Mental Health Topics

Juneteenth is the annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. While it has been celebrated in various parts of the country since 1865, it became an official federal holiday in 2021.  For many individuals outside of the Black community, the knowledge might stop there. Questions remain,…

Imposter syndrome is a lingering feeling of uncertainty related to some part of our identity—the sense that we don’t belong. It can occur at work if we’re promoted, when relocating to a new community, or when meeting new people in our personal lives. But it can also happen to members…

It’s probably safe to assume that everyone would like to be viewed as competent, confident, and engaged at work. When we’re writing an important email, we might draft and re-read it several times before pressing “send.” It’s also not uncommon for us to add an emoji in a chat message…

Many men are expected to be strong—no matter what. They wear a suit of armor at all times to deflect difficult emotions and to avoid being labeled as sensitive or effeminate. If this armor “fails” though, they may resort to hiding what breaks through their defenses, often by keeping their…

Diversity can be celebrated all year round, not just on dedicated months, but it’s naive to celebrate diversity without also talking explicitly about racism and prejudice. Otherwise the evidence shows that our country’s deep social inequalities will just be perpetuated. A famous 2016 study revealed that majority-white high schools tended…

LGBTQ+ Pride Month is celebrated annually throughout the month of June—its mission being to achieve equal justice and opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community, which is comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and many more individuals. Today, Pride events include parades and parties, workshops, concerts, and…

When you’re relentlessly defending your human rights, you don’t get adequate opportunities to just BE. Transgender people have to read more than enough scary headlines about threats to their very existence. So we want to take a moment to shine a proud, beaming spotlight on all the beautiful men and women…

When a child is scared, it’s natural for a parent to feel helpless. Childhood fears and specific phobias aren’t always rational, so you can’t just reason them away by saying, for example, “Only seven Americans die from spider bites every year,” or “Sweetie, there are zero monsters under your bed.”…

Q: I love my sister, but sometimes we get into the worst arguments over her behavior. It’s not that I try to get into these debates, but she always seems so ungrateful anytime I do something nice for her, and when I point this out, she denies it. Whether it’s…

Glancing at our phones when we hear that familiar “ding” or vibration is muscle memory; after all, we’re curious. It’s also just as common to see what the notification is—and then to put our phone down and wait to respond until, well, we feel like it. From switching off our…

In college, I remember sitting at the dining room table in a shared apartment, having a small breakfast and coffee before class. One of my roommates came downstairs looking pale, his hair still wet from the shower. He slid onto a chair next to me, and, after pouring a bowl…

In the midst of tragedy — or an event that causes great suffering and distress — parents have the difficult job of talking to their children about it.  While the topic should often be avoided with kids under 7 years of age who are too young to understand tragedy, it…