If you spend any time with a therapist who is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), you will notice something striking: they like to speak in metaphors. You might hear about switch that can be flipped on or off, or an experience of getting caught in quicksand, or someone standing in a hole with…
Treatment Approaches
The Freedom of Radical Acceptance
Most of us spend an incredible amount of energy fighting reality. We argue with traffic. We replay conversations that already happened. We wish our partner communicated differently. We think our children should appreciate us more. We tell ourselves we shouldn’t feel anxious, sad, overwhelmed, or lonely. We wish our body looked different. We wonder why…
The Only Way Out of Anxiety Is Through It: Exposure and Response Prevention
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from managing anxiety instead of living your life. Rehearsing the conversation you’re avoiding. Circling back to check the stove, the lock, the windows. Ruminating on a thought you can’t shake. Avoiding situations that make you uncomfortable. Googling symptoms. Struggling with anxiety can feel like a full-time job.…
Attachment and Modern Dating
Understanding Attachment and Modern Dating In the modern world, we’ve seemingly hacked the dating system. We have dating apps, instant communication, and constant access to potential partners, yet dating still feels complicated, confusing, and emotionally exhausting. Many people are still left wondering, why does it feel so hard to date? Cultural shifts may offer part…
10 Things Your Therapist Wants You to Know About STIs
Sexuality transmitted infections (STIs) can bring up a lot – fear, shame, confusion, overwhelm – not to mention a ton of unanswered questions or worries. As sex therapists, we often see how these feelings of overwhelm and worries of stigma can make an already stressful situation even heavier. Here are ten things I wish everyone…
Harm Reduction in Psychotherapy: A Therapist’s Guide
When psychotherapists think of harm reduction, many immediately picture syringe exchange sites, overdose prevention kits, or community-level substance use interventions. Although these interventions are critical for keeping those who use substances safe, harm reduction is far broader than just these interventions. A harm reduction lens is profoundly relevant to everyday psychotherapy, and can complement so…
When the Body Speaks: Erectile Dysfunction and Mental Health
A Silent Reality for Millions For millions of men, Erectile Dysfunction (ED) isn’t just physical; it’s personal, emotional, and often carried in silence. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 30–50 million men experience erectile dysfunction. Despite how common it is, ED remains one of the most misunderstood and least openly discussed health challenges. Yet science…
Why You Can’t Relax: Self-Criticism, Overcontrol, and What to Do About It
In a society that highly values productivity, perfectionism, and doing things right, it is easy to believe that we would not be as successful, functional, or achieving if we were not hard on ourselves. Common Self-Critical Thoughts Have you ever had thoughts that sound something like this? This type of thinking can give us the…
Exposure and Response Prevention: Resisting the Anxiety Itch
Have you ever experienced a fear so strong that you would do anything to avoid situations that bring that feeling on? Many people experience this in various forms like: Most of the time, this fear and avoidance doesn’t get in the way of things that we care about, doing what matters in our life, and…
Better Sex Starts with Better Conversations
Understanding Sexual Communication Sexual communication is just what it sounds like: it’s communication about sex. Seems simple, right? It isn’t, but not because some special or arcane set of skills are needed. Our culture teaches us to be profoundly uncomfortable and/or conflicted about sex. Many people spend a lifetime with another person without broaching the…
