Mental Health Topics

You’re Googling “couples therapy vs marriage counseling” at 11 p.m. because you and your partner just had the same fight you’ve had five times this month, and you’re finally ready to get help. But now you’re stuck: Do you need couples therapy or marriage counseling? Does it even matter? Short…

Trying to figure out mental health care can be confusing. Therapists, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners—they all treat anxiety and depression, but the titles seem interchangeable. Then there are the licensing abbreviations (LPC, LMFT, Psy.D) that vary by state, making it even harder to know where to start. Understanding…

Therapy is supposed to help you feel better, right? So why do some people walk out of sessions feeling more emotional, more exhausted, more weighed down than when they arrived? This is actually incredibly common. In my practice, I see it happen for a few very human reasons: Therapy exposes…

Mental disorders are health conditions that impact a person’s thinking, emotions, or behavior—or some combination of the three. They can cause distress and/or impair one’s ability to function, whether that be socially, occupationally, or in some other dimension of life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about…

You finally start a medication that helps quiet your anxiety or makes it easier to get through the day and then notice your body doing things you didn’t expect. Maybe your appetite feels different. Maybe your jeans fit a little tighter. Suddenly, you’re wondering whether the medication that’s supporting your…

The holidays are over, the credit card bill just hit, and the sun sets at 4:47 p.m. If you’re feeling more drained than motivated right now, there’s a biological reason: Research shows that mood-regulating serotonin activity drops during darker months, while melatonin production increases. In other words, your body is…

Society is built for couples. So when months of dates, swiping, and small talk with strangers lead nowhere, it’s easy to land on one conclusion: Something must be wrong with me. Unsuccessful dates don’t mean you’re the problem. Dating is full of moving parts—undisclosed expectations, lingering trauma, timing, circumstance—and most…

You’re lying in bed when an unexplainable wave of dread hits. Or maybe an irrational fear that something bad is about to happen ambushes you during your morning commute. These scenarios highlight how impending doom is like a party crasher: It doesn’t knock, but barges in, takes up the whole…

Your partner didn’t text back for two hours and you’ve convinced yourself they’re losing interest. Or you apologized three times for a minor scheduling mix-up, certain it revealed some fundamental flaw that would make them leave. You know, logically, that these reactions don’t match reality. But logic doesn’t stop the…

Sometimes, a relationship with a parent reaches a breaking point. Maybe your mom just doesn’t seem to hear you, no matter how many times you try to explain. Maybe your dad’s constant political remarks leave you feeling frustrated or unheard every time you talk. Or perhaps you’ve tried to open…

Therapy usually comes with some out-of-pocket costs, regardless of your insurance status. These can range from a $20 copay to paying the entire session cost yourself if you don’t have insurance. No matter where you fall on that continuum, you’re probably want to make therapy as affordable as possible, and…

The barista forgets the almond milk and it feels like a personal attack. Your partner chews too loudly and you immediately want to leave the room. These flashes of irritation aren’t like you, but lately, they’re constant. This often comes down to hormonal changes from a life transition no one…