How the Heat Can Be Affecting Your Mental Health
Do you feel miserable in the sweltering heat of summer? It’s not just you. Millions of people’s mental health is affected by the heat, and not for the better. As temperatures rise due to climate change, the impact of extreme heat on our physical health is widely...
What is EMDR?
Maria Dimachkie, therapist at Love Heal Grow, explains what EMDR therapy is, what it looks like in practice, and how to determine if it will be a good fit for you.Hi, I'm Maria Dimachkie, therapist for individuals and couples at Love Heal Grow Counseling. I help...
How to Cope With an Adult ADHD Diagnosis
Many of us tend to think of ADHD as something that kids are diagnosed with and then grow out of. But that’s far from reality. ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, might have one of the most frustrating names and incorrect assumptions of any mental health...
Navigating Differences in Sexual Desire
Now more than ever, we are inundated with messages about what it means to have a “good” sex life. In the context of romantic relationships, we get sold the idea that a good sexual connection means sex is frequent, intensely passionate, spontaneous, and usually results...
Should I Disclose My Invisible Disability To My Boss?
In a fair, just world, being disabled in the workplace would always mean accommodations and equitable treatment. But ask anybody in the disabled community– this is not always the case. Disabled people are not always treated fairly at work, and if you have an invisible...
Childhood Trauma and Anxiety in Adulthood. It Makes Sense
It’s very common for people who experienced trauma in childhood to struggle with anxiety as adults. This probably makes sense but can also be a source of frustration, confusion and self-incrimination. “It’s over.” “It’s in the past.” “That was so long ago” “Why...
The Role of the Nervous System in Rebuilding Trust After Betrayal
Betrayal can shatter the foundation of trust in any relationship, leaving emotional scars that are often difficult to heal. Rebuilding trust after such an experience is not just a matter of willpower, betrayal can impact our nervous system’s capacity to feel fully...
Anxiety is Not Really the Problem
Surprisingly, if you are struggling with anxiety, or even an anxiety disorder, such as OCD, generalized anxiety, panic, etc., as hard as this is to believe, it’s not really the anxiety that’s the problem. It’s the intolerance of anxiety that’s causing the problems....
The Harmful Impact of Conversion Therapy
If you’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, it’s likely that you’ve thought about therapy at least once or twice. Surveys show that queer American adults and youth both show elevated levels of depression and anxiety– which makes a lot of sense, given how hostile the...
Tips on Pick-Ups and Drop-Offs for Coparents
When you and an ex-partner are co-parenting, one principle must stand out above all others: You need to do what’s best for your children. This means compliance with custody rulings, which are made with the kids’ needs in mind. This also means you need to do everything...
How to Navigate Different Parenting Styles in Your Relationship
One of the biggest challenges about being a parent is determining how you want to raise your children. Obviously you want them to grow up to be happy, healthy, well-rounded individuals– but the way we do that has changed a lot in recent years. This is especially true...
Anxiety? OCD? Here’s Why You Are NOT Going Crazy
By far the most common concern that my clients who struggle with significant anxiety, obsessions and compulsions bring to the first session is the question. “Am I going crazy?” (“Am I having a nervous breakdown?” is a close second). My answer is always a clear,...
Are You Experiencing Worker Burnout?
Do you dread going to work? Does thinking about a career you used to enjoy bring you apathy at best and make you want to break down in tears at worst? Does nothing about work motivate you any more, and you feel like you’re just barely scraping by? If so, you might be...
Signs You’re in a Codependent Relationship
Do you find yourself continually making excuses for your partner's irresponsible behavior and taking on the role of their primary caretaker, neglecting your own needs and aspirations in the process? Meanwhile, your partner relies heavily on you for emotional support...
Finding A Mutual Language
As a sex therapist I often find that folks struggle to communicate not only their desires, but daily tasks, the meanings attributed to certain things, and their overall needs. Lately, in my sessions, I have been introducing the idea of a mutual or shared language....
What’s the Difference Between Loneliness and Solitude?
Loneliness is a big challenge for a lot of people’s mental health. According to the US Surgeon General, loneliness can have significant health consequences. Loneliness and isolation increase the risk of developing mental health challenges, and lacking connection can...
Tips to Conquer Your Fear of Flying
If your hands get clammy and your heart just about beats out of your chest before you step onto a plane, you are not alone. In fact, fear of flying impacts between 3-8% of people (which is a lot of people when you consider the number of people this represents). You...
The Relationship Between Trauma and Anxiety
“Trauma” and “anxiety” aren’t just buzzwords– they’re real experiences that profoundly shape individuals' lives, influencing their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physiological responses. And unfortunately, they’re extremely common. The National Institute of Mental...
Is Pornography Affecting Your Relationship?
People tend to have a really complicated relationship with porn. Some people like it and incorporate it into a healthy set of sexual practices. Other people hate it, finding it harmful by default and that the production is degrading. We are not here to debate the...
Beyond Daydreams: Navigating Trauma-Related Dissociation
Most of us are familiar with the experience of becoming so engrossed with a film or book that we lose track of time, going on “autopilot” during a long drive, or losing ourselves in a daydream. All of these are examples of benign dissociation which are a fairly common...
Addressing Childhood Trauma as an Adult
One of the most frustrating societal expectations is the idea that as adults, we should just “get over” things that happened to us in the past– that whatever happened, it was so long ago that the mature thing to do is move past it and forget. And that expectation...
