Boundaries are such a buzzword these days, and for good reason! They can do so much in protecting your mental health and giving you a safe space for growth. Boundaries can help you maintain relationships with people that you care about, who may engage in behaviors that aren’t supportive. They help in situations where you don’t want to lose your people; you just can’t continue with this level of exposure to their unsupportive behaviors. How do you limit exposure, maintain re

Many people spend their days with a constant inner critic. When something goes wrong, we often speak to ourselves in ways we would never speak to someone we care about. This might happen after a mistake at work, a missed deadline, or a difficult conversation. Practicing self-compassion means learning to treat ourselves with the same patience, kindness, respect, and understanding that  we extend to others around us.  Self-compassion does not mean you ignore challenges or pret

Loneliness is something so many people go through, even if it doesn’t always look that way from the outside. You might be surrounded by coworkers during the day or even family members at home and still feel alone. Maybe friends are busy, your relationships have shifted, or you’re simply craving deeper connections that feel hard to find. The truth is, loneliness doesn’t always look like isolation. Sometimes it shows up in the middle of a crowded room. In a full house or durin

Starting therapy can feel intimidating. Even those who firmly believe in the importance of mental health care may still feel anxious, unsure, or hesitant when they think about taking the first steps to seeking help. These fears are common and it’s important to recognize that they are normal. Therapy asks us to look inward, be vulnerable, and trust another person with parts of ourselves and our life story that we may not fully understand yet. If you’ve ever hesitated to start

Having a positive sense of community is known to have a positive impact on mental health. In several studies, the impact of having a negative connection to community or a lack of community is tied to higher incidences of depression , anxiety , and overall stress. Additionally, in populations with already higher relative stress such as minority populations, lower socioeconomic classes, and gender nonconforming or queer groups, having a strong community is objectively more impo

Therapy is a space where healing, exploration, and transformation happens; however, not all of that happens at once. To be most effective, therapy needs to move between two spaces: Safe Spaces and Brave Spaces. Each serves a different purpose in supporting your journey, and both are essential for growth and healing. Let’s explore what these spaces mean, how they differ, and why a healthy balance of both is key in therapy. What is a Safe Space in Therapy? Safe Spaces provide c

Culture is such a big part of who we are. It shapes our identity, where we come from, and how we see the world around us. For many of us, our cultural roots are something to be proud of– woven into the food we eat, the language we speak, the music we love, and the traditions and stories passed down through generations.  At the same time, our cultural background can also hold some pain. Maybe family dynamics left some wounds that still hurt, maybe generational trauma was ignor

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy…sounds ominous, doesn’t it?  A Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT for short) group teaches how to manage yourself so that you can handle life more effectively. I have been teaching DBT for over 25 years and it has changed my life. I have learned to handle myself in situations that used to baffle me. That’s why I so enjoy teaching the core concepts of DBT. Let's dive into how DBT skills can help you manage your emotions and build a life worth l

When you grow up with a narcissistic parent, it can feel confusing, lonely, and even painful. On the outside, everything might look “normal”. Maybe it even appears like you’ve got the perfect family. But inside the home, things can feel off. Maybe your parent always had to be right. Maybe your feelings were ignored or dismissed. Maybe you were made to feel small so they could feel big. These early experiences don’t just disappear when you grow up. They can leave deep marks th

As a former healthcare worker and recovering perfectionist/people-pleaser, I used to believe it was my job to make sure everyone else...

While many spaces have increasingly become more accepting, affirming, and inclusive of LGBTQIA+ folks, there has also been a rise in backlash politically and socially. Trans and nonbinary folks in particular are facing increasing levels of resistance. This includes harmful legislation, misinformation, and rising hate. It’s a painful reality that even as things get better in some ways, they’re also getting harder in others. And that can make healing feel even more complicated.

Living with a chronic illness brings many challenges, not only for the individual diagnosed but also for their relationships . Whether...

So, You’re Considering Non-Monogamy? Many people associate non-monogamy exclusively with sexual expression but it’s about so much more!...

Relationships are a complicated thing. Maybe you're feeling like your relationship is going well, but you notice one or two issues that...

What is EMDR Therapy? EMDR therapy was created by Dr. Shapiro in the late 1980s.  EMDR therapy is an 8-phase form of psychotherapy that...

Parenting can be one of the most deeply rewarding roles a person can take on but it certainly doesn’t come without challenges! Raising a...

In my experience as a therapist, I have had clients come to me thinking they would be ‘fixed’ in a month or less. These clients typically...

Avoidance is a completely natural and often automatic process of trying to protect yourself from something painful, uncomfortable,...

It's well-established in the world of health and wellness that what we eat significantly impacts our physical health. However, the...

Conflict in your relationship is hard enough. It’s even tougher when those conflicts don’t go according to plan, and you or your partner...