Michelle Obama opens up about therapy, marriage, life phase at 60

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has revealed that she is in therapy and that it is helping her transition into what she considers the “next phase” of her life, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.

On The Jay Shetty Podcast, Michelle discussed being an ’empty nester’ and admitted to getting “some help” as she approaches her 60s.

“At this phase of my life, I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning, you know? I’m 60 years old, I’ve finished a really hard thing in my life with my family intact. I’m an empty nester, my girls are in—you know, they’ve been launched,” she said.

Michelle shared that she now has ‘other voices’ to talk to and a “new person who’s getting to know me” as she works through personal challenges.

Having stepped away from public service, she finds herself in a position where “every choice I’m making is completely mine.”

“I now don’t have the excuse of, ‘Well, my kids need this’ or ‘My husband needs that’ or ‘The country needs that.'”

She noted that therapy serves as a “tune-up for this next phase”, helping her “unwind some old habits and sort through some old guilt”, while also focusing on her relationship with her mother.

So, I’m getting that tune-up for this next phase because I believe this is a whole ‘nother phase in life for me. And I now have the wisdom to know—let me go get some coaching while I’m doing it,” she said.

Michelle encouraged anyone in need of mental health services to seek access to a therapist.

I am an advocate of it. Everybody needs to find their form of it, the best way they can,” she said.

Michelle has been active on the podcast circuit recently while promoting her new project with her brother, Craig Robinson.

During her interviews, she also addressed long-running rumours about her marriage to former President Barack Obama.

Last week, she put the speculation to rest during a podcast interview with entrepreneur and investor Steven Bartlett.

“If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” she said, laughing.

Let me tell you, he would know it,” she added, pointing at her brother, Craig Robinson. “And everybody would know it.”

She acknowledged that marriage has been “hard” for both her and the former president but added, “I wouldn’t trade it,” describing Barack Obama as, “as the young people say… my person.”

“The beauty of my husband and our partnership is that neither one of us was ever really, ever going to quit at it, because that’s not who we are. And I know that about him. He knows that about me,” she concluded.