The short story of why we started GoodTherapy.org

GoodTherapy.org was created for the purpose of

supporting healing, growth, and good therapy.

 

A couple years ago Charlene and I were in Nome, Alaska for a few months. One day while getting ready to go out for a hike, I was talking with a good friend by phone who was relaying to me a story about a friend of his who had been hurt by a therapist.  My friend described the behavior of the therapist as punitive and condescending.  I was so disappointed to hear the story.  I’ve heard too many horror stories of people getting hurt by therapists... Later that day Charlene and I went for a hike up a beautiful hillside of tundra.  We made our way to a gigantic boulder overlooking a spectacular view of Norton Sound.  It was breathtaking. 

 

 

 

 

I felt I could fly… like I was one with the earth and sky. It was so uplifting; I could sit there all day.  I remember thinking how I wanted everyone to feel this way once in a while too.  Then the inspiration hit me and I thought something like, “I could take what I know about ‘good therapy’ and create a directory of healthy therapists who know how to help others to heal and grow and who believe that people are capable and proficient, not incapable and deficient."

 

Although I tried, I couldn't shake the vision and about a year later and hundreds of hours of work, we had our first prototype.  We kept tweaking it into form (and we still are) and we finally opened GoodTherapy.org in February of 2007.  It’s been a challenging and rewarding journey.  Almost daily I am touched by stories of how this site has helped folks who are new to therapy to feel more comfortable about starting therapy or more knowledgeable about what healthy therapy is all about.  I know it's a bit grandiose, but I hope that in addition to helping people find therapists, GoodTherapy.org might help the mental health field to rediscover what health is all about, because some circles have forgotten... 

 

~Noah :)