When we experience a distressing event that has a negative impact on us, or our sense of wellbeing/safety, that traumatic experience can become ‘stuck’ in a memory network. When it becomes stuck,  we can experience that memory in a very real way- it feels as if it is happening to us in the present. It can impact our physical body, our emotions, and our beliefs about ourselves. The experience continues to cause us pain, or make us feel badly about ourselves, or believe that we are not good enough, strong enough, or worthy, when it is triggered. 

The painful memories, the constant rumination, that lump in your throat.

If you are familiar with these feelings, you’ve come to the right place. That’s right, we’re talking about heartbreak.

Far-reaching goals can be unattainable and can make people feel bad about themselves if and when they fail — and more than half of these yearlong resolutions will fail, according to Emma Mahony, a therapist at Better Life Therapy in Philadelphia and a mental health content creator on TikTok.

Let this be a reminder  that it’s okay to say “no” when you want to, and to say “yes” to the things that make sense for you  during this time. Another persons’s reaction to your boundaries is not on you to “fix” or to take on.  

PACT helps couples create a securely attached relationship, so partners know how to take care of and support one other. In your sessions with your PACT therapist, he or she will help you manage and self-regulate your emotions so you stay within a tolerable space where you can feel your feelings and actually listen and understand one another.

Cognitive distortions are when we hold illogical thoughts and beliefs about ourselves and about our experiences. 

Being a parent is hard. Being a nurse, a teacher, an Amazon delivery person, a blimp conductor (pilot?), or any human being during The Covid Times is hard, but what’s also hard is being confronted with a narrative that the solution to your exhaustion and frustration is, well, pinot noir.

Thanks to the invention of infinite scrolling, social media platforms present a never-ending loop of heavily diverse content: one second you’re watching a funny cat video and the next you’re viewing disturbing news coverage. And while most of us know we ought to take a break from the mindless scrolling, it still makes logging off more difficult than ever.

I believe in this work and how insight can create extraordinary movement. That being said, before we can get to that work, it’s important to start with a basic self-care reflection. Here are a few questions I always ask clients during the first session or two. Give this activity a try at home and see what insights it brings.

It is a fairly common client concern that shows up in therapy - the question "why is it taking me so long to decide”. Often this concern is presented with a sigh of frustration, sadness, a touch of shame. If we take too long to decide, we are somehow automatically procrastinating? That just doesn’t seem fair, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

When experiencing grief you could find yourself having reactions in unique ways that may feel foreign to you. While most common reactions are considered normal, unexpected, seemingly uncontrollable emotional and/or physical reactions that can be disconcerting are also normal.

For as long as your child has been in a learning environment, you’ve noticed that they weren’t reaching their developmental milestones like other kids have. Others may have tried to reassure you by saying that your child would catch up before you knew it, but you felt as though there was more going on than being a “late bloomer”. After bringing it up with your child’s pediatrician or teacher, you likely began the process of evaluations and meetings with health professionals. It may have taken one evaluation, it may have taken years, but you finally know what’s leading your child to struggling in school.