Ben and Keisha, married eight years, present at their first therapy session saying, “We can’t communicate anymore!” Idina, the therapist, begins to work on “I-messages” and Ben rolls his eyes and interrupts while Keisha is talking and she turns away, displaying contempt at his comments. Although Idina continues to encourage active listening, the discussion quickly…
Is your workplace somewhere you feel safe, respected, valued, and empowered to do your best work? Given that most U.S. adults spend much of their waking hours on the job, it’s a question well worth asking. When you consider that one in five of those adults experience a mental health condition, it becomes even more…
Mental health affects everyone across the United States, whether you’re one of the many tens of millions of people living with mental illness nationwide, or have a loved one living with mental illness. In 2019, there is growing awareness of those who struggle with mental illness every day, often in ways that are invisible to…
The need to feel connected is fundamental to being human, and most of us hope to find a partner with whom we can build a loving relationship. Intimacy comes through deeply sharing our varied emotional and psychological “colors,” revealing the complex and beautiful painting that is our own inner experience and seeing the same in…
Most of us have an inner voice that has an opinion about everything we do. Whether self-generated or the result of external messages received throughout our lives, this internal voice, or critic, shapes how we view ourselves and how we relate to the world. If the critic is mostly kind and supportive, it can be…
“Every single person in your life will let you down – some in small ways, some in big ways.” I can’t remember where I first heard that, but it immediately hit me when I did because I knew it was true. And at the same time, I realized I had always acted as though it…
Mental health issues are on the rise and there is no shortage of options for how companies can address the needs of their employees. Considering the landscape of EAPs, health plan networks, and a bevy of tech-only solutions, there are five questions you should be asking all of your mental health vendors. But first, some…
The new year has been tough for me. I’m experiencing a lot of firsts – I’m going to be a first-time dad, my wife and I just purchased our first home, and we also opened our first private practice. From the outside looking in, it’s all very exciting – and I do feel excited. But…
“You have no control/ who lives/ who dies/ who tells your story.” That’s an oft-cited lyric from the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, which chronicles the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton and tells his story – beyond the basic facts that most Americans know. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show’s creator, stated that prior to reading a…
“Let there be spaces in your togetherness… Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.” – Khalil Gibran, The Prophet Anaya and Calvin have been living together for two years. Anaya often…