Pain & Purpose

Pain is an inevitable and natural part of life.  No human being goes through life without experiencing loss, disappointment or other difficult emotions.  When we encounter painful circumstances and feelings, we think of them as something negative and want to get rid…

Managing Contamination OCD amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

It’s been a year since we first heard about a new viral illness impacting the world and began to shift our lives in response to it. We’ve been provided with suggestions and best practices from the CDC, at times changing and conflicting…

Beyond the Stereotypes of OCD

In television and media, OCD is predominately portrayed as a fixation on cleanliness and order. Because of this, our society at large often fails to recognize that OCD can express itself in a number of different formats and dimensions.   While it is…

But Why?

A few months ago I wrote about “What if…”, some of the intrusive thoughts that cause us to worry about all sorts of future scenarios. As I thought about how I wanted to wrap up the year, “why’s” came to mind. These…

New Year, New Me?

Talking about New Year’s resolutions becomes quite a hot topic in the last few weeks of the year. After reflecting on the highs and lows of the past 365 days, it’s common to feel motivated by the blank slate of a new…

Surviving the Holiday

The weather is cooling down, the days are shorter, and the holidays are right around the corner.  Inevitably, the holiday season brings new challenges to my clients as they navigate family conflicts, scheduling issues, and financial stressors that always come with this…

Stop, Drop, and Roll

When I originally thought of the subject of this blog, it was only in regards to preparing for the holidays during COVID. As I thought more about it, it occurred to me that the pandemic is not the only major monkey wrench…

Why to Stop Struggling With Anxiety

Most of the folks that I see who suffer from anxiety say something along the lines of, “I’d like to feel less anxious,” or “I’d like to get rid of my anxiety.” Let me start off by saying, I get it! Simply…

How to do therapy. A therapist’s take on a client’s role in therapy

So, I’d like to start off by prefacing that what I’m presenting in this blog is from my own professional experience and what I have learned from other clinicians. It is likely slightly different for each therapist’s style and structure.  Well, it…

Anxious to Thrive

In his book, Mindfulness for Two, pioneering therapist Kelly Wilson, PhD notes that humans don’t just suffer when things are bad. We also suffer when things might be bad. We naturally and easily devote mental energy, time, and effort into considering the…

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