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Writer's pictureDr. Leilani Sharpe

A New Series: Starting Psychotherapy


Dr. Leilani Sharpe is a licensed child and adult psychiatrist located in Santa Monica, California.

What To Expect is a series about making psychiatric care a little more understandable and accessible. Psychotherapy plays such central role in mental health care, I’ve decided it’s time to dive in and start introducing at least the process of starting therapy.


It’s very typical for someone to start seeing a psychiatrist expecting medication management, and then to be recommended psychotherapeutic interventions as part of their treatment plan.


Over the years, I’ve learned that many people are unfamiliar with what therapy is or what the process is like. So when they hear, “Have you considered therapy?”, many people don’t understand why it’s being recommended.


Common concerns I’ve heard:

“Why would I discuss my life with a stranger?”

“Talking is not healthcare. If I want to talk to someone, I can do it for free.”

“Why talk to someone I have to pay when I can talk to my family?”

“It may be a good idea, but I’m not ready to talk about those things.”

“I’ve made it this far without therapy. I don’t need it.”

“I don’t want it in my medical record.”


All of these concerns are real, are very common, and I hope to address each of them in this series.

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