Okay, you're gonna bite the bullet this year and go to therapy for that dang anxiety that doesn't seem to be going away on its own. There are a few things to know to make it easier to show up for your first appointment.

• Counselors are like gynecologists, they’ve seen/heard it all. Ok, that may have started us out on more of an awkward note then I intended, but my point is, please don’t be worried that you are showing a side of yourself that the counselor hasn’t seen before.

• We are made like jack-in-the-boxes. Anything that “pops out” during counseling can be put back in. Research shows, however, that by naming feelings and identifying negative thoughts we start to feel better. But, we always have the option to just push ‘em back in.

• “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." That’s from Albert Einstein. A counselor will help add a different way of thinking to your problem. Together, you’ll be able move the needle toward feeling better faster than if you just stayed in your head and wrestled with it alone.

• Seeking help doesn’t scream to everyone that you are weak. And if you are screaming that in your own ear, get over it. You are human and it is time to fix a very human problem, your anxiety. I thought I would try the “tough love” approach to this one.  I have a feeling you would just mock me if I tried the “asking for help is a sign of real strength” route. Even though it is.

• You can stop any time. Seriously. This last one is just the permission that helps me try a lot of things that my “play on the safe side” mind tries to stop me from doing. The beauty of permission, however, is that once I try things I‘m often very glad I did.