We stand on the shoulders of giants who have studied and sought to understand the origins of mental and emotional pain in the human experience for centuries, in both the Western and Eastern traditions. Through the rich, extensive, and diverse literature of psychoanalysis, philosophy, and theology from around the globe, we find a lineage of inquiry about the complexities of human experience and the ways we find relief from human suffering.
Through this history, we find an indisputable power to confidential, high-quality human relationships.
Psychotherapy (​psyche = breath, spirit, or soul; therapeia = healing) can be defined in many ways, though at its most fundamental is the process of gaining awareness of our unconscious feelings and understanding their meaning in the context of a relationship. Through trusting someone enough to be truly honest, we can begin to distinguish the unconscious patterns that may be interfering with how we meet the emotional needs of ourselves and others.

A truism in social work is "all behavior makes sense with enough information." Our childhood and past relationships have undoubtedly shaped our beliefs, expectations, and attitudes about ourselves, others, and the world. With this in mind, we can approach our emotional difficulties sensibly and compassionately. By acknowledging and remaining aware of how these relationships have shaped us, we can make better sense of reality and how to move through it with more clarity, creativity, compassion, joy, and effectiveness. We begin to see "the possibility of a new beginning in each moment" (Paul Cooper). We can become "free enough to care about what truly matters" (Slavoj Žižek). 
There's nothing quite as special as feeling synchronized with the values and principles that define us. 
And it's never too late to get your values straight.