Mental Health Topics

Everyone can have intrusive thoughts from time to time, but when you have obsessive-compulsive disorder, intrusive thoughts can go from being a nuisance to something anxiety-ridden, single-minded, and uncontrollable.  OCD can be extremely difficult to control, affecting how one lives and has to move throughout the world. However, with proper…

Parent-child relationships play a crucial role in shaping a child’s development and can influence their lives well into adulthood—sometimes positively, sometimes negatively. While most parents strive to do their best, they are human, and the challenges of raising children often lead to mistakes. As a result, conflicts and unresolved issues…

Congratulations on starting therapy! Making this choice is a big step. You invest time, energy, and sometimes money into your well-being, and just like if you had a physical illness, you want to know if the treatment is making a difference. I completely understand. It’s important to remember that therapy…

As you’re getting ready for a big night out with your best group of friends, you start hearing the texts come through. One person is sick. The other forgot about a school function. It’s just not a good night. Can we reschedule? If your first instinct is to spiral into…

In the post-COVID era, many of us instinctively reach for a disinfecting wipe to clean the grocery cart handle before shopping. While a healthy awareness of germs can protect us, excessive fear can disrupt daily life and well-being. Mysophobia, an intense anxiety about dirt, pathogens (germs), and contaminated objects, can…

Though therapy is often seen at the forefront of mental health care, medication is another important part of treatment for many mental health conditions. From ADHD to depression, medication can help make symptoms manageable in day-to-day life, allow people with mental health conditions some relief, and support coping and problem-solving…

This is a common question, as many people feel uncertain about couples therapy. Is it a dealbreaker? The answer isn’t always straightforward. While refusing to attend couples therapy can be a red flag, it doesn’t always mean the relationship is doomed. Every couple’s situation is unique, and there are other…

Grief is a universal experience — we all feel some type of grief during our lives, whether it’s through the loss of a loved one, job loss, pet loss, divorce, loss of a friendship, or the loss of another emotional connection. Losing something or someone you love is something no…

Gender dysphoria is the term used to describe deep feelings of distress, unease, and discomfort because one’s biological sex does not align with one’s gender identity, or the gender they feel they innately are. Gender dysphoria is a condition recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5),…

Though having and raising a child can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience, giving birth certainly comes with its tribulations. A myriad of emotions often accompanies the grueling process of giving birth. Some new parents might feel tired, anxious, unhappy, or even angry during the hard process of postpartum recovery. …

When you’re stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or all of the above, there’s nothing less helpful than being told to “calm down,” even if it’s your own internal monologue. Whether you’re drowning in work, trying to balance parenting with your own needs, or grappling with the loss of a relationship, sometimes life…

James Lavino’s first big break came by way of Winnie the Pooh. Spending his 20s in New York (circa the late 1990s), Lavino found himself composing scores for his friends’ documentary films and dipping his hand in whatever creative endeavors came his way—including editing at the literary magazine “The Paris…