Is it going to hurt?
People who have not worked with a therapist sometimes ask if it is going to be a painful experience. My honest answer is yes. Sometimes it can be painful or uncomfortable to face a hard choice, confront someone you care about, or own up to something about yourself that you aren’t proud of, and work to change it.
As I say on my Relationships page, therapy can often be comforting. It can be a great relief to finally talk to someone about a problem. But it can also be hard. It’s my job sometimes to “hold you to the fire” just as much as it’s my job to be welcoming, personable, and accepting of you. But I wouldn’t do this work – and neither would you! – if there weren’t great rewards to be found when we face the pain and push ourselves to change and grow.
