In the realm of human relationships love, compassion, and empathy are paramount not only in our interactions with others, but also play a crucial role in how we relate to ourselves. As James Baldwin said “One can only face in others what one can face in oneself.” We cannot know and love another person without […]
Tag: mental health awareness
On Grief
Grief is our natural response to loss, an emotional reaction that transcends the boundaries of what or whom we hold dear. It’s an acknowledgment of absence, be it the departure of someone or something we held dear, an expectation we had for our future, or hope for change. We mourn when we lose family, friends, […]
5 Steps To Handling The Holiday Blues
The holiday season is traditionally seen as a festive period, a time for gathering with friends and family to celebrate and spread cheer. Yet, for many, this season can be fraught with challenges and emotional trials. These difficulties stem from a variety of deeply personal reasons. Some individuals grapple with traumatic memories linked to the […]
Attachment & Adult Relationships
Attachment theory is a very popular topic these days. I see many clients that come into therapy asking about their own attachment style and how it affects their relationships. Other clients come to therapy because they are struggling in their friendships and partnerships and want solutions to the barriers they have to intimacy. Attachment theory […]
Perfectionism & People Pleasing
Perfectionism and people-pleasing are treacherous traps, in which we place all of our self-worth into the hands of others. At their core, perfectionism and people-pleasing reflect a relentless drive to meet impossible standards and an unyielding desire to gain the approval of those around us. The root of these behaviors is a deep-seated need to […]
10 Steps to Setting Better Boundaries
Setting boundaries can be incredibly challenging especially when we engage in people pleasing. For many of us, it goes against our deep desire make people like us, while also not disappointing anyone by failing to meet their expectations. However, this can lead us to overcommit ourselves. Trying to make everyone happy, while our own needs […]
3 Steps To Change Your Mood
We all experience bad moods from time to time, enduring prolonged periods marred by feelings such as sadness or anger. Sometimes, these moods are a direct result of an unpleasant event, interaction, or experience. Other times, the cause is elusive, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint the source of these feelings. Often, these moods are […]
Spirituality & Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy and spirituality share a significant overlap. Many of us embark on our psychotherapeutic journey in search of healing, and as we heal, we broaden our objectives, beginning to search for meaning and purpose in our lives, or striving to understand and achieve our full potential. The desire to heal and grow into the best […]
Therapy Should Make You A Better Person
In recent years, there has been an unmistakable surge in ‘therapy speak’. It’s no longer rare to overhear discussions about attachment styles, coping mechanisms, or emotional labor at coffee shops, family gatherings, or even in the media. When celebrities openly discuss concepts like “being present” and “emotional labor” during prime-time interviews, it’s clear that the […]
Procrastination
Why do we put off for tomorrow that which can be accomplished today? It’s not as though we can enjoy the time spent relaxing or engaging in leisure activities. In fact, procrastination is almost always followed by guilt and the nagging sense that we are wasting our time that would be better spent on necessary […]