Let me start by saying this is the hardest and longest article I’ve ever had to write, but writing for me is therapeutic. I have been in an abusive relationship for five years. At first glance, my husband checks all the boxes of a perfect partner. He’s handsome and charming, and in the beginning, he…
STRANGER THAN FICTION: PART ONE – Feelings for Fictional Folks
My therapist–in the noble and hopefully not futile pursuit of helping me reprocess certain “traumatic events” that “happened” “to me”–led me through a strange exercise during our last session. She told me to close my eyes and imagine a place, any place, in which I felt an uncomplicated and unconditional safety. I quickly cycled through…
Teen Self-Esteem: Part 2
It’s said that our self-esteem is challenged mostly between ages 9-23. During this time we feel most unlike ourselves, because we’re still developing who we are. In part one of this blog post, I shared some of my experiences as a teenager struggling with self-esteem. I’ve never fit in with the crowd. I’ve always stood…
Teen Self-Esteem: Part 1
If I could tell my 15 year old self of the joys that come with continuing on her journey, I think she’d believe me. In all that I’ve experienced throughout my adolescence, I’m certain that my belief in myself is what has taken me this far. As I’m sure they are for many of us,…
Five Ways to Teach Your Child Self-Care
With mental illness getting the much-needed attention it deserves, I feel that we sometimes leave our kids out of the discussion. A lot of the time we say that children shouldn’t have a reason to be stressed or depressed: “What could they possibly have to be stressed about? Everything is provided to them!” Or so…
Remembering My Mother: Finding My Path Through Grief
Four years ago, my life changed. I didn’t realize it at the time, of course. I was used to chaos and trauma – so much so that I became numb to it. That had been my life growing up, and it was my life in high school and college. My life was predictably unpredictable. I…
Financial Stress and Mental Health
They say money can’t buy you happiness, but any one of us who has gone through difficult financial times can agree that a lack of money can certainly make you unhappy. Mental illness is not tied intrinsically to financial wealth – an individual with millions of dollars can still experience depression, while someone who is…
The Intrusive Thoughts of Postpartum OCD
While maternal mental health is finally getting more attention, a lot of the challenges faced by mothers remain unknown or misunderstood. Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a one such perinatal mood disorder that’s more common than reported, is rarely discussed, and deserves more attention. As a therapist, I’m well aware of anxiety, both professionally and…
The Anxious Artist
I’m not doing art full time. I worked a lot of jobs where I don’t do any art or design at all. I spent thousands of dollars and years dedicated to pursuing art as a career. As soon as I graduated, I found myself deathly afraid to pursue art seriously. It was just a hobby…
Indigenous People + Alcohol
It is said that alcoholism has been more devastating for Native Americans than any other tool that was introduced during European colonialism. For a variety of reasons, alcohol has had devastating effects for indigenous people, often affecting this population more profoundly than other substances. In this post, I will focus on the adverse effects of…
Let Them Eat Kale: My Struggles with Overeating
I’d like to share some about my journey to a healthier me, but first I must tell you why I’m not already healthy. Comfort food and overeating are, unfortunately, the definition of “love” in my family. In American culture it’s common to see people not only eating more than the recommended serving size but binging…
Improving Empathy
Sometimes, people are so caught up in their day-to-day lives that they lose a crucial part of themselves, something many people might call “empathy.” Empathy doesn’t just measure how much you care for others – it encapsulates an ability to navigate a variety of social cues. For example, being able to read someone’s facial expressions…