How Therapists Stay Present, Empathic, and Grounded—Even in the Toughest Sessions It was noon on a rainy Tuesday, early in my career. I was in session—again—with David, a client I’d been seeing for nearly a year. Outside, the rain pounded the windows. Inside, David...
After 25 years in the field of mental health, one truth has remained constant: healing cannot happen without the presence of safety, understanding and compassion. I’ve worked with individuals from all walks of life—people grappling with anxiety, trauma, grief,...
While goal setting and establishing expectations can be motivating and inspiring and even necessary at times, setting goals can sometimes lead you to feel, well, shittier about yourself if you don't reach the goals. Mainly because, when we set a goal, we don’t always...
In 1992, a very close friend of mine was rushed to the hospital for slitting their wrists while away at college. 5 years later they came out to me as gay and shared how their suicide attempt was related to the profound shame they felt within about their sexuality. In...
What is Political Anxiety? Are your clients showing signs of political anxiety? Although not a formal diagnosis, political anxiety is a phrase used to describe the anxiety experienced as a result of the current domestic and/or international political situation and...
Helping Mental Health Clinicians’ Confidence and Effectiveness What Makes a Therapist Most Effective and Feel Competent in Their Work Early in my career as a psychotherapist, I was laser focused on acquiring as much psychological knowledge as possible. Studying...
