The concept of therapeutic courage is considered to be an essential therapist variable and is now at a stage of accumulating empirical support. The present study examined the subjective experience of therapeutic courage in Japanese novice therapists in order to gain insight into how culture and clinical experience contribute to the conceptualization and exercise of therapeutic courage. A total of 15 therapists with an average of 4.2 years of clinical experience were interviewed about therapy situations in which they were able or unable to exercise courage. The data was analyzed using grounded theory approach, which generated three main categories: living up to the professional role, keeping the balance, and tapping into an authentic voice. Japanese novice therapists were likely to be inhibited in their therapeutic courage due to feelings of incompetence, rigid views about presumed professional code of conduct and the fear of external evaluation. Taking action based on courage was a deliberated and well thought out decision. The role of therapeutic courage in the professional development of psychotherapists, as well as cultural influences, are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)