Depression

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What if I Don’t Feel Thankful This Year?

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What if I Don’t Feel Thankful This Year?

Thanksgiving is meant to be a time of gathering and gratitude—a beautiful sentiment if we feel we have reasons to be thankful or can access that emotional state. I know some people say, “There’s always something to be grateful for,” and while that may be true, gratitude can often feel subjective. It really depends on the eyes of the beholder.

If I had experienced a significant loss, for instance, gratitude might not feel very accessible. That’s an extreme example, but we all endure our fair share of pain in life—grief, loss, illness, missed opportunities, divorce, accidents, or even drifting away from people we once held dear. For some, Thanksgiving might even highlight what’s missing. And you know what? That’s okay. It’s okay if gratitude doesn’t come easily this holiday season. Or if it does not come at all.

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The Growing Pressure for Teens to Engage in Sexual Activity During the Early High School Years

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The Growing Pressure for Teens to Engage in Sexual Activity During the Early High School Years

One trend that came up clearly over the years is that many teenagers feel increasing pressure to engage in sexual activity earlier in their high school years. This pressure often comes from peers, sometimes friends, media, and/ or from a desire to meet perceived expectations from other people their age. While this can impact all teens, it’s especially challenging for young women, who may feel the weight of these pressures more strongly and often share with me that they “first time” was far from what they’d imagined.

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When apologies are experienced as “too little, too late”

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When apologies are experienced as “too little, too late”

In her book The Drama of the Gifted Child, Alice Miller delves into the deep emotional wounds children can suffer when their emotional needs go unmet, especially when parents or caregivers fail to provide the emotional attunement and validation crucial during formative years. Miller points out that apologies from parents or caregivers—often offered long after the damage is done—can sometimes feel like "too little, too late."

 

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Feeling Invisible: A Journey Through Pain, Healing, and Rediscovering Our Worth

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Feeling Invisible: A Journey Through Pain, Healing, and Rediscovering Our Worth

There’s a deep and painful emotional experience that can leave someone feeling like they don’t truly exist—the feeling of invisibility. It’s a feeling that arises when others seem to look right through us, as if our presence is inconsequential, unnoticed. We painfully observe how those around us acknowledge others with a word, a gesture, or even a glance, while we remain unrecognized. This experience can be crushing. A part of us might wish to disappear entirely, to retreat to a safe space, away from the embarrassment and rejection. Deep down, the question forms: Why am I not worth being acknowledged? And often, this leads to an even more painful self-inquiry: What is wrong with me?

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Navigating the Stormy Seas of Parenting Teens

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Navigating the Stormy Seas of Parenting Teens

Parenting teenagers can feel like navigating stormy seas. The once sweet, cooperative child you knew has morphed into a distant, secretive, and sometimes rebellious teenager. As a psychologist who works with teens, I assure you that your feelings of frustration, confusion, and even helplessness are entirely valid. You are not alone in this journey, and there is hope for restoring a sense of peace to your family life.

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Helping women in their 40s and 50s navigate midlife changes

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Helping women in their 40s and 50s navigate midlife changes

Women in their 40s and 50s are often navigating a complex and transformative period in their lives. Midlife brings about significant physical changes, particularly during perimenopause, as well as emotional and cognitive shifts that can impact our overall well-being. The physical and emotional changes of perimenopause and menopause can take a toll on women’s well-being. From feeling confused and overwhelmed to, in some way, mourning the loss of the youth associated with their 20s and 30s, this period can be incredibly challenging. Periods of change such as this one provide a rich opportunity to reflect on one’s life and how we adjust and adapt to experiencing the physical and emotional changes that are part of life.

Minimizing Regrets: Navigating Life's Choices with Reflection and Therapy

Minimizing Regrets: Navigating Life's Choices with Reflection and Therapy

In the whirlwind of modern life, it's easy to get caught up in the constant motion, deadlines, and responsibilities without pausing to reflect on the path we're on. Yet, within the chaos lies a crucial question that often goes unasked until it's too late: Will the life we're living today bring a smile to our 85-year-old wrinkled face, should we be fortunate enough to reach that age?

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Understanding the complex grief of losing a loved one to suicide

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Understanding the complex grief of losing a loved one to suicide

Losing a loved one to suicide is a devastating and complex experience that leaves a lasting impact on those left behind. In my work as a psychologist, I have had the privilege of supporting patients who are grappling with the aftermath of this tragic loss. In this blog, I aim to further discuss the grieving process and the way in which therapy can support those who had endured this painful experience in their lives.

and in the midst of it all, I lost myself..

and in the midst of it all, I lost myself..

You have worked hard over the years at whatever was in front of you. You did the studying, or fulfilled the work responsibilities. If you work outside the home, you were a diligent employee. You did the extra mile. You were trustworthy and reliable. You had so many dreams that as you grew and evolved professionally you would also feel more whole, more satisfied, more fulfilled in life in general.

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