You’ve always been the one people can count on — composed under pressure, quick to fix problems, and steady no matter what’s happening around you. It’s part of what makes you successful. But sometimes that same steadiness feels more like tension you can’t turn off. Even on good days, your mind stays busy. You can’t […]
Most people think confidence means never doubting yourself.But that’s not confidence.That’s performance. We’ve been taught to see confidence as a show — the strong handshake, the straight posture, the words that never hesitate. But real confidence has less to do with how you appear… and everything to do with how you return to yourself when […]
This is a blog from earlier this summer, but the subject still applies. Enjoy! This is not the essay I had planned for this week. I planned to share more bits from my memoir draft. But instead illness had another plan in mind. I like to think that I’m partnering with creativity each week, yet […]
You don’t need a therapist’s office, a wellness retreat, or a meditation app subscription to start improving your mental health. The truth is, some of the most powerful ways to feel better cost nothing-just a little awareness and intention. Here are five free, research-supported ways to strengthen your emotional well-being starting right now. 1. Get Outside and Move […]
When Boundaries Are Self-Care: A Guide for Highly Sensitive Professional Women Highly Sensitive Professional Women are often the emotional centers of their workplaces and relationships. You notice everything, the tension in a meeting, the shift in a friend’s tone, the unspoken needs in a partner’s eyes. Your intuition is powerful. But that gift can turn […]
Depression is an enigma that often evades clear understanding. It’s a mental health condition typically associated with sadness and despair, but its tentacles can reach even those who appear outwardly happy and content. This paradox can be puzzling, leading to the misconception that happiness is an impenetrable shield against depression. But the truth is […]
You hold it together all day-at work, at home, managing a thousand moving parts. But when one small thing goes wrong, you lose it or shut down. That’s your window of tolerance in action-the range where your nervous system can handle stress before flipping into fight, flight, or freeze. When you’re outside that window, logic […]
Who stole my child and replaced them with an alien? Anxious, rebellious, irritable, moody, distant…Some of this behavior from your child during adolescence (roughly ages 12 – 25) is COMPLETELY normal. So how do you know the difference between normal adolescent development and when your middle- or high-school age child needs help? Most teens display […]
I believe that self-care is a myth. That we have been sold a bill of goods. Trust me, I didn’t always think this. Instead, for years I peddled handouts of self-care suggestions to my patients. The kind of lists with 100 items listed as “Self-Care Activities.” Lists like: Soak in a bathLight a scented candlePlay […]
Over the past few years, many individuals residing in the United States have faced unprecedented challenges, particularly in urban centers such as Chicago. The complex social and political environment can often feel overwhelming, particularly for marginalized groups including immigrants and people of color, as well as those who navigate multiple intersecting identities. Daily life for […]
