The glossary of sexual and gender identity labels is extensive and ever-increasing. In just the past few years, we have seen our acronyms lengthen from LGBT to LGBTQIA to LGBTGEQIAP+, etc. in order to be more inclusive. On a group level, we know that representation is vitally important and that labels can provide some of…
I’m sure you’re thinking What the What? How can there be too much empathy? Isn’t it the compassionate person’s superpower? Well, the answer to this is yes and no. “The state of empathy, or being empathic, is to perceive the internal frame of reference of another with accuracy and with the emotional components and meanings…
You are pushed to the utter limits of your emotional and physical tolerance until you can no longer carry the weight. Here, in this small space pushed up against an invisible wall, is where you finally stop resisting and succumb to the realization that you must stop and surrender. I asked several people what it means…
Our imagination is remarkable. We use it to envision new possibilities, create, invent and even help someone survive the unbearable. Imagination and fantasy are often confused and intertwined, but there is an important distinction: Imagination is based on reality and fantasy is not and it’s unrealistic by nature. In our relationships, we use imagination to help…
It’s hard to believe we are at the end of summer and yet this pandemic is still dictating our lives. With all the noise about how to process, cope and manage the stress, I wanted to offer up another form of therapy – humor. Even in the darkest of times, humor can provide relief from…
“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others.” – Brené Brown Having healthy boundaries AND knowing when and how to exercise them is a hot topic for everyone. It’s no wonder: The pandemic has magnified the dysfunction and resentment that can result from having poor boundaries or…
During this lockdown, life is moving at a surreal pace with a lost sense of time and space and I have been hyper-focused on the existential meaning of it all. What are we supposed to be learning from this altered state of being? As a therapist who focuses on attachments in relationships, this might be…
COVID-19’s ripple effects shook up a lot and raised several concerns, especially in the counseling space: “How in the world do I do therapy through a computer?” “Can I even connect with a person through a screen?” “Therapy is strange enough in person; logging in to do it will make it more awkward.” And that’s…
With so much emphasis on the state of our nation, humanity, and our willingness to “hold on tight,” we’re grappling with various parts of our being, all of which usually remain at a preconscious and unconscious level. If you’re someone who’s feeling imbalanced, whose fears and self-judgments are boiling up, this post about judgement may…
A question I’ve been hearing professionally as a counselor and personally as a mom, wife, sister and friend is “When will this end so we can get back to normal?” That answer is not easy, and it keeps changing. In fact, one of the only constants during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the feeling of…