Mental Health Topics

A Comprehensive Look at Gaslighting For a complete and extensive understanding of gaslighting—a dangerous and frightening form of manipulation—pull up a seat and get ready for a lesson from Licensed Clinical Social Worker Sheri Heller. She explains exactly what gaslighting is and how these manipulators pull it off: “Gaslighting is…

Gaslighting is a form of manipulation that makes the victim(s) question their reality. It is employed by master manipulators (who are often abusers or narcissists) to gain more power over the victim. This is often seen in close relationships, such as those between partners, friends, even brother and sister—but gaslighting…

Our favorite television shows just aren’t complete without a beloved couple: there was Corey and Topanga from Boy Meets World; Chandler and Monica from Friends; and, of course, we can’t go without mentioning Jim and Pam from The Office. We often place these couples on a pedestal. We look up…

I know—what the heck is “gaslighting”? It may sound funny but it’s actually a really scary form of manipulation, which got its name from a popular 1940’s film titled Gas Light. In this movie, a husband methodically manipulates his wife into thinking she’s crazy, hence referring to this form of…

Getting to the Root of the Problem Whether or not we like to admit it, most of us blow our problems out of proportion. Instead of recognizing them as fleeting moments, mishaps, or complications, we let them define and control us. And we quickly enter a negative tailspin. Matt Smith,…

A working alliance in therapy, otherwise known as the therapeutic relationship, is simply the relationship that exists between the client and his or her therapist. In this alliance, both parties have the same goal: for the client to make improvements and benefit from great change throughout the therapeutic process. It’s…

A key to finding success in therapy is building a positive relationship with your therapist and feeling comfortable enough to open up to them. Counselors use different techniques to help their clients feel more comfortable in therapy, and in turn, make for a successful therapy journey. First, it helps to…

When exploring different options for therapy and therapists, it’s important that you acknowledge the importance of a healthy therapeutic relationship and therefore avoid several types of therapists. The first kind of counselor you should avoid is the Conflict of Interest Therapist: or in other words, a counselor that your close…

The loss of a loved one to suicide can hurt on a deeper level, often because of all the questions left unanswered. This type of loss can leave one feeling overwhelmed with guilt, wondering what they could have done differently and questioning everything they know to be true. While this…

Each year, 5,000 young individuals (those between the ages of 15 and 24) die by suicide in the U.S., making it the third leading cause of death among young people. If you’re worried your teen may be suicidal… 1) Validate their pain. If your teenager tells you they have suicidal…

The loss of someone to suicide can leave loved ones, as well as an entire community, grappling with difficult feelings and wondering what to do now. More specifically, those who knew an individual who lost their life to suicide often struggle with feelings of guilt, sadness, anger, and sometimes, shame…

If you’ve ever suffered from a major loss — that of a loved one or even the loss that comes with a breakup or job change — you might’ve experienced a change in appetite: in most cases, a loss of it. When my boyfriend of a few years broke up…