Greg Petropoulos

I was born & raised and continue to live in southern California with my therapist wife. As a young boy I discovered I was a gifted natural athlete. Sports was my passion that required me to be disciplined, and that earned me recognition from local kid teams through competing on the intercollegiate level. After High School I attended a local community college, then transferred to a university in the Midwest where I earned a degree in Social Work. I then began an 18-year journey in the business world that had a more promising financial future. I started out as a shipping clerk to finally culminating with the responsibility of representing various sized companies as a regional sales manager, working throughout the majority of the western states. In the late 80’s I attended a social and business networking event where I had the good fortune of meeting my future wife and business partner. With her encouragement and support I returned to school to earn a master’s degree in clinical psychology, and eventually achieved the license to practice as a master’s level therapist. We then opened our first joint counseling private practice clinic in the eastern area of Los Angeles County. A few years later I began to have a dream of working with the men & women who protect our way of life, and the privilege of our freedoms. I joined the California State Military Reserve as a part-time commissioned Officer providing counseling services for the returning men & women of the National Guard & Army Reservists from middle east deployments. After several months of this volunteer work, I then was offered an opportunity to work part-time as a civilian contractor therapist at various Army Installations in the US and overseas in Europe. I continued working with the Army personnel until 2016, when the contract changed too much for my tastes. All the while my wife and I continued with our private practice, as well as teaching a multiday intensive personal growth workshop for selected clients of ours. We offered it three to four times a year and continued for nearly the next 30-years. When COVID struck in early 2020, we did the prudent thing by closing our private practice clinic and without skipping a beat we began having clients virtually from the safety and comfort of our home. That’s why working with Betterhelp seemed like such an easy addition to what we were already doing. One of the things I learned about myself during all those years in business, and most especially being a therapist, regardless of when I was teaching a workshop, or working at an Army Installation. I love being of service to others. My message to those of you who are stepping up to participate in counseling, some of you for the first time: I believe if you are able to change your thinking, you can change not only your behavior, and also the trajectory of your life. If you’re looking for an easy way to make this happen, it doesn’t exist! It might be the most difficult things you ever do is change. It takes a lot of courage to talk with a perfect stranger about the most gut-wrenching traumas, emotionally painful & scary experiences of your life! If you’re willing to face your fears, and feel your feelings about your situation, change can happen. What I know and believe, is that you are far more powerful, loving, caring & happy than you realize. Nothing changes, if nothing changes! See you soon, Greg