People decide to start therapy for a wide variety of reasons. Whatever the reason, though, it usually boils down to wanting better – or at least wanting to feel better.  Therapy can be very effective in helping people accomplish just that.  Therapy can be a place to learn about yourself, to gain perspective, and to learn new ways of thinking about and interacting with the world.  Because of this, therapy isn’t generally thought of as a “risky” kind of thing to do.  Even though it’s much more likely that therapy will be beneficial, it does bring about a certain amount of risk that should be considered – if for no other reason than to understand that it might not be easy. I’ll first outline what a few of those risks are and then close with the benefits (that I think highly outweigh the potential of any risks involved). Read more

Before anybody reading this freaks out, I should start by saying there are a few things that prevent me from sharing any specific details (or identifying information) about the individuals I work with. They’re things like HIPAA, The American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics, and a set of personal values/beliefs (outside of legal requirements) I hold that allow me to create an environment of trust. The sensitive things people share with me stay within the 4 walls of my office. As I attempt to draw a picture for you about the people I work with, I’ll do so in a very general sense – in a way that allows me to illustrate the kind of common traits I see and the admiration and gratitude I have for the people who allow me the privilege of joining them on a very personal kind of journey. Read more