General Hospital News: Vanessa Marcil Calls Sonny And Brenda Her Therapists

General Hospital and primetime star Vanessa Marcil admits that she is no stranger to therapy — both the professional kind and the kind that comes from being an actress.

Vanessa Marcil Looks Forward

In fact, she thanks her signature role and that character’s on-and-off significant other with helping her through some rough patches when she was younger, going on to explain how important maintaining mental health can be. Alongside a picture of herself and her father, Marcil posted her thoughts on Instagram on Tuesday.

“Working w @mauricebenard helped me to heal my broken heart over my father not loving me. Hours and hours of free therapy I was gifted through the Brenda & Sonny love story. Along with three hours of traditional therapy every week for the last 30+ years and that part wasn’t free.

“Is it worth it? It all depends on what you want out of this life. I want change. Live for yourself. Follow your dreams. That is the best gift you can give your children imho because they will then copy you and go after THEIR dreams one day. What do you want out of this life?”

Longtime co-star Benard is a vocal proponent of mental health, having been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in his early 20s. In fact, he hosts a YouTube show each week called State of Mind where he talks about his own journey and other mental health issues.

As for Sonny Corinthos and Brenda Barrett, well, theirs was a tumultuous relationship through the years that ended (for now) with the pair admitting they’d always love each other but choosing other paths. Fans got to relive their last moments together this past June as ABC aired the classic episode where the couple said their goodbyes after finally marrying. General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.