No matter what the response has been from your immediate friends, families, or inner critic, I believe you are making a good decision. Therapy is an inviting place where every single part of you is welcome, even the parts that are uncomfortable to share. As a therapist, I am honored that you chose this process as your vehicle to healing.

If this is your first time in therapy, welcome. My guess is that getting started can be pretty scary – to talk to someone you do not know about things that make you uncomfortable, sad, angry, overjoyed, or embarrassed – but I would like to reassure you that this process is here to help you grow. There are certain elements necessary in therapy in order to maintain a space of positivity, growth, and healing. Yet, you are not responsible for maintaining those elements. That is the job of the therapist – my job.

I will do my best to provide a judgment-free space, and if I don’t, I welcome your feedback, call me out on it, let me know. Therapy should offer you a space that is challenging but comforting, and a process that is enlightening as well as retrospective. It is so important to tell your therapist if she/he said something that did not resonate, didn’t feel good, etc. This feedback you provide to your therapist is so important for your healing to be as effective as possible. And don’t be surprised if your therapist shares with you some stories about her/his own life struggles, there is so much power in the wounded healer. We encourage you to allow yourself to experience any emotion or thought freely, for example crying without needing to apologize and voicing your feelings with confidence, just letting your body go wherever it needs to go, and your only job is to just notice that.

For those who have been to therapy before and are starting again, welcome back. Whether you’re trying a new therapist after a not-so-good counseling experience, or whether you’re returning because previous experiences have helped you foster a sense of trust in therapy and its benefits, you are welcome here. I am glad that you have returned to therapy to continue your personal growth. I look forward to working with you.