Ask a Therapist

We live in a society where “I am burned out” is the norm. Life is fast-paced and it’s about hustle and bustle at any cost. It is so easy for us to go after wealth without even reflecting on the negative impact on our wellness.

My clients come to me with a myriad of issues – relationship struggles; work stress; impulsive behavior; or feelings of anxiety, depression, or anger. For some of them, I begin to wonder over the course of our work together whether their presenting problems are really symptoms of a larger pattern of emotion dysregulation.

Just as each child is a unique individual, every child’s journey toward emotional maturity and mental wellness is a road of its own. The development of self-esteem, a sense of self-control, and coping skills for difficult situations can be a more challenging process for some children than others, support from a mental health practitioner can be helpful on this path.

Training your mindset to see life through a positive lens is similar to developing new muscle. When building muscle, it takes time and perseverance for the muscle to strengthen, but eventually that growth can become a cornerstone of strength and something that you can really count on. Experiencing the world more positively also requires effort, but, if you pay attention to your thoughts, you can change your perspective, especially if you have developed a negative thinking pattern.

Similar to “self-care,” the term “boundaries” has been popping up all over social media feeds. But, what do boundaries actually mean? Personal boundaries can be thought of like rules you set to manage stress, anxiety, and other emotions, and/or your physical space.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD), sometimes referred to as emotionally unstable personality disorder, is a mental health condition that impacts the way you think and feel about yourself and others, which can cause problems with how you function in your everyday life. Many people with this disorder get better over time with treatment and can learn to live satisfying lives. But how do you know if you have borderline personality disorder?

So, what is this “rapport” thing, anyway? And how can you determine whether your prospective therapist and you will establish a good rapport? Lucky for you, psychotherapy research has answers. Literally thousands of studies have been conducted on the qualities that lead to better or worse therapeutic relationships, and outcomes in therapy.

While the occasional bad mood or disagreement doesn’t mean someone is toxic, a pattern of toxic behavior in a relationship can be more problematic. So how do we know when we’re in a toxic relationship or dealing with a toxic person and what can we do about it?

If you’re feeling anxious about returning to “normal” life, leaving lockdown, heading back to the office, dating, hanging out with friends, or anything else that was part of pre-pandemic life, you’re not alone—and your feelings are totally valid. Here is some insight from our community of practitioners about reopening anxiety, who might be impacted, and how we can cope.

If you want to use your breath to calm down, you have to breathe correctly. Breathing exercises can help. I love breathing exercises because they're easy to learn and you can do them anytime, anywhere. It can be really helpful to have a go-to that you practice so you're ready to use it when the anxiety hits. There are a ton of different techniques to pick from, but these are my 3 favorites. Give them a try and see which one you like best!

The abundance of opinions, fads, and other elements of diet culture can be highly detrimental to one's self-esteem. I know because I have dealt with the feelings and pain myself. We want to love ourselves and it’s helpful to have some tools and tips to get us there.

Are you constantly battling negative thoughts? Would you like to feel more positive? It is possible to shift your negative thinking and mood with a simple process backed by science, which will help you feel good! There are small changes you can make so you feel good about yourself and achieve an overall sense of wellbeing.

When I’m particularly overwhelmed or drowning in negative emotions, I close my eyes, take a deep breath and remind myself that life is like an ocean. Like the ocean, life is a vast, mysterious, unpredictable force much bigger than any one person. Sometimes it’s beautiful and freeing and joyous. Other times, it’s terrifying and rough and unrelenting. Yet, life is in constant motion, forever moving and changing.

As wonderful as looking on the bright side twenty-four hours a day might sound, toxic positivity is actually detrimental to our mental health. While hope and positivity are important, like everything else, there must be a balance. Here is some insight from our community of practitioners about toxic positivity, its impact on our mental health, and what we can do instead.

Getting an official diagnosis after struggling with symptoms and navigating points of care can be a bittersweet experience. Many people take four key steps to process their diagnosis and integrate this understanding into their lives: get answers, connect with like people, listen to your diagnosis, and customize your recovery.

Why are widespread conspiracies flourishing right now? Of all times! This article was written as a quick guide on helping you understand how human minds deal with uncertainty, which I hope will help you feel more grounded.

There is a spectrum of people with different ideas and values around dating in a pandemic. It’s probable that your dating non-negotiables haven’t changed and traveling to another borough for a date is still never going to happen. That’s fine, but it’s time to decide what your COVID-specific non-negotiables are.

I'm grateful for the talks with family and friends, but it's bittersweet. There's a level of sadness underneath it all. Without being fully conscious of it, I am mourning the loss of what was. I'm confident we will find a new normal and adapt, much like we did after 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis, but let's be clear: things will never be the same again.

How can we find more balance when so little is within our control right now? The truth, like so many things, is that the answer is going to be entirely unique to you and you are going to need to do a little bit of work to discover it. What I can do is help you along your discovery with some suggestions and some prompts, and I can assure you -- finding your way, and what rings true for you, is so worth it.

There are many misconceptions about ADHD, but with support from mental health providers and your own coping mechanisms, you’ll be able to greatly improve your quality of life. We asked our community of therapists to answer some of the most common questions surrounding ADHD—here’s what they had to say.

While your recovery journey may not be easy, the rewards are enormous and your life is sure to transform in beautiful and unexpected ways. Cravings are just your body’s calling for old comforts and, more often than not, they are habits you built—which means they can be changed. Here are some tips that might help.

Whether you are in recovery yourself, just starting your recovery journey, or supporting a loved one, we want you to know that every recovery experience is valid, and everyone deserves to feel better.you to know that every recovery experience is valid, and everyone deserves to feel better. To lend a little extra support, we gathered your most important questions about recovery on Instagram and asked our therapists who specialize in recovery for advice.

You may have felt anticipatory anxiety even before the impact of the pandemic, for example if you were planning for a stressful event or preparing for a big presentation. MyWellbeing is here to share some tips on how to take care of your mental health while planning for a seemingly ever-changing future.

If you are immunocompromised, you are not alone. You are likely not the only person amongst your friend circle, in your building, or in your neighborhood who is immunocompromised. Reach out to people and resources whom you trust. If you are feeling anxious or discouraged about your illness, seek out a therapist for help. Most importantly, take care of yourself.