How Trauma Hijacks Your Brain (and How EMDR Can Help)
Over a year ago, I wrote a post about how trauma is “not just in your head”. Here, I follow it up with corroborating evidence. I’ve dedicated most of my life to treating trauma using emotionally-focused and EMDR therapies. And I’ve been ceaselessly obsessed with how and why it works. I also see versions of […]
Why Date Nights Aren’t Enough
The viral social media meme “777 rule for marriage” sounds clean enough to fit on a refrigerator magnet. One date every seven days. One overnight away every seven weeks. One vacation every seven months. It circulates on social media the way most relationship advice does — as a tidy formula for a complicated thing. And […]
Anxiety, Identity, and the Art of Staying Real
What initially drew me to this band was its name. Worry Club is genius. It is disarming, ironic, and earnest at the same time, like a support group you would want to join. I had the pleasure of chatting with Chase Walsh, the frontman and creative force behind Worry Club. I wanted to understand the […]
How to Let Go of Little Annoyances
Recently, I woke to the blaring noise of our downstairs TV. My husband had been watching it the night before and had accidentally left it on “pause” rather than “off.” The sudden blast was startling and aggravating, especially since it’s not the first time it’s happened. Minor annoyances like this happen all of the time […]
Five Steps to Help Kids Transform Anger Into a Force…
When my daughter Anjali was young, she was tiny but fierce. She would erupt over small injustices, like having to set one more plate on the table than her sister. Her small body was scarcely able to contain the outrage! Though her outbursts were rarely skillful, I could sense that her fiery righteousness was something […]
4 Top Workplace Challenges for 2026 and Beyond
From bad leadership and workplace stress to the need for a sense of belonging and inclusion, these are some of the challenges leaders (and team members) face today and into the future. 1. Combating Toxic Leadership There are simply too many bad leaders in government, business, and society. About 60 countries are ruled by dictators, […]
Don’t Dread Ahead | Psychology Today
You’ve heard of coping ahead? It is referenced in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). It is often helpful to plan, think through contingencies, and determine ahead of time what will be useful for you in an anticipated difficult situation. Seminal work on coping by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) involves cognitive appraisals of situations and different coping […]
When It’s Not Just Anxiety
If your mind never seems to shut off, it’s easy to assume you have anxiety—but that may not be the full story. This is especially true for women, who are more frequently diagnosed with anxiety in part because of the immense mental load they carry. Research from the Pew Research Center shows that women still […]
How to Stop Bias from Getting Between You and Your…
Teachers, think back to when you were your students’ age. Picture yourself: who you were, how you spent your time, what mattered to you. Now, bring to mind an educator you felt close to. Someone who saw you for who you were and even who you could be. What did it feel like to be […]
Decoding the Roles of Therapist, Counselor and Psychiatrist
When you and your partner decide to seek help for your relationship, it’s a brave and meaningful first step. But it can quickly become confusing to navigate the different Mental health titles: should you see a counselor, a therapist, or a psychiatrist? Understanding the role of each professional is key to building the right support […]