I have a close friend who often refers to bedtime as “dread time”.  In the nearly 30 years we have known one another, her relationship with sleep has been complex, inconsistent, and disappointing, and it has weighed on her mental and physical health.  Sleep disruptions and insomnia are some of the most common conditions that I work with in my practice. Regardless of a client’s age, sleep problems can be chronic and debilitating.  Outside of obtaining medical treatment for underlying issues,...

Life Kit podcast ran a fascinating episode this week on the key to happiness, featuring an expert who made the distinction between choices that “makes us feel right” and decisions that “makes us feel happy”.  She offered the example of going to visit a sick friend in the hospital.  We know that this act probably will not bring us joy or a sense of peace. We don’t expect the hospital environment to boost our mood, and we don’t equate being there with being happy.  We equate it with doing...

Subtitle: Examining how emotional regulation supports resilience, decision-making, and well-being during high-stress moments—and how therapy can help individuals build steadiness when life feels overwhelming.   One of my favorite parts of being a therapist has been learning about the ways that other people think about and understand their emotions, especially when they experience them as extreme, heightened, or intense.  Many of my clients struggle to regulate their emotions, and coming to...