Lately I have been anxious. Not my usual low hum of worry, of thinking every detail through, but the “out-of-the-normal” anxiety. Waves of panic descend over me, crash on me out of nowhere. I will be sitting on the couch, and suddenly I am anxious, panicked. Worrisome thoughts intrude on my brain. “Will I have […]
As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I fully support the American Counseling Association’s reaffirmed stance against conversion therapy. The ACA’s recent statement, issued alongside its participation in Chiles v. Salazar before the U.S. Supreme Court, makes something very clear: efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity are not therapy. They are harm disguised as help. […]
A few years ago, I was talking with a friend, discussing a book that we had both read. Our conversation took place in 2020, during the lockdown. It was a time when I was questioning my life, how I was living my days. In the book, an African proverb was quoted. “‘When death finds you, […]
What if I told you that self-care is a myth? That the way we think about it is all wrong. What if I told you that you do not need more self-care in your life? That the problem is deeper than that. That self-care is being used as a scapegoat. What if I told you […]
You spend hours replaying conversations in your head. You can’t stop worrying. You avoid decisions because you’re afraid of what someone might think or say. You hold back, shrink, or second-guess yourself — just in case you upset someone. It’s exhausting. And it keeps you stuck. There’s a mental shift that can set you free. […]
You’ve read the articles. You’ve watched the reels. “Just say no.” “Use I-statements.” “Visualize your boundary.” It’s tempting to believe there’s a single trick that will make healthy boundaries easy. But if you’ve ever tried to hold a boundary with someone who’s hurt when you don’t give, who guilt-trips, or who simply steamrolls, you know […]
When you’ve been carrying pain for years — or struggling in a relationship that feels stuck — weekly therapy can feel too slow. You show up for 50 minutes, start to open up, then the clock runs out. The next week, you have to pick up where you left off. Real change can happen this […]
It’s 3 AM, and your phone’s too quiet. The glow of the screen feels like a spotlight on your doubts. You sent three texts—maybe four, if you’re being real. One had a heart emoji, another a question, maybe one was practically a love letter. And now? Nothing. Just silence that screams louder than any notification […]
If you are an anxiously attached dater, then you may have heard comments like “you come on too strong,” or that “you are too much too soon” when it comes to dating, and you have likely had people simply stop responding to you via text (maybe it’s happened many times), or ghost you after a […]
Working with teenagers, I often have parents who are concerned about their teenager using marijuana or alcohol. Besides the concern that their teenager may be using drugs or alcohol, they are concerned about their teenager becoming addicted. Besides marijuana and alcohol, parents are concerned about methamphetamines and heroin. Currently there is an epidemic of teenagers […]
