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Articles

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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How Can I Make New Friends As An Adult?: How Adults Can Make New Friends and Strengthen Existing Relationships

anxiety therapy, burnout, communication challenges, culturally affirming therapy, depression, relationship challenges,
I joined a coworking space pre-pandemic, hoping that getting out of the house (and away from my TV and a host of other distractions) would make it easier for me to write our blog articles and work on the business tasks I am always putting off. I also hoped to make new friends, as I could tell that my social circles had been shrinking. I…
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What Can Make The Holidays Joyful?: How To Navigate Family Relationships Over the Holidays So You’re Not Just Powering Through

Over the summer, I got to join my mother and our extended family for a family reunion. It was the first time in a long time that I was with my parents, brother (and his family), cousins, etc., and my partner and children in tow, too. I had approached the trip with both excitement and trepidation. There were family members I hadn’t seen in years…
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What’s Going to Happen?: Acknowledging and Managing Election Anxiety

election anxiety, election season, elections and mental health, healthy boundaries, media overload, mindful media, self care tips, stay balanced, stay grounded, stress management
During the last big election cycle, I spent time with my friends and their parents (perhaps the loveliest parents of adults I’ve met). We talked about the upcoming election and the stress we were feeling, and I asked if they had felt similarly during elections when they were younger and had young children. I had often wondered about this as a middle-aged adult. Was this…
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How Should I Talk to My Kids About Sex? The Importance of Discussing Sex, Consent, Body Safety, and Pleasure

anatomy education, body autonomy, body safety, contraception education, culturally affirming therapy, empower kids, family dynamics, healthy relationships, inclusive sex ed, Normalize Sex Ed, open conversations, parenting tips, positive parenting, prevent abuse, sex education, sex positive, sexual empowerment, sexual health, sexuality, STI Awareness, talk about sex, trauma
What I remember about having “the talk” with my parents is foggy at best. I think I was five or 6-years-old and asked my mother where babies come from. We were in the elevator on my way to visit my grandmother. My mother shared something about how a woman has a seed inside her, and a man waters it, and that’s how babies are made……
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Why Can’t I Make Up My Mind?: Challenging Decision Paralysis With Desire and Self-Knowledge

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, burnout, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, gender identity, poor self-esteem, self-care, self-image, trauma, work stress
We make countless decisions every day—some without a second thought, almost instinctually. But then there are those decisions we agonize over, going back and forth until we’re exhausted. Sometimes, that little voice in our head makes us doubt our choices, yet we push forward anyway. While founding and growing Take Root, I’ve had to make countless choices. Some were straightforward, but others were overwhelming, making…
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