isolation

Imagine attending a party where every conversation feels like a performance you’re failing. Your heart races as you walk through the door. You’re convinced everyone is staring at your outfit, judging your awkward small talk, or noticing how your hands shake when you reach for a drink. After forcing yourself…

Everyone faces a range of emotions in life, including stress, grief, and anger, and finding ways to cope is a universal experience. While coping strategies are essential for dealing with life’s challenges, some can ultimately do more harm than good. Learn about unhealthy coping strategies that can harm your mental…

Anxiety in teens is a pervasive mental health issue that can manifest in many ways and significantly affect teens’ daily lives. Because anxiety can have such an impact on teens’ mental health and their ability to function, it’s important to get it diagnosed and treated. Outside of therapeutic or psychiatric…

Psychotherapy — or, as it is more commonly known, just therapy — is a powerful tool used by millions of people each year. In the right circumstances, therapy and professional counseling offer a safe and comfortable space to share your thoughts and feelings and acquire skills to help you deal…

Right now, millions of people are suffering from depression—and some might not even know it. Despite being one of the more well-known mental health conditions, not everyone understands the signs.  You may ask yourself: “Am I depressed? How can I be depressed and not know it?” That question has many…

Many people across the world struggle with suicidal thoughts and feelings every day. However, when those suicidal thoughts result in an intent act, they cross over into suicidality. Suicidality can feel very isolating and makes it seem as though life is only pain and darkness. These feelings are not easy…

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States — in 2020, there were 45,979 deaths, or one death every 11 minutes, by suicide. If these numbers tell us anything, it’s that learning to recognize suicidal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is absolutely critical. Educating yourself on these signs…

When you think about bullying, you probably think about middle school or high school. Teenagers can be cruel after all, and it’s common for them to bully their weaker peers — shoving their victim against a locker (at least in the movies), teasing them in class, tripping them in the…

On January 3rd, a snowstorm pummelled the East Coast, and Fredericksburg, Virginia (my home) got the brunt of it. The first couple hours of snowfall were idyllic. I enjoyed the white, winter backdrop in the window behind me, as I sipped my coffee and completed the day’s journal entry (hello,…

Shame: There is something wrong with me as a person. Guilt: I’m a person who may have done something wrong. What is the thing that causes you to lay awake at night; the thing that causes you shame? I promise that you’re not damaged beyond repair. You’re not unlovable. You’re…

What memories are at the forefront when you think back on your pandemic year? Maybe you really got into home workouts, started to bake bread, and found some deep cuts on Netflix you’d never have discovered otherwise. In some ways, maybe it wasn’t so bad for you. But for many…

How are you feeling right now? If we were to guess, you’d probably say you’re doing okay. And while that might be true, it’s probably also true that you’re struggling with anxiety, stress, feelings of loneliness, and/or other difficult feelings. Due to the spread of COVID-19 and our efforts to…