Behavioral Change

Glad you are reaching out here!There are two types of self-harm: suicidal and non-suicidal. A lot of people I see and have seen engage in self-harm just to manage emotional dysregulation, but not to end their lives. Self-injury actually does a great job at helping us to manage really intense... more

I've worked with teens in a day treatment program for about 6 years now and it's been a theme that a lot of them see dark figures out of the corner of their eyes. Pretty common with teens that have endured trauma--physical or sexual abuse, witnessing domestic violence, etc. We don't have a lot of... more

Sounds like anxiety and a strong imagination are getting the better of you.Do you sometimes have less confidence in yourself than you'd like to have? Or doubt and question yourself in matters which in hindsight were easier to solve than you realized at first?These are two examples of anxiety... more

Absolutely! Exposure techniques in counseling have shown to be extremely effective for working through compulsions. First thing I would say is to make sure you feel a good connection with your counselor and you feel it's a good fit. It's hard to get through that anxiety already, but having a... more

Everyone has fears. Whatever your fear is it can be helpful to breakdown the thing that creates anxiety or fear into small steps. For instance, let's say you are afraid of speaking in public. If your goal would be to one day speak to a room of people, you would start by creating a list of lesser... more

I think it's super brave to want to face your fears, so you are already moving in a great direction!No matter if your fear is something rational (e.g., fear of spiders), or something that seems irrational (e.g., fear of clocks), there is always a reason your brain has considered the thing you fear... more

Strengthen your own belief in your right to a decent life and respect of who you are.From the brief description you write, your husband has very limited capacity to recognize how others feel and even less capacity to empathize with the person.The best you can do is convince yourself of your own... more

I never heard of a marriage mediator before.Since you already went to counseling and the therapist observed your husband's tendency to see black and white in life, and because counseling functions on a deeper level than a mediator generally does, a marriage mediator sounds like a step backwards.Why... more

Are there ways your partner acknowledges the difficulty to stabilize the questions you ask about your self-worth?Your questions are typical for anyone who feels insecure and unsure. The lack of confidence you feel exists in many other human beings too.Your partner's wish for you to feel better... more

One way to handle the situation is to develop willingness to tolerate her unusual habits. Would you be willing to talk with your kids that grandma is sensitive to smells and her way to address this is to tape up cracks and crevasses?As long as her behavior isn't aggressive, harmful to anyone... more