Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about beginnings. For me, this usually happens around my birthday, but also at other times of the year like the start of school or New Year’s. Beginnings can be filled with anticipation and excitement for things to come. But they can also be wrought with anxiety and fear of the unknown. We don’t know exactly what a new beginning will bring, but I like to think of each new beginning as an opportunity to trust that I am on a path guided by intention, and one that will teach me as long as I remain open.

The beginning of therapy can be intimidating. It may be hard to make that first phone call to ask for help. It may be hard to know where to start during your first session. I sometimes think of staring at a blank canvas or a blank piece of paper and how hard it is to make that first mark. Fortunately, the first mark is just that- a mark. Following your intuition may help you transform that mark into something new, something with a deeper meaning, something that may allow you to know yourself better.

In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”