Individual therapy is a collaborative process between therapist and client that aims to facilitate change and improve quality of life. Therapy can help people confront barriers that interfere with emotional and mental well-being, and it can also increase positive feelings such as compassion, self-esteem, love, courage, and peace. Many people find they enjoy the therapeutic journey of becoming more self-aware, and they may pursue ongoing psychotherapy as a means of personal growth (Good Therapy.org).A client once said that therapy was “one of the hardest things I’ve ever wanted to do for myself.”  This sums up the experience of therapy quite accurately… Trusting someone with your story and the pain it has caused is quite a vulnerable experience; however, holding it in and allowing it have the power to hold you back is also a risk.  Therapy allows people to no longer be the sole keeper of their stories.  It provides a space to talk about life, understand your role in it better or differently, and give you options for how to respond and move forward, rather than being stuck.At times after therapy sessions, you might find yourself thinking, “Why couldn’t I figure that out on my own,” or “Wow, that seems so obvious.”  One of the reasons therapy can be quite different from talking to a close friend or family member, is that your therapist has a more objective view of your life.  Life is like a snow-globe, and the characters within can often lose sight of their needs and what is really important due to all of the “snow” and glitter that floats around when the globe gets shaken (a.k.a. when life happens).  Friends, family, coworkers, and even children have a personal interest in the decisions you make and the things you do because it often affects them in some way.  This adds more snow to the globe and makes it even more difficult to navigate.  Your therapist is outside of the snow-globe and can help you regain the perspective you need to see clearly through the swirling snow.