Mental Health Blog

Breakups are difficult and painful, but there’s no way to avoid the risk of heartbreak, rejection, or failure when being vulnerable while in a long-term relationship, short-term relationship, or while dating. So how do we get through a breakup, why do breakups hurt so bad, and how long does it take to get over a breakup? This comes down to neuroscience and feelings of grief. Why does a breakup hurt so bad? We are hardwired for connection. So when there’s an ending of any sort

You called your therapist, scheduled the session, filled out the intake paperwork, and now you're wondering... how do I prepare for the first session? It's normal to feel anxious and overwhelmed, wondering where you even start with addressing the concerns that brought you to counseling in the first place. You also don't have to eliminate your anxiety before your first therapy session. You can learn to make room for it while helping yourself feel supported enough to take that

Grief can feel incredibly lonely, especially when you wonder whether anyone truly understands the depth of your loss. You might find yourself withdrawing from friends and family, struggling to explain what you're feeling, or trying to carry the pain on your own. Sometimes, a part of you may pull away from others to protect you from feeling misunderstood, judged, or even more vulnerable. While that response makes sense, you don't have to navigate grief alone. Grief group suppo

In therapy I use a therapeutic approach called ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). I use this lens to help clients make sense of their issues. These 7 ACT metaphors have all been used to help clients in session gain perspective, relate differently to their thoughts, and find greater clarity after a breakup, divorce, anxiety, depression, and other life transitions. I first learned these metaphors in a training by Russ Harris, leading contributor to Acceptance and Commitme

Your emotions don't run you. You run them. Emotions have a purpose and they inform us of what we need. When we are in touch with our emotions we can identify exactly what we are feeling. This increase in awareness can allow us to make better decisions, become aware and tend to our needs, and communicate more effectively. This way, instead of avoiding a situation that stirs up unpleasant emotions altogether (i.e. not attending a job interview due to feelings of anxiety or fea

Sometimes, feeling your feelings can feel harder than not feeling them at all. When emotions bring up grief, disappointment, fear, anger, or hurt it can make sense to want to push them away, stay busy, scroll, overeat, drink, work, or simply disconnect from what’s happening inside of you. These aren’t signs that you’re broken or incapable of handling your emotions. They may just be ways you’ve learned to protect yourself from experiences that once felt too painful or unsafe.