What to Expect from Psychotherapy: Finding the Right Fit and Beginning Your Healing Journey

If you're considering starting psychotherapy, you're not alone. Many people reach a point where the pressure to “just keep going” becomes too much, and they realize they need a space to pause, reflect, and heal. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, burnt out, or unsure of your next steps, psychotherapy can offer support that is empowering, compassionate, and effective.

In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of psychotherapy, how to choose the right practitioner for your needs, and what you can expect from the therapy process—especially when it combines both psychological and somatic approaches.

Why Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a powerful tool for improving mental health, enhancing self-awareness, and supporting emotional healing. It’s not only for people in crisis—many clients seek therapy to better understand themselves, develop healthier habits, or explore life transitions with greater clarity and confidence.

The right therapeutic relationship can help you:

• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Process difficult emotions or past experiences
• Navigate burnout or life transitions
• Build confidence and improve self-esteem
• Strengthen boundaries and relationships
• Reconnect with your body and inner sense of calm

Psychotherapy isn’t about fixing you—it’s about helping you rediscover your resilience, heal what’s been weighing you down, and move forward with more alignment and intention.

How to Choose a Psychotherapist

Finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming, especially when you're already under stress. Here are a few tips to guide your decision:

1. Look for someone whose approach resonates with your needs.

If you’re someone who finds talk alone isn’t enough—or if you’re aware that your stress is showing up physically—then a therapist who integrates somatic therapy might be the right fit. Likewise, if you want to work on managing anxiety or unhelpful thought patterns, someone who uses CBT therapy could be helpful.

2. Check their credentials and training.

A therapist’s background can give you insight into how they work. Many therapists have previous experiences in different settings that give them more skills to help you navigate your particular situation.

3. Trust how you feel.

You should feel seen, heard, and supported by your therapist. It can be hard when you meet so many therapists that all sound great during the initial meet and greet, and knowing what the right choice is. Check in with how you felt and trust the process.

What the Therapy Process Looks Like

If you’re new to psychotherapy, you might wonder what actually happens in a session. Here's a general outline of what working together could look like:

🗓 Initial Meet and Greet (Free)

We’ll meet for a 15-minute video or phone call to talk about what’s bringing you to therapy, answer your questions, and determine whether my approach fits your needs.

📋 First Sessions: Assessment and Goal Setting

We’ll explore your current challenges, personal history, and therapy goals. You’ll have a chance to share your story at your own pace, and the therapist will introduce therapeutic tools tailored to your experience.

💬 Ongoing Sessions

Depending on your needs, sessions might focus on emotional processing through talk therapy, developing cognitive tools through CBT and DBT, or regulating your nervous system through somatic therapy and mindfulness practices. You’ll leave with insights, skills, and a deeper understanding of yourself.

🔄 Review and Adjust

Therapy is not one-size-fits-all. As we go, we’ll check in on your goals and progress, and adapt the approach to what’s working best for you.

How Do I Practice?

An Integrated Approach: Mind and Body

At my practice, I bring together my background in kinesiology and psychology to offer an integrated style of therapy that supports both mind and body. I use a combination of:

• Talk therapy and emotion-focused therapy to explore thoughts, beliefs, and emotional patterns
• DBT therapy (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) to help identify and shift unhelpful thought loops
• Somatic therapy, including breathwork, grounding techniques, and gentle movement, to address stress stored in the nervous system
• ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and Mindfulness to cultivate presence, reduce reactivity, and support emotional regulation

This combination allows us to work with both your cognitive understanding and physical experience—because healing happens not just through talking, but also through feeling and releasing.

 

Begin Your Healing Journey

If you’re ready to make your mental health a priority, I invite you to take that first step. Whether you're hoping to navigate a challenging situation, process grief or trauma, build confidence, reduce stress, or simply feel more connected to yourself, psychotherapy can support you in creating lasting, meaningful change.

💬 Book your free 15-minute meet and greet to see if we’re a good fit. Let’s talk about how therapy can help you come home to yourself—mind and body.