Your first therapy session is a mixture of conversation, orientation, and information gathering. No one expects you to have a perfect story, a clear diagnosis, or an elegant explanation of your life. All you have to do is show up as you are.

A new year brings new schedules, tougher workloads, and social pressures along with seeing friends and starting fresh. Back-to-school time can be especially troubling for those who identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender-expansive.

Despite their similarities, stress and burnout aren't the same. By confusing burnout with normal stress, you may end up trying remedies that worsen the problem-such as pushing harder when you are physically exhausted.