Psychotherapy is a type of counseling where an individual talks to a trained mental health professional in order to resolve personal and emotional conflicts. It is a type of "talk therapy" that is helpful for many individuals. The goal of psychotherapy is to help an individual gain insight into his or her problems, change behaviors, and/or learn to cope with a variety of feelings such as anger, grief, sadness, stress, and fear. As human beings we often have multiple feelings about people and situations in our lives, and these conflicted feelings can be a source of stress and confusion. Talking with a trained mental health professional can help to resolve ambivalent feelings, emotional conflicts, reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, grief, and loss.

The National Mental Health Association suggests psychotherapy for people when:

• They feel an overwhelming and prolonged sense of sadness and helplessness, and they lack hope in their lives.
• Their emotional difficulties make it hard for them to function from day to day. For example, they are unable to concentrate on assignments and their job performance suffers as a result.
• Their actions are harmful to themselves or to others. For instance, they drink too much alcohol and become overly aggressive.
• They are troubled by emotional difficulties facing family members or close friends.
• They are having problems with interpersonal relationships. Talk therapy brings concrete results for many people. Research shows emotional and physical health are closely linked, and that therapy can improve a person's overall health.