Michelle Obama says she’s in therapy: Transitioning into new phase of life

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama has revealed that she is undergoing therapy to “transition” to the “next phase of her life”. Her remarks came amid rumours of a divorce from former US President Barack Obama.

“At this phase of my life, I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning, you know?” Michelle Obama, a mother of two, said in an interview with the Jay Shetty Podcast.

“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 was quoted by The New York Post as saying.

The 61-year-old acknowledged she had “other voices” to talk and a “new person that’s getting to know me”.

The Obamas have been dogged with speculation of divorce after Michelle Obama skipped several high-profile events earlier this year, including President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

In the podcast, the former First Lady said, “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.”

Michelle Obama stressed that therapy sessions were helping her “unwind some old habits” and “sort through some old guilt”.

Earlier, Michelle Obama spoke about her independence and said that she can do “whatever I want” in an episode of Sophia Bush’s iHeart Radio podcast, The People.com reported.

“It’s the first time in my life that all of my choices are for me,” she said, adding, “I think if I’m honest with myself, I could have made a lot of these decisions years ago. But I didn’t give myself that freedom.”

Addressing divorce rumours, Michelle Obama explained that she’s simply taking more control over her schedule and prioritising personal well-being over societal expectations of women.