You are holding in your hands over 300 years of clinical mental health experience. This rich resource gives you an inside look at how and why we practice the way we do. Twelve therapists were invited and gathered to write down how they found their way to the therapist's chair. You will learn how and why they chose this professional path. Their stories are as unique as the people they embody; racially, spiritually, chronologically and geographically. These stories may be an open door to encourage you to see one or become one too. Every therapist has a back story. The beauty of the client/therapist relationship is that they are there for you 100%, like your elementary teachers that are there for you and they do not seem to have their own lives or concerns. When I had to leave a session once to have an appendectomy, I am sure that client was taken off guard and surprised that the therapist was attending to herself instead of him. Our ages span across 45 years, and we are in different stages of our practices. Our licenses are varied. Some of us are working on new ventures and some of us have retired. We work in group practices, hospitals, universities and private practices. We are diverse culturally, spiritually, politically and professionally. Our paths have woven us together through professional connections, working side by side for years with our doors next to each other and clients that teach us that the important things in life deserve to be heard.