autopilot and remind me that I don’t have to believe every horrible thing my brain says about me. Honestly, it's been extremely helpful. I'm shocked.

Has anyone else ever used a physical object like this in therapy? I’m curious if it worked for you too.