How do I know if Therapy is Right for me?

By Emily Petersdorff, APSW, MSW, MBA

Finding Support When You Are Carrying So much

Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially when you are already carrying so much. It is hard to take steps toward growth when it feels like all of your energy is going toward simply getting through the day. You deserve to be in a space where you feel understood and safe enough to show up as your full self. Choosing the right therapist matters, and it’s okay to want support that feels aligned with who you are.

Reasons People Might go to Therapy:

• Burnout and fatigue from over-functioning for so long

• A lack of fulfillment from living a life that doesn’t feel like it is yours

• Feeling disconnected from your body and stuck in your mind

• A longing for deeper connection, fulfillment, and self-understanding

• Pressure to be perfect that leaves you feeling exhausted

• Chronic illness or conditions that make life feel heavy

• OCD that brings shame, doubt, or confusion

• Neurodivergence that leads to feelings of isolation in a world that expects conformity

A Shared Experience:

Across all of these experiences, there is often a shared need: slowing down, exploring the deeper layers of what you’re carrying, introducing self-compassion, and reconnecting with who you are beneath the pressure and expectations.

These experiences often force you to reevaluate your priorities and how you show up in the world. When your energy is limited, you become more selective about where it goes, and therapy can help you make choices that align with what you truly value.

How Therapy Helps

1. Identifying What Matters to You & Building Your Life Around It

Therapy can help you reconnect with what brings you fulfillment and joy. When you’re in survival mode, it’s easy to lose touch with the things that matter most. Therapy creates space to get curious about what feels meaningful to you, outside of what society expects you to prioritize. You are allowed to want different things. You are allowed to challenge old narratives and create a new story for yourself; one rooted in hope, joy, and meaning.

2. Discovering a Sense of Self-Trust

Trauma, people-pleasing, and perfectionism can erode your sense of self-trust. You may question your ability to make choices that are best for you or feel unsure of what you truly want. Therapy offers a place to shed layers of shame and doubt and reconnect with a deeper sense of internal trust.

3. Recognizing Patterns and Offering Yourself Compassion

Therapy can help you recognize repeating patterns and begin to break cycles. Familiar patterns can feel safe, even when they keep you stuck. It’s common to feel shame when things in your life don’t change, no matter how much you want them to. Therapy supports you in building awareness of these patterns and introducing gentle compassion that makes change feel possible.

My approach to therapy

I help people who feel overwhelmed, misunderstood, or disconnected from themselves explore their internal world, reconnect with what matters, and build a life that honors their identity, values, and energy. Many of the people I work with have spent years adapting, over-functioning, or trying to meet expectations that never fit. Together, we explore the patterns that keep repeating, reconnect with your needs, and move toward a more compassionate and authentic way of living.

My work incorporates depth psychology, which means looking beneath the surface at the beliefs, narratives, and cycles that shape how you move through the world. I also use mind-body approaches, including Brainspotting, to support deeper healing. Many people I work with spend most of their time in their mind; mind-body therapy helps integrate both halves of your experience so healing feels more balanced and grounded.

What Can I Expect in Therapy?

1. An Initial 15-Minute Consultation Call or Email

This call will give you a chance to see if it feels like a good fit. It allows you to ask any questions that you have or address any fears that you have around starting therapy.

You can also email to schedule and ask questions that way if you would prefer.

2. Your First Appointment

Your first appointment will be focused on going over whatever it is that is bringing you into therapy! It allows us to get to know each other and discuss your goals and what you are hoping to get out of therapy.

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