The Potential Cost of Honesty in Perinatal Screening
Imagine the weight of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) during pregnancy or postpartum. Now imagine recognizing that you need support, but choosing silence out of fear that speaking up might mean losing your baby. This is the haunting dilemma many caregivers face when they’re screened for perinatal Mental health. In our recent study, we […]
Surviving Election Night: 7 Tips to Manage Your Emotions
Election night can create a roller coaster of emotional stress as results come in. Pundits will debate, and if the last few weeks are any indication, misinformation and conspiracy theories will fly. No matter where you stand politically, it’s a high-stakes event, and that tension can feel overwhelming, making you vulnerable to manipulation that makes […]
Is It a Midlife Crisis or Burnout?
Midlife can be a time of significant change, where many find themselves questioning their paths, purpose, and overall satisfaction. These feelings can arise from what’s commonly referred to as a midlife crisis, burnout, or sometimes a mix of both. Though they can feel similar, burnout and a midlife crisis stem from different sources and require […]
The Psychology of Scary Movies and Haunted Houses
Fall for me as a teenager meant football games, homecoming dresses—and haunted houses. My friends organized group trips to the local fairground, where barn sheds were turned into halls of horror, and masked men nipped at our ankles with (chainless) chain saws as we waited in line, anticipating deeper frights to come once we were […]
Why We All Need to Pause More Often and How to Do It
“Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective.” ~Doe Zantamata I have always been that person who just cannot seem to slow down. An overachiever? That’s putting it mildly. In every aspect of my life—work, relationships, personal goals—I have always pushed myself to the absolute limit. It is like I have this internal […]
Culturally Competent Firearm Discussions in Therapy
By Sallie Mack, Ph.D., Danielle Currin, Ph.D., and Alban Foulser, Ph.D., on behalf of the Atlanta Behavioral Health Advocates As psychologists, we have an ethical duty to promote safety and prevent harm. Given that suicide attempts utilizing firearms are extremely lethal (Cai et al., 2022), we must address firearm safety with our clients. This process […]
How Sensitive Are You To Rejection?
All of us can recall experiences of rejection, whether in our professional lives, social circles, or romantic relationships. For many, the initial disappointment fades quickly, managed through effective Coping strategies. However, for some people, rejection can trigger an intense emotional reaction that feels disproportionate to the situation. This response can spiral into a cycle of […]
I Thought I Was Protecting My Peace, But I Was Just Avoiding Conflict
“Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky, but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable.” ~Brené Brown If the title of this post gets under your skin, don’t worry, it gets under mine, too. I have a fierce aversion to conflict. That doesn’t mean […]
A Surgeon’s View: Navigating Healthcare as a Family Member
Source: DragonImages / @dragonimages The past few months have given me a deeply personal look into our healthcare system—from both the patient’s and the family’s perspectives. As a surgeon with over 20 years of experience, I am well aware of the challenges patients face: the frustration of long wait times, the stress of navigating a […]
Navigating a Nation on Edge: Resilience Amid High Stress
Even in what might seem a “mild” season of forest fires, the air feels charged, as though we’re walking on smoldering embers. Tensions are high—both within us and in the world around us. Fuses are short, demands pressing, tempers flaring, and even the sincerest apologies often seem to fall flat. We are living through a […]