Sex after sexual trauma can bring up a whole host of emotions. To be clear, some survivors of sexual violence don’t experience changes in their relationship with sex, while many others do. All reactions to trauma are valid–your mind and body are responding to protect you from experiencing further harm. This article is for those…
Treatment Approaches
From Overwhelm to Connection: Managing Emotional Flooding as a Couple
Being overwhelmed is something that everyone has experienced. When we are in this overwhelmed state, we are not able to be our best selves, and it sometimes feels like we have lost control of our emotions and our actions. This experience can feel like we are “seeing red” or like it saps us of all…
Therapy Insights: Learning to Control What We Can Control
You may have heard the old phrase, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” This quote resonated with me as I with thinking about this post, mostly for its incompleteness, especially in the context of my work. Being a therapist, one thing I witness day in and day out is the inevitability of pain. If…
You Are Not Broken: Rethinking the Path to Sex Therapy
As an AASECT-certified sex therapist, I often hear people describe themselves as ‘broken’ when they walk through my door. ‘What is wrong with me?’ is a common refrain, spoken with shame, often through tears. Therapy can feel like a last-ditch effort to “fix” yourself. I understand why you might feel that way. But let me…
Values-Based Resolutions: How to Set Goals You Can Actually Achieve
At the end of each year, many of us find ourselves reevaluating habits that we feel are not benefiting our mind, body or soul. We see the upcoming new year as a chance to turn an unhelpful habit into one of value. When the new year begins we feel motivated with a fresh sense of…
ACT, CBT, DBT, EMDR, ERP: A Guide to Evidence-based Therapies
When you first enter the world of therapy, you might not know exactly where to start. That might have something to do with a feeling that you don’t know the lingo and can’t make sense of the alphabet soup. Every therapist will have a slew of letters behind their name – LCSW, PsyD, CST, LMFT,…
Something Better Than New Year’s Resolutions
As the new year rolls in, many people embrace the tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions, often aiming to lose weight, exercise more, or quit troubling habits. These goals initially feel like an empowering way to start fresh, but can prove stressful and difficult to maintain. Most people abandon them by the end of January.…
Thoughts and Feelings: What Are They and What Do I Do About Them?
Welcome to Part 3 of Flexibility of the Mind webzine series! In Part 1 and Part 2 of this webzine series, we defined psychological flexibility, asked some hard hitting questions about thoughts and feelings, and summarized the “Noticing Self” and ways to stay present. If you need a refresher, keep reading! Take a moment to…
Healing Through EMDR: Getting Grounded in Shaky Times
After completing part two of my Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) training this past weekend, I left feeling grounded, energized, and — dare I say — hopeful. This felt like a stark contrast to the energy of the weeks and months leading up to it given the anxiety we have collectively been buzzing with.…
Sexuality, Infertility, and Mental Health: Bridging the Gaps
Article by Kate Ernstrom, LCSW, PMH-C, CST and Gabby Pendley, LCSW, CADC, PMH-C Infertility is a highly personal journey, impacting not only one’s hopes for the future but also emotional, relational, and sexual health. In today’s world, an estimated 10-15% of couples experience infertility (ASRM, 2023), a reality that often creates a ripple effect across…
