All Posts

When most people think of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), they picture someone washing their hands repeatedly or checking the stove over and over. While those experiences are certainly part of OCD for some people, they represent only a small portion of what OCD can look like. Many people live with OCD that is almost completely invisible to everyone around them - including their loved ones, coworkers, and sometimes even themselves. This is sometimes referred to as "quiet"

Receiving a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) can bring up a lot of feelings. For some people, finally having a name for what they have been experiencing feels validating. There may be relief in realizing that intense emotions, fears of abandonment, difficulty trusting relationships, shifts in how you see yourself or others, impulsivity, or a painful sense of emptiness are experiences that other people have too. For others, the diagnosis feels frightening. Ma

Have you ever noticed that your brain tends to think in extremes? Either you'll clean the entire house or you won't clean at all. Either you'll complete a full workout or you'll skip exercise entirely. Either you'll cook a healthy meal from scratch or you'll order takeout. For many people, this all-or-nothing mindset creates a frustrating cycle: You set the bar extremely high. You don't have the energy, time, or motivation to reach it. You do nothing instead. Then you feel gu

When you're anxious, overwhelmed, or depressed, your brain has a funny way of convincing you that whatever you're feeling right now will last forever. "I'm always going to feel this anxious." "Nothing is ever going to get better." "This is just who I am now." If you've ever had thoughts like these, you're definitely not alone. Our brains are wired to look for patterns and make predictions. When we're struggling emotionally, those predictions often become overly negative and s

Most of us have experienced guilt or shame at some point in our lives. Maybe you snapped at someone you love. Maybe you made a mistake at work. Maybe you keep replaying a conversation and wondering if you embarrassed yourself. Or maybe you've been carrying around a deep sense that you're somehow "not enough". Although guilt and shame often show up together, they are actually very different emotions - and understanding the difference can change the way you respond to yourself.

If you've ever struggled with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or imposter syndrome, you may be familiar with a frustrating pattern: Your brain acts like a lawyer whose only job is to build a case against you. It remembers every mistake. Every awkward conversation. Every missed opportunity. Every time something didn't go as planned. Meanwhile, evidence that you're capable, resilient, and growing often gets overlooked. This is where the Evidence Museum comes in. The Evide

August is National Wellness Month, and while that can sound like a big, shiny invitation to overhaul your entire life, I want to offer something gentler. Wellness isn't a performance. It isn't a checklist you're supposed to ace. It's a relationship - with your body, your mind, your boundaries, your rest, and your needs. And like any relationship, it grows through small, consistent moments of care. What "Wellness" Really Means At its core, wellness is about supporting the part

When people think about change, they often imagine dramatic transformations. A new routine. A major life decision. A complete mindset shift. But most meaningful change doesn't happen through grand gestures. It happens through small moments when we choose not to listen to the voice that's been running the show. I call these moments Tiny Rebellions. A Tiny Rebellion is a small action that goes against what fear, anxiety, shame, perfectionism, or self-doubt wants you to do. It's

When someone experiences trauma, the impact often extends far beyond the event itself. Trauma can change the way we see ourselves, other people, and the world around us. Many people find themselves asking questions like: "Why did this happen to me?" "Could I have done something differently?" "Can I trust anyone?" "Am I safe?" "Does this mean something about who I am?" These questions are a normal part of the brain's attempt to make sense of something overwhelming. However, af

When most people picture anxiety, they imagine someone who struggles to leave the house, has frequent panic attacks, or visibly appears overwhelmed. But anxiety doesn't always look like that. Sometimes it looks like the person who never misses a deadline. The one everyone depends on. The one who has a successful career, keeps a clean house, remembers every birthday, and somehow still volunteers for more. From the outside, everything looks fine. Inside, they're exhausted. If t

When most people think of a bucket list, they think of all the things they want to accomplish someday. Places to visit. Goals to achieve. Experiences to have. While bucket lists can be inspiring, they can also unintentionally reinforce the idea that fulfillment is always somewhere in the future. They keep our attention focused on what's missing rather than what's already happened. A Reverse Bucket List flips that idea on its head. Instead of asking, "What do I still need to d

"Why do I keep doing this? I know it's not helping." If you've ever found yourself asking this question after scrolling on your phone for an hour, procrastinating on something important, stress-eating, snapping at someone you love, or avoiding a difficult conversation, you're definitely not alone. Most people think habits are about self-control or discipline. But the truth is much more interesting - and much kinder. Your brain isn't trying to sabotage you. It's trying to help

If you're someone who struggles with anxiety, you may feel like worry follows you everywhere. It can show up while you're working, spending time with loved ones, trying to relax, or even when you're lying in bed at night. Many people try to stop worrying altogether, only to find that the harder they push worries away, the more persistent they become. Research has shown that attempting to suppress unwanted thoughts often has the opposite effect, making those thoughts return mo

Have you ever canceled plans because you just couldn't be around people? Or found yourself spending days at home, telling yourself you were "recharging", only to realize you felt more disconnected than refreshed? Many of us use the words "isolation" and "solitude" interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing. Both involve spending time alone. Only one consistently helps us return to ourselves. The other often pulls us further away - from other people and from ourselves. Un

Have you ever looked at your to-do list and thought: "I should be able to do this." Maybe it's answering emails. Cleaning the house. Returning a phone call. Making dinner. Going to the gym. You know how to do these things. You've done them before. So why does it feel so hard? Many people immediately jump to one conclusion: "I'm lazy." "I'm unmotivated." "I'm failing." "What's wrong with me?" But what if the issue isn't your capability? What if it's your capacity? Understandin

Most people have an inner critic - that internal voice that says "You're not doing enough," "You should have known better," or "Everyone else has it figured out." For trauma survivors, neurodivergent adults, and LGBTQIA+ folx navigating identity and belonging, this voice can feel especially loud. But here's the truth: Your inner critic isn't trying to ruin your life. It's trying - in a very clumsy way - to protect you. Understanding where this voice comes from is the first st

As you may know, one of my specialties is working with individuals who are experiencing symptoms congruent with Borderline Personality Disorder. Over the years, I have had many requests from my clients to help them explain their symptoms to their loved ones. This blog post is certainly not all encompassing and each person has individual needs. I hope this gives you a place to start! If you love someone with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), you may find yourself experien

As the Fourth of July approaches, many people look forward to fireworks, cookouts, time with family, and celebrations of freedom. For others, especially those of us who belong to marginalized communities, the holiday can bring up something very different. It can feel complicated. If you're LGBTQIA2S+ identified, a person of color, an immigrant, disabled, transgender, nonbinary, or part of another marginalized group, you may find yourself wondering what exactly you're supposed

Every July, two important observances remind us that mental health doesn't exist in a vacuum. Disability Pride Month celebrates the disability community, recognizes disability as a natural part of human diversity, and honors the ongoing work toward accessibility, inclusion, and equity. At the same time, National Minority Mental Health Month raises awareness about the unique mental health challenges experienced by racial and ethnic minority communities and highlights the barri

When someone you love shares that they're exploring their gender identity or identifies as transgender, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming, it's natural to have questions. You may feel honored that they trusted you, worried about saying the wrong thing, or unsure of what supports actually looks like. If you're reading this because you genuinely want to be there for someone you love, you've already taken an important first step. The good news is that being supportive isn't ab