
Pain is inevitable in life but suffering doesn't have to be. Suffering arises when anxiety rules us. We are anxious about facing our fears, so we avoid them. We are anxious about letting others get close, so we isolate ourselves. Psychotherapy can provide a doorway out of these loops. We cannot prevent difficulties and tragedies. However, we can learn to manage our internal reactions to external circumstances and relationships. Self-empowerment comes from finding the courage to face our internal world in all its messiness and complexity.