The First Steps

It can be scary making that first phone call. You aren’t sure what to say or how to get the words out, words expressing your need for help. Who is the person on the other end of the phone? Maybe it’s someone that was referred to you or maybe you just did a search on the computer. This can be unfamiliar territory.

Each time a new client calls, I try to acknowledge what it took to touch the numbers. This usually is the beginning of relief, that their decision was a good one. There may have been calls before me and there may be calls after me; however, they are now recognizing that there is someone out there that can assist them.

When someone does walk into the office, I want to acknowledge what it took to get there, to step over the threshold. Thinking about therapy and then taking an active role in going to therapy can be a big step.

No matter who you are, life can take a turn in an unfamiliar direction making you feel less in control of your emotional and physical surroundings.  Other times, we feel the weight of carrying along the baggage of past issues. For some, unhappiness, new or old, seems controllable.  It is possible to find positive outlets to relieve the stress and anxiety but how long can that mask really last?  What happens when one can’t process on his own, help him move forward, or choose a positive outlet?

It can take time to get to the point in one’s mind where it is okay to seek assistance, where one feels no less of a person for seeking out help.  Yet, once the assistance is found, a new, happier life can be at hand.