Over the past several years, I've noticed that the term "depression" has become more and more commonplace in mainstream culture. With so many people using "depression" to describe their experiences, I can't help but wonder if we’re all talking about the same thing. Has “depression” become a catchall term for a whole range of experiences?
Read moreMental Health and Being "Normal"
A lot of people I see in therapy come in under the premise of wanting to be normal. They see their position outside of the margins as having a lot to do with their suffering. For this reason, I often wonder just how useful of a concept normalcy really is. It can be used in well-meaning ways, but does it do more harm than good?
Read moreKeeping Competition out of the Conversation
We live in a culture of competition. Many of the concerns people bring to therapy invoke images of opposition to their problems. These competitive descriptions are almost part of the air we breathe. In this post I consider the implications competitive descriptions of problems hold for our lives and identities.
Read moreYour Emotions Aren't a Problem
A lot of people seek therapy because they believe their emotions are a problem. We receive plenty of messages that invalidate our emotional responses to events in our lives. In this blog post I discuss the importance of our emotions and contest the popular notion that our feelings are irrational or pathological.
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