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Therapists answer…

For people that are hesitant to try therapy, what do you wish you could tell them?

Ashlyn GraffA

Ashlyn Graff

Therapist

For people hesitant to try therapy, what do you wish you could tell them, and what advice would you give?

Madeline VolkM

Madeline Volk

LMHCA
Online & In-PersonAccepting New Clients
For people hesitant to try therapy, what do you wish you could tell them, and what advice would you give?
Most people can benefit from therapy and don't need to have experienced a significant event or feel completely different to start therapy. Benefits include, but are not limited to, learning new skills to handle stress, improving communication, increasing self-awareness, and improving relationships. It is normal to be nervous about something you have not tried yet, or even something you have tried in the past but didn't feel worked. The effects of therapy take time, and attending is a type of commitment to personal growth. One of the greatest predictors of the effectiveness of treatment relates to the therapeutic alliance. This means the relationship between client and therapist, so it is important to find someone who works well for you! I recommend trying to meet or chat with at least three providers and choosing who feels like the best fit for you from there. At my practice, I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation before you have to submit any paperwork or schedule anything to check if I am the right fit for you.
Hi! I am Madeline, an associate mental health counselor in Washington State. I primarily work with adults with trauma or PTSD, particularly young adults and LGBTQ+ individuals. I also support individual clients who practice ENM, are navigating life transitions, relationship challenges, burnout, low self-esteem, anxiety, grief, or depression. No matter what brings you to therapy, I will empower you to make sense of your world and experiences while supporting you in creating a path toward meaningful healing and connection. I see clients in my office in Pioneer Square in Seattle on Thursdays and Fridays and also offer flexible online availability for anyone in Washington. Please note that for in-person appointments, stairs are required to access the office. Outside of work, I enjoy spending my time in nature, especially paddleboarding with my dog. I also enjoy more grounded hobbies like reading, puzzles, coloring, writing, and caring for houseplants.
Brian FletcherB

Brian Fletcher

MDiv., BCCC, LCDP, LCSW,
Online & In-PersonAccepting New Clients
For people hesitant to try therapy, what do you wish you could tell them, and what advice would you give?
If you’re hesitant about therapy, I want you to know that seeking help is not a sign of weakness—it’s a sign of courage. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin. Therapy provides a safe, judgment-free space to talk honestly, gain understanding, and work through challenges at your own pace. My advice is to take the first step, be open to the process, and give yourself permission to grow. If you desire, faith can be part of that journey. You don’t have to walk through difficult seasons alone. With professional support and Christ at the center, healing and growth are possible.
Welcome! I am glad that you are here. I work with individuals, couples, and families who are navigating anxiety, depression, stress, relationship challenges, anger, life transitions, trauma, and other emotional or behavioral concerns. I provide a supportive, judgment-free environment where clients can feel heard, understood, and empowered to make meaningful changes. Sessions are collaborative and tailored to your individual needs and goals. We may use approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), strengths-based counseling, trauma-informed care, and practical coping strategies. Together, we identify challenges, explore patterns of thinking and behavior, build healthy coping skills, and develop realistic steps toward positive change. For clients who desire it, I also integrate Christian faith and biblical principles into counseling. My goal is to meet you where you are, help you recognize your strengths, and support you in becoming the healthiest version of yourself.
Jack SzaryJ

Jack Szary

LMHC-D
Online TherapyAccepting New Clients
For people hesitant to try therapy, what do you wish you could tell them, and what advice would you give?
Most of the hesitation I hear is some version of "it is not bad enough." You are functioning. You are meeting your obligations. Compared to what other people are dealing with, it feels indulgent to take up an hour talking about yourself. So you wait, and the bar for what counts as bad enough keeps moving. Here is what I would tell you: therapy is not a last resort. It works better before you are in crisis, not after. Waiting until the exhaustion is unmanageable does not make you tougher. It just means you are starting the work with fewer resources. The second thing I hear is skepticism about the process itself. You are analytical, you have already thought about your problems from every angle, and you do not see what talking about them again is going to do. That is fair. But insight and change are different things. Understanding why you avoid conflict has never once made someone stop avoiding conflict. What changes it is practice, with someone tracking the pattern alongside you and telling you the truth about what they see. My advice is practical: talk to two or three therapists before deciding. Most of us offer a free consultation. Pay attention to whether the person feels like someone you could be honest with, because fit predicts outcome more than any credential on the page. If it does not feel right, that is information about the match, not a verdict on therapy. And you are allowed to try it and stop. Deciding to have one conversation is not a commitment to eighteen months.
I work with high-functioning professionals across New York who look steady from the outside and are running on empty underneath. Attorneys, founders, finance and tech professionals, healthcare workers, and the people everyone else leans on. If you are managing anxiety by overworking, or you have hit burnout and cannot slow down without feeling like you are failing, that is the work. I specialize in anxiety therapy, burnout recovery, self-esteem, and men's mental health. All sessions are virtual, so you can meet from your office, your apartment, or between calls. Sessions are direct and structured. You will not spend fifty minutes narrating your week to silence. We identify the pattern driving the problem, whether that is avoidance, perfectionism, or the internal critic that never lets up, and then we build skills you can actually use on a Tuesday afternoon. I draw on ACT, CBT, and DBT, along with Stoic-informed frameworks that tend to land well with people who think analytically. Expect me to challenge you and to be straightforward about what I am seeing. Expect homework. Expect to leave most sessions with something concrete to try.
Ashna WallaceA

Ashna Wallace

MS, LMHC, NCC
Online TherapyAccepting New Clients
For people hesitant to try therapy, what do you wish you could tell them, and what advice would you give?
If you’re hesitant about therapy, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin. You also don’t need to be in crisis or know exactly what to talk about. Therapy is a space to slow down, make sense of what you’re experiencing, and have someone in your corner without judgment. My advice is to give yourself permission to be curious about the process and find a therapist you feel comfortable with. You don’t have to commit to changing everything at once; sometimes the first step is simply having a conversation and seeing how it feels.
I am accepting new clients, specializing in women and young adults. As young adults, you have it harder than ever: you’re dealing with a high cost of living, having to live with your parents longer than you’d prefer, poor job prospects, uncertainty about your career, struggling to make and maintain friendships, increasing student debt, as well as the exposure to social media and the high expectations you develop of yourself as a result. Then you have the pandemic that affected so many of you during high school and/or college, causing you to miss the big events that many were looking forward to. I have worked with many young adults over the years and have seen first hand the stress and anxiety that all of this causes your generation. Allow me to help you navigate through these uncertain times and provide you with the tools to help you forge a path forward. Change isn’t easy, and it can be scary, but it is necessary in order to move forward. Together we can work to identify and overcome the obstacles in your life that are preventing you from reaching your potential and realizing your goals. I can help you gain insight and develop healthy coping skills so that you may experience personal growth. Contact me today for a free 15 minute consultation to see if we would be a good fit to work together.