We’re here to help.

Many successful therapy clients have begun their journey wondering “Is therapy something that can help me” or “Are my problems appropriate for therapy?” Despite this reluctance, many have gone on to achieve successful results and lasting change. To help illustrate the kinds of issues that can be approached in therapy, we have created several fictional vignettes based on a composite real experiences of past clients.

Andi thought they had it all, the dream job they worked so hard for, the close-knit personal and professional network they put so much effort into, even the elusive “work-life balance” with weekends filled with yoga, cycling, and live music. But for some reason, something didn’t click. They kept waiting for it to all finally feel right. They said to themselves “you’re just tired after working so hard,” or “maybe you are just used to feeling stressed.” Still, friends saw less and less of them. Keeping up with daily demands of their job felt like more and more of a slog. They were starting to forget why they even wanted this job in the first place. They did it all, why didn’t it feel that way? Were they even able to?

Mo didn’t understand. What did people keep seeing in him? Why did they let him rise all the way up to a point where he was responsible for others? Every day felt like a fight against an invisible clock where his number would finally be called. He tried to delay it much as possible; working late hours, hiding his mistakes, and trying to brown-nose the higher-ups. No matter what, it is just a matter of time. One thing still bugged him. He had felt like this for so long, but no one seemed to see how bad it had gotten. Sure, he had some “areas of improvement” in his performance reviews, but it was far and away from what he saw. What gives? It might have been a comfort for a second, but it soon became something else he had to worry about!

Sammy was great if you needed an extra hand. She’s the perfect ear to listen to the problems you had whether it was the tight deadlines being pushed on you or the bad date you went on over the weekend. She’s the one calming everyone down when they freak out over some little change. Everyone could rely on Sammy. It had been that way for as long as she could remember.

But here’s the thing, Sammy was used to taking care of people’s needs, but she didn’t really know what she needed. She knew things she should probably do like work out or watch less tv but that didn’t really cut it. When she got home, the rest of the day could pretty much be a blur. She felt aimless and stressed. She started to get more irritated at how needy her coworkers could be and felt unappreciated. Honestly, Sammy felt like she could use a Sammy in her life. She just didn’t know where to find her.

Ramon had done what he was supposed to. He had taken some time off work, went to PT, and talked about what had happened with his friends and family. But it still hadn’t been the same…He had been thinking about that stupid night, when that car came of nowhere. Sure he was alive and recovered pretty well (at least physically), but he kept going back to that night. His friends are telling him he is acting differently. He’s noticed some changes too. He’s jumpier and usually has this vague sense that something is wrong. Sure it’s not exactly the easiest thing to get through the day like this, but what else can he do. But also…how much longer can he go on like this?

Esther thought she knew exactly what she wanted. After showing herself, she could keep and succeed within her role as a healthcare administrator and marrying her best friend, she knew was ready for the next step, starting her family. She loved being a mother but didn’t always like it…Especially when she was already exhausted from managing her work and her home life. She also felt the sting of rising childcare costs, making once-weekly outings even more precious and rare. After her second child, this careful balance became upended. Something had to budge.

Luckily, her husband had been offered his dream job across the country and a hefty raise to boot! A new arrangement immediately became obvious. She would stay at home with the kids, while her husband could provide enough for the whole family. At first, it was a relief! Getting everything done became a cinch and she loved the extra time she could spend with her young kids. However, as time continued on, something began to shift. Even with the extra hours, she was even more tired. Daily chores become much more of well…a chore. She began to worry and feel terrible about her parenting, her productivity, and this new person she saw herself becoming. After all, her husband worked hard to give her this space and she was excited about it! Why couldn’t she just be grateful?

Jodie was hard to understandd. Really all 12-year-olds are hard to understand. But things have been different in the past few months. She wasn’t an angel by any means before (which her parents felt was part of her charm!) but only recently it was like her switch was stuck in the worst position. Everything they did was wrong; she would yell and fight over things that she was always fine with before. Her friends stopped showing up to the house and she retreated from the online games and artwork she had loved before. Her parents thought it was a phase, that it was just part of the “typical puberty experience.” But they finally realized. There was something Jodie needed they couldn’t provide. If they talked to her, it was a loop. They would try to provide care but she would say something cruel or act out so it always devolved into an argument. If she would only tell them how to help her they would…..They started to think she needed some help figuring out what she needed as well;.