Halle Berry: 'I've been in therapy for 30 years': Halle Berry on her troubled childhood with abusive alcoholic father

Tuesday 26 March 2013

'I've been in therapy for 30 years': Halle Berry on her troubled childhood with abusive alcoholic father

PUBLISHED: 14:41, 26 March 2013 | UPDATED: 17:40, 26 March 2013

Halle Berry has revealed she has been in therapy for over 30 years.

The 46-year-old actress - who has five-year-old daughter Nahla with ex-partner Gabriel Aubry - first sought treatment to help her deal with her dad Jerome that she witnessed as a child.

Dealing with her issues: Halle Berry, pictured at Bristol Farms in LA over the weekend with Olivier Martinez, has revealed she's seen a therapist since the age of 10

Halle now relies on her therapist to help her whenever she is stressed or has personal problems.

The smile that hid her pain: The star as a young high school student

She said: 'I've done therapy on an as-needed basis since I was probably 10 years old.

'My father was an alcoholic and a very abusive one, and my mother knew the value of providing me with the outlet of an unbiased person to talk to, so I've done that all my life when times get stressful. It really helps me deal with stuff.'

However, the Cloud Atlas star - who is engaged to Olivier Martinez - tries to keep her problems hidden from her loved ones and would hate to take them out on other people.

Halle - who has endured a bitter custody battle with Gabriel over Nahla which culminated in a fight between her ex and her current partner - added to the UK issue of HELLO! magazine: 'I try really hard not to take my problems out on others and, in order to do that, I tend to mask the bad stuff or deal with it internally - you know, keep my chin up, put on a brave face and just keep going.

'If I do have a problem, I handle it so well that most other people don't even know about it.'