The joys of the holiday season are upon us, but it is also a time of mixed feelings for many people. As much as you might want to reconnect with close and distant relatives, you may also have worries about your negative feelings about some of them.

Sarah contacted me soon after her breast cancer diagnosis. When we met for the first therapy session, she was emotional about her illness and cried bitterly. Sarah kept asking, “How could this happen to me? I don’t understand. Why would I get cancer?”

The college application process is often a time marked by high anxiety for teenagers and their parents, rather than being a time of anticipation and pleasures about a new phase of life.

How does therapy work? I often hear this question from people I meet. It’s also the first question asked by prospective patients inquiring about the services I offer. Here are eight simple steps for starting therapy.