Notes On…Daring Greatly (in therapy)

I love me some Brené Brown. Maybe you’ve seen her TED Talk—the one where she unpacks vulnerability with humor, warmth, and that signature Texas grit. If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. Her work has become a guiding light for anyone navigating the messy, beautiful, terrifying world of human connection. As a therapist, I see her insights come to life in real time, in the sacred space where people dare to be seen.

One of Brown’s core messages is that vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s courage in its purest form. That’s why I believe therapy is one of the most profound acts of Daring Greatly. To sit down with another person, to name your pain out loud, to say, This is where I struggle. This is what I long for. This is what scares me.—that takes guts.

Brené reminds us, “Trust is built in very small moments.” Therapy is built the same way. A client’s first session is rarely an immediate deep dive into their biggest fears. It begins with small steps—testing the waters, sharing a little at a time, feeling out the space. And when trust takes root, something powerful happens: vulnerability transforms from something to avoid into something that heals.

As Brown so brilliantly articulates, shame thrives in secrecy. It tells us we’re alone in our struggles, that we’re unworthy of love and connection. But therapy is a shame disruptor. In the presence of an attuned therapist, shame starts to loosen its grip. Clients begin to rewrite their narratives, shifting from "I am broken" to "I am growing" from "I am unworthy" to "I am enough.”

Seeking therapy is an act of defiance against a world that still stigmatizes vulnerability. It’s a radical choice to believe in your own worth, to choose healing over hiding. And if that’s not Daring Greatly, I don’t know what is.