Self-Care: Why This Recommendation Can Backfire
The Problem with Self-Care You don’t have to look online too long, whether it be scrolling through articles or social media posts, to come across suggestions and recommendations for self-care. Overwhelmed or stressed? Take a break. Struggling with psychiatric symptoms?...Continue reading→
Legal Drinking
Do Lawyers Drink More than Other Professionals? Over the course of 15 years of working with individuals who struggle with alcohol use disorders, I’ve heard plenty of stories of attorneys entertaining clients for hours on end, of bottles of hard...Continue reading→
The Psychology of Trapeze
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take a couple of trapeze classes, something I’d done maybe 10-20 times back in in the mid-late 2000s. Aging 10 years has delivered to me a larger body, a weaker core,...Continue reading→
Forgive Yourself: A Step-by-Step Guide
You might be struggling with a relapse or having engaged in a behavior you regret. Maybe you said something you didn’t mean or lost your cool completely. Perhaps the situation has past, but you’re rattled with guilt or shame. You...Continue reading→
Destination Addiction
What is Destination Addiction? Are you unhappy or unsettled but believe that happiness is just around the corner if you can only find the right home, the perfect partner, or a new job? Are you constantly looking to move, to...Continue reading→
Sexual Assault and Alcohol Use
CW: rape/sexual assault The Ford/Kavanaugh case has engendered numerous discussions about the connection between drinking and sexual assault. People – even in the mental health profession – are speculating about the accuracy of Dr. Ford’s report given her (reportedly minor)...Continue reading→
What I Learned from Nearly Two Years of Alcohol Abstinence
It’s been a long time since I had a drink. A really long time. The last time I drank was December, 2016. I didn’t intend to stop after this glass of wine, consumed at a dinner party alongside home-cooked Indian...Continue reading→
Externalizing OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder You’re fine one moment, and the next moment, panic sets in. You must go back and check that you locked the door, even though you checked several times before. Or you have a growing sensation that eventually dominates...Continue reading→
Compulsive Exercise
Do you struggle with compulsive exercise? Do you feel you must hit the gym in order to lose or maintain your weight? Do you wonder if your relationship to exercise is a problem? Health professionals generally encourage people to exercise....Continue reading→
Raising Empathic Children
Loving parents have caring children. – Chinese proverb “I’m sad for you, Mommy,” my son announced. I had just leaned in to kiss my other son on the head at the same time he decided to jump up in the...Continue reading→
Emotional Eating: Why We Won’t Negotiate
Gatewell providers often work with clients presenting with “compulsive” or emotional eating. These same clients typically have a history of dieting or somehow restricting their food. Restriction can take various forms, including limiting when we eat, what we eat, and...Continue reading→
Fat Bias in the Medical World
When I was in college, it was a well-know fact that if you were female and went to the student health center, the staff would likely blame whatever ailed you on a potential pregnancy. Strep throat? Pregnant. Bee sting? With...Continue reading→