I always feel that when a celebrity, valedictorian, or writer discloses that they experienced a mental health struggle and recovered through therapy, they help at least 20 people in their audience. Their disclosure reassures the people listening that they are not alone if they struggle with depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. It also normalizes the practice of seeking help from a counselor when it is needed. It is another step toward easing the stigma of mental illness. But why is there a stigma around mental illness in the first place? Invalidating mental illness Unfortunately, according to the American Psychological … Read more…

Research says that panic attacks occur with the greatest frequency between 1:30 and 3:30 a.m. and my experience with my anxious clients confirms this. They often say that as soon as they lie down to try to fall asleep, intrusive thoughts about past mistakes, embarrassments, failures, and worries about health, money and the future impose themselves. Catastrophic scenarios and “what if’s” intrude and they cannot stop ruminating about them. They report that their thoughts race and consume them. They can be sleepless for hours or not sleep at all because their mind is spinning. There are many reasons for this. … Read more…

It is great to be graduating and getting your degree, but for some students, it can also be a time of anxiety. Many well-meaning friends and relatives will be asking: “What’s your plan?” as though you are expected to have it all figured out as soon as you get your diploma. If you do have it all figured out, good for you, but most people are still pondering their future on graduation day. Ways to cope with your graduation anxiety Below are some ideas for both managing those annoying questions from others about what you are doing after you graduate … Read more…

I recently returned from a conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association in Denver. They were less far along in the progress of spring there, and it snowed on my first day- but who cares? I spent most of my time inside of the Sheraton anyway, choosing between the many promising sessions. I wish I could have attended them all. The most exciting thing about the conference for me though, was the new technology designed to treat mental illness that it introduced. I left feeling very inspired, and hope to incorporate this tech it into my practice soon. Here are … Read more…

What is and isn’t self-care? I have been noticing a cultural turn against the term “self-care” lately, especially online. I just came across a meme that was representative of this attitude. It was mocking self-care as a response to the news about the ongoing war in Ukraine. It implied that everyone should spend every waking moment organizing, thinking, worrying, and praying about the crisis and framed doing self-care in response as a frivolous, selfish, purely capitalistic reaction. Implying that it would involve indulgent spa days, charcoal face masks, and bath bombs. The meme is not representing what therapists mean by … Read more…