Eating disorders are serious mental health issues that affect millions of people all across the United States. An eating disorder is a psychological disorder characterized by abnormal or dysregulated eating habits. There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder or BED. Other types of eating disorders include ...

Anxiety doesn’t discriminate based on the time of day. Your uncertainties, fears, and worries can impact you just as much during the day as they can at night.  However, some people seem to experience stronger symptoms of anxiety in the evening for a variety of reasons.  Maybe you’re able to distract yourself for much of ...

Chest pain. Heart palpitations. Nausea. Dizziness. Are these symptoms signs of anxiety or are they signs of a panic attack? That was a trick question. These symptoms are actually signs of both anxiety attacks and panic attacks. Now, you are probably wondering how on earth you are supposed to tell the difference between the two. Don’t ...

As a society, we have a mindset that all conflicts are negative. Many people do whatever they can to avoid conflicts. It can make some people anxious, depressed, or even worried about the state of their relationship.  That’s understandable. So many people in relationships get conflict “wrong.”  Arguments and disagreements don’t have to be a ...

Sex isn’t everything in a marriage, no matter how much society wants you to believe it is. However, it’s an important part of your committed relationship. If you’re having trouble with your sex life, it could be a sign of something deeper going on.  Usually, a sexless marriage is less about the sex itself ...

Have you ever been in a relationship that you just cannot seem to leave? Or maybe you have witnessed a friend, a family member, or even a coworker deal with a toxic relationship. You may have questioned yourself about why you were holding onto an obviously problematic relationship for so long. And if you ...

Family communication patterns are the foundation of the Family Communication Patterns theory. Figuring out your family’s communication pattern can have immensely positive benefits for your life. A family’s communication helps them express needs, wants, and concerns. Open and honest lines of communication create a scenario where everyone can have differences and live harmoniously, ...

You may have heard the saying, “Addiction is a disease, not a choice.”  That doesn’t mean it’s like the flu and that anyone can catch it if they’re around a bottle of whiskey long enough. It means that some people are more predisposed to addictive tendencies and behaviors when it comes to drug and ...

Conflict has a bad reputation. Sure, it’s earned some of it, but things are more complex than that. Disagreement is a normal part of life. Within the context of a relationship, conflict is inevitable. Whether it is healthy depends on a broad range of factors. The short version goes like this: If you ...

May is Mental Health Awareness month. While your emotional wellbeing is always important, this month marks a time when many organizations will promote their mental health services. Perhaps you suspect that you’ve been dealing with anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition for quite some time now. Yet you’re just not sure where ...

Social anxiety is a disorder in which fear and anxiety create avoidant behaviors. This anxiety often affects people’s everyday lives, including their work, school, relationships, and daily routines. This disorder is also sometimes called social phobia and prevents people from interacting with the world in a way that feels comfortable for them.  Social anxiety ...

When we feel a gap between us and our partners, it’s scary. The first step to remedying the age-old problem of “We just don’t talk anymore,” is to recognize that you have control. You can control your lines of communication with your partner. You can control how you communicate and when you communicate.  It’s ...

In recent years, more attention has been given to supporting people of color and minority groups across the country. From major organizations like Black Lives Matter to smaller localized initiatives, awareness is growing.  However, many POC still face challenges and disparities in our country. Sometimes, these issues arise because non-minority groups aren’t aware of ...

Typically, codependency and narcissism are thought of as opposites. This is because codependency is seen as an excess of selflessness. Meanwhile, narcissism is viewed as an excess of selfishness. However, there are a lot of similar traits. Some of the core symptoms of narcissism and codependency overlap. It’s possible that there’s a correlation between ...

Living with depression is no picnic. It can feel like every day is a bad day with a pool of negative thoughts to keep you awake. As you try to brave through your symptoms, you could be asking, “How long is this depression going to last?” The truth is that there is no clear ...

As a parent, you face challenges every day. Before having your child, you might have been worried about issues like postpartum depression, or how a lack of sleep could negatively affect your mental health. But you might not have anticipated that so many aspects of parenthood could trigger your anxiety. Maybe you already ...

When you think of children, you probably think of innocence, happiness, joy, curiosity, and excitement. Being a kid is the best, right? Not so fast. As a parent or a primary caregiver, you just want what’s best for your child. You want them to live life to their fullest and be the happiest they can possibly ...

Healthy relationships sometimes involve relying on one another for support. The key differences between getting support and being codependent can be emotional, financial, or physical. Codependency is sometimes called relationship addiction—it’s an excessive need and dependency on a relationship. Codependent relationships usually have some kind of underlying dysfunction. This dysfunction might look like abuse, ...

Anxiety isn’t biased against one gender. It can impact everyone. However, it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint specific symptoms of anxiety because that impact can be different from person to person.  While many men and women experience the same symptoms of anxiety (depending on the severity of the condition), there are some common ...

Anger is, of course, a completely natural emotion. It’s neither bad nor wrong. When anger is unchecked or fueled by frustration, it can become problematic, and pull you away from the praise, prayer, and power that God calls us to. Furthermore, whenever our anger is indulged rather than submitted to Him, we’re more ...

When panic comes on, it can be sudden and overwhelming. These attacks can be unpredictable. Having a plan for what you can do when this happens can help you feel more in control. It can make panic easier to manage and relieve some of the anxiety surrounding it. There are methods and strategies you ...

It’s never easy to talk to your child about witnessing or experiencing tragedy. You wish you could put your child in a bubble and always protect them from danger. Unfortunately, children can experience a harsh sense of reality at an early age when they experience trauma. That protective bubble is no longer there for ...

Putting your faith into practice can be really challenging. It’s not that you don’t want to try or it’s not important to you. Your faith is likely the very center of who you are. Or maybe you are trying to improve your faith and understanding of the world around you. But everything else is ...

At some point, every couple will have a breakdown in their relationship. Whether that is from lack of communication, intimacy issues, or just constantly arguing, it is completely normal. Every relationship has an ebb and flow to it. There’s going to be those great moments when it feels just right. And then there will ...

Spoiler alert: You don’t feel angry for “no reason.” The tricky thing about anger is that we can’t always identify the underlying causes. Ironically, this may then become another “reason” to feel upset. “What’s wrong with me?” you may wonder. “Why do I randomly fly off the handle?” The next thing you know, you’re ...

Living with trauma is kind of like trying to play soccer on a field that was built on a landfill.  No one cleared out the discarded bags, recycled the plastic bottles, or installed pipes to release the methane gas festering up. Instead, they just flattened out the debris and piled dirt on top. They ...

Social anxiety is nothing new. However, the COVID-19 pandemic made so many people across the country (and the world) more aware of their existing anxieties. It also triggered new social anxiety symptoms in others.  For such a long time, many of us were told to “shelter in place.” Even as restrictions started to lift, ...

Social media was originally made to connect with old friends and make new ones. You can update people on great things happening in your life and get feedback through likes and comments. But we know that good intention don’t always lead to good outcomes. As a nation increasingly dependent on our screens and apps, ...

Loneliness is a growing epidemic. It affects millions of people around the world. Studies show that spending too much time alone correlates to an increased risk of suicide and depression-related disorders in both young and old people alike.  Loneliness can also raise your levels of stress hormones and your blood pressure, also lowering the ...

Over 40 million adults in the US suffer from an anxiety disorder, which is around 19% of American adults. Anxiety is actually the most common mental illness in the United States, so you are definitely not alone in this. Anxiety disorders not only impact your day-to-day life, but can also affect how you build ...

Anxiety is a stress response and a normal part of daily life. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s only problematic when it becomes unpredictable or uncontrollable. This is the point at which it affects your quality of life, and this is when you may want to seek help ...

Living through emotional trauma can have a profound impact on your mental health. Maybe you lost a loved one, went through a traumatic breakup or divorce, or experienced another unexpected lifestyle change that left you struggling. And even if you didn’t personally go through physical trauma, you may have witnessed violence that hasn’t ...

Sex used to be somewhat of a “taboo” subject to talk about. However, more people are being open about their sex lives than ever.  It’s hard to avoid, really. We’re inundated with it in everything from television and movies to books and songs. Even your group of friends might make their sex lives the ...

“Boundaries” may seem like a harsh word at first glance. When most people hear or see that word, they immediately think of a line marking a certain area, a divider, or a separation. The thought of boundaries in a relationship may seem like your relationship may not be the best. The truth of the ...

You don’t have to be discontent with your life to want to take a look at your values. You might be perfectly happy with the things around you, but what if they could be even better? What if your good life could offer you even more than it is now simply by clarifying ...

Trauma intervention is increasingly being given the attention it deserves. More and more, therapists and researchers recognize how much people from all walks of life benefit from trauma-informed care. This evolution in therapy is vital for ensuring that neurodiverse people’s needs and care are not lost in the tendency to view trauma from ...

In life, we all crave connection with other human beings. From the time we are young kids, it seems as if we are always searching for meaningful friendships. As we grow older, we often realize the importance of quality friendships over quantity. After all, it does no one good to have a ton ...

CPTSD stands for Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It’s similar to the much better known Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in some ways. The primary difference between the two relates to duration. PTSD can result from enduring or witnessing a similar event that traumatizes you. CPTSD is caused by ongoing, prolonged abuse and trauma. The source ...

The American Test Anxieties Association says that 40% of students experience test anxiety. It can be very frustrating for your college student when they have studied all of the material. They may call home looking for solace. They may come home looking to escape the pressure. Is there anything you can do to ...

With the decision to bill insurance made and the basics in that regard under your belt, it’s time to consider how to manage your practice. Patient care is paramount. To develop your practice and expand your skills and services, you need to rein in administrative tasks and keep things running well. That’s where the ...

If I ignore it, it will just go away. How many times do we utter these words to ourselves when we don’t want to deal with something? When we wish that something would just go away, it’s common to ignore it. Because if you don’t think about it, it doesn’t exist, right? Unfortunately, this kind ...

If your child is dealing with big emotions, depression, or anxiety, individual therapy is an invaluable resource. Group therapy has benefits, too. While one-on-one therapy lets kids explore their emotions and how they respond to stress, it might miss specific difficulties kids face daily. There are certain stressors in the classroom, on the ...

Social media comes with a lot of positives, such as reconnecting with old friends and building new connections. However, social media can come with a lot of downsides if you are not careful. You could end up developing depression if you make social media your entire world. Once you finish setting up your online ...

Being an ally isn’t in the look you wear; it’s in the action you take. While fashion brands come out with their own renditions of rainbow purses and power fist graphic tees every year, don’t let this fool you into thinking it automatically makes you an ally.  Allyship is not something you can hang ...

Have you ever lay in bed at night consumed with thoughts of your past, present, and future? Maybe you’re doing it right now. You’re trying to get to bed and get a good night’s sleep, but instead, your head is filling with thoughts like: Why did you say that at lunch? Remember when you ...

Anger. Confusion. Denial. Hopelessness. Fear. Pain. Sadness. Shame. Trauma can present itself in many ways. Trauma can look different for everyone. One person’s trauma could look very different from another’s. Even two people who share the same traumatic event could show different ways of processing it. On top of all the emotional signs, there are ...

Long before the pandemic, health care was a hot topic. Rarely, if ever, during such debates do you hear anyone evoke the word “wellness.” In my previous post, I laid out some general information about this concept. It’s not something done in reaction to a problem — as is the case with most ...

Relationships are challenging to navigate. There always seems to be something that can wreak havoc on you and your partner’s happiness. And that is just considering outside sources from the relationship. Household duties, careers, children, and social obligations can all cause interference and conflict within a relationship. Then, when you consider the internal conflicts, ...

Though we’re still not completely through it, we’re stepping into the final stages of a global pandemic. Most people are trying to readjust to a post-pandemic world and move forward with their lives.  However, that doesn’t mean the damage from COVID-19 won’t be felt for years to come. On top of the stress of ...

The pandemic has burdened a lot of our social circles from seeing each other as often as we did before 2020. However, if you’re still feeling lonely and isolated, is it really because of the pandemic? Or is something deeper at play? If you spend so long coming up with the right thing to ...