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Articles

What Is OCD? Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Beyond the Myths

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, relationship challenges, self-care,
After my second child was born, I began experiencing disturbing, intrusive images: vivid scenes of dropping her as I climbed the stairs, or her stroller breaking free and rolling into traffic. The thoughts felt so real that my body would flood with panic. I didn’t know what to do with the terror these images brought, so I developed strategies: I walked impossibly slowly up the…
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Grief After Suicide: Understanding Complex Loss and Finding Support

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, , trauma, trauma therapy
Gentle content note: This article discusses suicide, traumatic loss, and complex grief. If you feel activated while reading, please pause, breathe, and come back when you feel ready. If you are in immediate danger or worried about your safety, call or text 988 in the U.S. for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or use online chat at 988lifeline.org. I wish no one had to die…
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Back-to-School Stress?: A Therapist’s Guide to Easing the Transition

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, relationship challenges, self-care,
Back-to-school season can be exciting, but it can also bring a wave of stress and anxiety for both kids and parents. From shifting routines to worries about friends and teachers, the transition after summer can feel overwhelming. In my own family, I was reminded just how big these feelings can be when my kids received their teacher assignments the night before school started. During summer…
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Image of a person sitting on the floor with their hands wrapped around their knees and their head resting on their knees to illustrate what stress and depression can look like

Can Stress Cause Depression? 5 Ways To Prevent Depression

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, burnout, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy
When I think about the early days of the pandemic in Los Angeles, I remember feeling overwhelmed and scared, but I think there was also a feeling of excitement. I may be rewriting history here — and I don’t want to downplay the real fear that I was experiencing (and the magnitude of how many people were dying)– but as the eternal optimist, I assumed…
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What Is Bi+ Erasure? How Bisexual Invisibility Impacts Mental Health and Identity

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression therapy, relationship challenges, , trauma, trauma therapy
When I think about my sexuality, I go back to my earliest crushes. I remember being completely smitten with both Ariel and Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid. I didn’t have the words for it at the time, but I knew I felt drawn to both of them. Still, when I played with my kindergarten classmates, I only talked about Prince Eric. That felt easier. That…
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Why Is It So Hard To Set Boundaries?: Understanding People-Pleasing and Learning to Honor Your Own Needs

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, , trauma, trauma therapy
I recently made the difficult decision to assert a boundary with my family while they were here visiting us in Los Angeles, knowing it might not go over well. I communicated it with as much care as I could and felt pretty good about it—until I got a phone call from my mother a couple of days later. She told me how hurt people felt…
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What Does It Really Mean to Be Emotionally Available?: How to Go From Emotionally Unavailable to Building Real Connection for Healthier Relationships

boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, , trauma, trauma therapy
There are many moments in my life where I have acted in a way that later left me embarrassed or, even worse, ashamed. One exchange I have thought about many times since was a conversation between myself and a dear friend during my senior year in high school. My friend was a year older and was already in college, and he called me one night…
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Why Am I So Hard On Myself? Understanding Self-Criticism and Learning to Quiet Your Inner Critic

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, coping patterns, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy
My schedule has been jam-packed recently: my kids are playing multiple sports in addition to their other after-school activities, and all of it spills into our weekends. We go from one game or birthday party to another, squeezing in meals, caring for our dog, and then tending to a never-ending to-do list. This week, their school has early dismissals all week, and my partner has…
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Are Your Expectations Helping or Hurting Your Relationships?: Understanding the Role of Expectations, Needs, and Standards in Building Healthy Relationships

Communicating Needs, Expectation Vs Reality, Expectations In Relationships, healthy boundaries, Healthy Expectations, Healthy Standards, Idealized Love, Love And Illusions, Managing Expectations, Meeting Your Own Needs, Relationships, Self Reflection, Understanding Yourself, Unrealistic Expectations, Wants Vs Needs
I grew up in a home where birthdays and holidays weren’t a big deal. We would generally have small birthday gatherings with family. However, I can remember one specific birthday when I convinced my parents to invite a ton of girls from my grade over for a slumber party. It was a lot, with one girl going to the ER after she cut her hand…
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Why Do We Escape Reality, and When Does It Become a Problem?: Understanding Escapism and Engaging In Escapism Mindfully

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, burnout, coping patterns, depression, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, trauma, work stress
I was a late reader, but once I started, I was a goner. I read nonstop, and family friends lovingly referred to me as a bookworm (or at least, I would like to believe it was lovingly). I read in the car, during social events, and once, on a roller coaster when it was slow to start. And my interest in storytelling doesn’t stop at…
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