social support

Will I Ever Trust Again?: Understanding the Cost of Betrayal and Conceptualizing Recovery from Betrayal Trauma

November 30, 2023

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, social support, trauma, trauma therapy, work stress

Romantic partners have betrayed my confidence, I have felt deeply hurt and wronged by the actions of trusted colleagues, and I have friends that I am no longer in contact with due to feeling betrayed. Not a single incident is easy to recall or write about, but I can still feel the sting and remember the nights spent ruminating. I would stay up trying to…

Why Do I Feel So Anxious in Social Situations?: Understanding Social Anxiety and Cultivating Connection

August 30, 2023

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, communication challenges, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, social support, trauma, trauma therapy

An old friend was recently in town, and we made plans to get together. I was nervous to see her and her partner; we hadn’t seen each other for years, and it meant a lot that we were connecting again. Then, during our time together, I made a joke that I quickly realized could be harmful. I felt my face turn red. I wasn’t sure…

How Does Gaslighting Work?: Understanding Gaslighting and Learning to Trust Yourself Again

July 26, 2023

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, social support, trauma, trauma therapy

In my twenties, I was in an abusive relationship with a partner struggling with a substance use disorder. I didn’t know what was going on until I was way too deep into the relationship, and at the time, I didn’t know enough to get him (or myself) the support necessary. What I do know is that the relationship made me my worst self. My partner…

Where Can I Be Loved and Accepted?: The Importance of Chosen Family for LGBTQIA+ Individuals

June 30, 2023

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, gender identity, poor self-esteem, self-care, self-image, sexuality, social support

Note to reader: In this article, we will be utilizing the term queer to encompass the LGBTQIA+ community in its entirety, including gender-nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary identities. During college, I often felt homesick. I would experience this longing to go home, and when I finally did, I was disappointed. What I longed for had never really existed, or at least not where I imagined it…

Why Can’t I Get Anything Done?: The Quest to Stay Motivated

May 26, 2023

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, burnout, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, poor self-esteem, self-care, self-image, social support

Our team recently read a meditation book, which prompted me to confront the idea of motivation. Allow me to explain. The book was about the science behind meditation, written by a self-identified skeptic of the benefits. The aim was to convince the reader of all of the benefits of meditation and relieve them of any concerns about doing it perfectly. The author wanted to encourage…

Why Do I Feel Like a Fraud?: Defining and Challenging Imposter Syndrome

April 21, 2023

anxiety counseling, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, self-image, social support

I saw my first private practice client over ten years ago. I had earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from a university I had wanted to attend since I was 12; I had completed my Master’s Degree and then worked as a therapist for 3,000 hours under a supervisor before taking and passing not one but two licensing exams, and I had participated in tons…

When Will I Feel Better?: Understanding and Combating Shame

March 23, 2023

anxiety counseling, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-image, social support, trauma, trauma therapy

As I prepared to work on this article, I tried to think about a time when I experienced shame that I could comfortably share to set the stage. Unsurprisingly, that prompted me to avoid working on the article for days… I was suddenly too hungry, tired, or distracted to write. It finally became clear to me that I didn’t want to share my major shame…

What’s the Point of Crying?: The Benefits of Tears for Mental and Physical Well Being

February 27, 2023

I have always been sensitive. Growing up, that meant a lot of tears and, unfortunately, a lot of frustration on my parents’ part. “Why are you crying?” and “that’s nothing to cry about” were frequent refrains in my home. When most frustrated with me and my feelings, my mother would say, “I hope you don’t cry like that at my funeral.” So I spent many,…

Why Can’t I Love Myself?: Learning to Develop a Loving Relationship with Yourself

January 26, 2023

anxiety counseling, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, social support, trauma, trauma therapy

There have been periods in my life when I didn’t necessarily like myself, much less love myself. After brutal breakups, when I wasn’t accepted into the college of my choice (or any of the places I had applied to, to be honest), when I lose my temper or am unkind to someone I care about, and when I am just struggling. Showing myself love is…

Two people sitting back to back with one facing the camera with a stern expression while the other looks away

How Do I Deal with Toxic Family Members?: The Mental and Emotional Toll of Navigating Harmful Family Relationships

December 22, 2022

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, grief counseling, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, social support, trauma therapy

In my family, we learned that blood is thicker than water. Our relationships with each other were to be prized, no matter the cost. So years ago, when I saw an Instagram post by another therapist I follow, a white one, suggesting that if you have a harmful family member, you should cut them out just like you would a malignant tumor, I was shocked!…

social support

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