When you’ve been through as much as Grey’s Anatomy’s Dr. Meredith Grey, sometimes it’s important to open up and share your feelings.

This article contains spoilers so if you’ve seen the episode “All I Want Is You,” please do not continue reading.

Meredith has experienced many difficult moments in her life, some of which she outlined for the therapist from “her file” but he reminded her that the latest incident in which she was brutally attacked by one of her patients happened to her directly and was both physically and emotionally traumatic.

If the therapy session hadn’t been requested by Dr. Bailey in order to clear her of Post Traumatic Stress to rule her fit to return to work, I doubt that Meredith would have ever considered therapy herself.  She’s so used to being stoic that she often bottles up her feelings.

But even Meredith had to admit that as much as she says she likes to be alone, she never really is and never really will be.  There are too many people in her life who care for her and want to look out for her.

And we, the viewers are a part of that circle of caring. We want Meredith to not only survive but to be happy.  We worry when we see her hurt or distressed. Because Ellen Pompeo has made Meredith such a realistic character, she is real to us. When Meredith feels pain, we do too. I can’t speak for all viewers, but I know my heart broke for her when Derek died. And I know I felt her physical pain with every punch from that patient.

So, Meredith’s therapy session was a much needed release for her and us.  I applaud Grey’s Anatomy writers for not just sweeping the emotional ramifications of what happened to Meredith under the rug. So often on television shows something bad happens to a character one week and by the next it’s glossed over.

The therapist ended the session telling Meredith she can do anything she wants. And we, the viewers know she can because she’s a survivor.

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