Your first individual therapy session is often about getting to know each other and building trust. As your therapist, I’ll start by explaining how therapy works and answer any questions you have. We’ll talk about confidentiality—what stays private and what the limits are—so you feel comfortable sharing.

Getting Started With Individual Therapy

Many people feel nervous or unsure at first; that’s normal. You won’t have to dive into everything all at once. You can share as much or as little as you’re ready to discuss.

We might start by talking about:

• Why you decided to come to therapy
• What concerns or struggles you want help with
• How these issues have affected your life, relationships, or work
• What you hope to get out of therapy

You don’t have to prepare perfectly or know exactly what to say. I’m here to listen without judgment and guide the conversation. I may ask questions to help me understand your history, patterns, and goals.

We won’t try to “fix” everything in the first session since we will be work on building a safe place where you feel heard and respected. We’ll also talk about what future sessions might look like and how often we might meet.

Most people leave their first session feeling relieved they took the step, even if they also feel vulnerable. Therapy is a process, and the first session is just the beginning of a supportive professional relationship that focuses on your needs, challenges, and growth.

Are You Ready to Begin Individual Therapy?

You don’t have to feel 100% ready or confident before starting therapy. Often, people begin because something in their life isn’t working the way they want, or they’re feeling stuck, confused, or overwhelmed. The desire for relief, understanding, or change is enough reason to start.

If you’re looking for a trusted therapist in the Aspen, CO area, I invite you to reach out today.

Staying sober takes more than willpower. It takes daily support, honest reflection, and someone you can truly rely on when things get tough. That’s where a sober coach comes in. If you’re in recovery or trying to get there, a sober coach can be a lifeline—someone who shows up, holds you accountable, and helps you keep going when it feels hard.

What Is a Sober Coach?

A sober coach is a trained professional who provides one-on-one support to people in recovery from addiction. They work outside the traditional therapy model, offering structure, check-ins, encouragement, and real-time help with the challenges of daily sober life. As a concierge sober coach, I offer flexible, responsive support that meets you where you are, literally and emotionally.

How a Sober Coach Can Support Long-Term Recovery

Sober coaches help bridge the gap between treatment and everyday life. You don’t just need help during a crisis—you need guidance as you rebuild your routine, relationships, and self-confidence.

Sober coaching helps with:

• Staying accountable to your sobriety goals
• Managing stress, triggers, and cravings
• Navigating relationships and boundaries
• Making daily choices that support recovery
• Preventing relapse and staying on track

When and Why a Sober Coach Is Needed

You might benefit from a sober coach if:

• You’re newly out of rehab or a treatment program
• You’re sober, but still struggling with daily life
• You’ve relapsed before and want more support
• You want help but aren’t ready for formal rehab

Why Ongoing Support Matters

Recovery isn’t a quick fix. It’s a life shift. Staying connected to a sober coach gives you consistent support, honest feedback, and someone who truly understands what you’re working through. It’s a relationship built on trust and care, helping you stay steady no matter what life brings.

If you’re ready to work with a licensed therapist and sober coach in Aspen, CO, I invite you to reach out today.

Addiction recovery is rarely a straight line. It’s a deeply personal process filled with stops, starts, progress, and setbacks. If you’re beginning this journey—or finding your way back to it—therapy can be a steady source of support. It’s not about being fixed. It’s about being heard, understood, and guided without judgment.

As a therapist, I work with people in all stages of recovery. Whether you’re just beginning or years in, therapy can help you stay grounded, honest, and connected to yourself.

How Therapy Supports Recovery

Addiction doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s often tied to pain, trauma, loneliness, or patterns that feel impossible to break. Therapy creates space to explore those connections in a safe and supportive environment. It can help you:

• Understand what drives your addiction
• Learn how to cope with stress, triggers, and emotional pain
• Build healthier relationships and boundaries
• Strengthen self-trust and self-compassion
• Stay connected to your recovery goals

You don’t have to have all the answers. Therapy helps you find your way, one step at a time.

Ongoing Support That Meets You Where You Are

Recovery doesn’t end after detox or rehab. Real life continues, and that’s where therapy can make a lasting difference. Whether you’re processing a relapse, rebuilding your identity, or simply maintaining progress, ongoing support helps you stay on your path.

If you’re navigating addiction recovery, I’d be honored to walk with you. Together, we’ll face what’s hard with honesty and care, and keep moving forward.

You don’t have to do this alone. Therapy can be a steady hand to hold as you build a life rooted in freedom, clarity, and connection.

If you’re ready to work with a licensed addiction therapist in Aspen, CO, I invite you to reach out today.

My author website has all of my updated blogs.  Please visit www.ashleylife101.com

 

“The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.”  – Bill Gates

 

To get self-esteem, do ‘esteemable’ things.  It is a common, albeit, trite saying floating around self-help groups, that “To get self-esteem, do ‘esteemable’ things.”

 

What does that mean? Basically it means acting with integrity and living your life so that your actions are aligned with your values.  It means doing the right thing instead of the thing that feels good. It means helping others.  It means taking time out of your day to reflect.  It means conducting yourself in such a manner that your God would be proud of you.  It means living your life in such a way that you wouldn’t be afraid if the town gossip had access to your daily affairs.

 

A recipe for low self-esteem is to continue to do things that make you feel guilt and shame. Low self-esteem is a result of conducting yourself in a manner that you know at a deep level is not morally, ethically, spiritually or emotionally sound.  It is awfully convenient and tempting to blame our low self-esteem on other people.  Your parents were mean to you, nobody gave you unconditional love, your spouse yells at you, your boss berates you, you were teased in kindergarten; the list could go on and on.

 

And yes, there is some validity that we are programmed consciously and unconsciously with the messages we received at an early age and that we continue to hear.   Don’t give your power to others.  You no longer have the luxury of blaming your problems and your low self-esteem on other people.  You are in charge of your thoughts now.

 

The solution remains the same – start doing esteemable things. Be a good person.  Give to others.  If you remain in a relationship that reinforces your negative self-worth, you have the luxury and freedom of terminating the relationship.  As they say in a co-dependent self-help program, “If you want to stop being treated like a doormat, get off the floor.”

 

Ashley Connolly, LPC, M.Ed is a psychotherapist and the author of Life 101: 21 Practical Personal Growth Principles for the 21^st Century.  www.ashleylife101.com