There is no “wrong reason” to start therapy.  I think it is one of the most important ways to take good care of your life. Individual psychotherapy allows you to talk about your life with someone who is listening with heart and head.  Good psychotherapy is not only about understanding your feelings of sadness, anxiety, anger or hopelessness.  It’s about helping you move from those feelings and the situations that cause them to an emotionally healthier, happier and more fulfilling life.

That’s what the people who come to me for therapy are seeking; happiness.  That wish may be cloaked in a lot of different situational problems.  So while you are describing the problem, I’m listening…and thinking.  Thinking of how all these pieces fit together into the puzzle that is keeping you from the happiness you want.  I am a very interactive and interpersonal therapist. I tell you what I’m thinking and ask when I don’t understand.  I teach a little about how the mind and brain work, how change happens, and the power of perceptions.  I want to know your impressions of what I’m thinking, so we can keep on the same page. You are the important person here and we work on you together.

You might be dealing with life-long patterns of shame and self-doubt, social or performance anxiety, OCD, perfectionism or fears that limit what you allow yourself to do.  You may have experienced a recent crisis or a trauma. Or you may have found yourself in a destructive relationship. The purpose of psychotherapy is to help you understand what you are experiencing and go forward with your life.