How Children Are Influenced by Their Neighborhoods
Parents want what’s best for our children—and our current parenting culture offers an endless stream of suggestions for how to set kids up for success. Though most of this advice focuses on individual actions—parenting strategies or weekend enrichment, for example—our children are also hugely influenced by factors outside the home, such as the neighborhoods they […]
How to Deal with Shame
Shame is a debilitating feeling that takes over the mind and body. It can make you feel small and incomplete while building walls around you to keep out compassion. Despite wanting to be seen and known, shame causes people to hide behind masks instead. Healthy shame vs. toxic shame Shame is felt universally across countries […]
Finding a Culturally-Relevant Therapist
Long before I became a psychologist, the idea of Mental health as an Asian American was fraught with complexity. For many cultures, the very idea of admitting that we have mental struggles goes against every fiber of our being. The stigma of having a “mental illness” is something that is pathologized and shunned. Many suffer […]
A Small Habit That Might Help Relieve Depression
There are many reasons to be a giving, charitable person. Giving to others helps us cement relationships, elicit gratitude, and connect communities. It can also make us feel happier and healthier, both mentally and physically. Still, that doesn’t mean giving is always easy. For example, if you suffer from depression, you may find it too […]
Understanding Protective Frames | Psychology Today
When we think of viewing a tiger, there are three possible scenarios. Firstly, the tiger is in the cage and I feel safe. Conversely, the tiger is without a cage and I feel terror. And lastly, the cage is without the tiger and it’s just boring. However, under certain conditions called protective frames even the […]
Having Trouble With Positive Sense of Self?
Many exercisers enter the gym to give their minds a break. They may listen to music to disengage from what they are doing to endure the monotony of exercise that they need to do to lose weight or tone up—to turn mindless. Being mindful, however, is now considered an important element of a good workout. […]
How Does Menopause Affect Your Mental Health?
Tamsen Fadal remembers the exact moment that she thought she was losing her mind: 10:30 p.m. on November 19, 2019. The longtime prime-time news anchor couldn’t remember how to pronounce the word “subpoena.” But, as she writes in her 2025 book, How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even […]
How Avoiding Painful Emotions Can Lead to a Smaller Life
“Being cut off from our own natural Self-compassion is one of the greatest impairments we can suffer.” ~Gabor Mate Most of us avoid experiences not necessarily because we don’t like them or want them, but because we don’t want to feel how we will feel when we go through that experience. Our lives become altered […]
How Can Immigrants Protect Their Mental Health Right Now?
In early January, a wave of immigration arrests in California’s Central Valley sparked fear across the state. Those real arrests spurred false reports of raids in cities like Oakland, heightening anxiety just days before President Donald Trump officially returned to office. Then, on his first day, Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting immigrants’ […]
Therapy Isn’t Something to Be Ashamed Of
As a therapist, as well as someone who goes to therapy, I can speak firsthand about the importance of attending therapy. Think of it this way: you are driving your car and suddenly you hear a funny noise. At first, you ignore it and hope it goes away. But over time, the noise starts to […]