Ask a Therapist

I want to acknowledge how difficult this family dynamic is. This situation stirs up complicated emotions, and it’s easy to get trapped in these harmful relationship patterns with your mother. You might also have family members or friends offering their opinions on what you should do. Let’s cut through that…

First, let me put your mind at ease: Feeling sad when a celebrity dies is completely normal. You’re not weird for crying when an actor, athlete, or musician you’ve never met passes away. Look at the collective grief over Catherine O’Hara, Robin Williams, Kobe Bryant, or Betty White. The sadness…

Therapy is supposed to help you feel better, right? So why do some people walk out of sessions feeling more emotional, more exhausted, more weighed down than when they arrived? This is actually incredibly common. In my practice, I see it happen for a few very human reasons: Therapy exposes…

Society is built for couples. So when months of dates, swiping, and small talk with strangers lead nowhere, it’s easy to land on one conclusion: Something must be wrong with me. Unsuccessful dates don’t mean you’re the problem. Dating is full of moving parts—undisclosed expectations, lingering trauma, timing, circumstance—and most…

Boundaries are a popular topic right now, especially on social media. But if you consider yourself a people pleaser, you might find it stressful—if not impossible—to set them. I’m here to convince you that setting healthy boundaries is worth the effort, both for your own well-being and your ability to…

You’re standing at your kitchen counter, staring at the dishes. Your phone keeps buzzing with work messages. Your kid needs help with homework. And suddenly, you feel it—that heavy, panicky sensation like you’re drowning in responsibilities that should feel manageable. That’s overwhelm: when demand exceeds your capacity. And if you’re…

As parents, we want to help our children to the best of our abilities. If we could take away their worries altogether, we would in a heartbeat. But childhood anxiety is common, affecting 7% of children and adolescents at any given time, with up to one in three people experiencing…

If someone has told you to “feel your feelings,” but you’re sitting there thinking “What does that even mean?” you’re not alone. I get this question from clients all the time. Here’s why it matters: The alternative is bottling everything up, and that never ends well. Your emotions don’t just…

A healthy relationship should make you feel safe, heard, and secure. Betrayal shatters that foundation entirely, leaving the betrayed partner feeling like their world has fundamentally changed and often questioning everything they thought they knew about their relationship. While betrayal occurs across all types of relationships, I see it most…

If you’re questioning whether your anxiety is normal, you’re not alone. The truth is, anxiety itself is completely normal. It’s a future-focused emotion that helps us prepare for potential challenges. Anxiety is the feeling that prompts you to buckle your seatbelt, study for an exam, or rehearse before a big…

If you believe your teenager could benefit from therapy, bringing up the conversation now can make a real difference. Today’s teens face more stress than previous generations. According to a recent poll from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), two out of three teens feel life is more overwhelming…

It can be confusing to feel lonely in a marriage. After all, many of us spend each day near our partners—sharing meals, visiting family, caring for children, even sleeping in the same bed. So how is it possible to feel lonely with someone right beside you? The truth is, it’s…