Boundaries are definitely the most common challenge that I see in my therapy sessions with clients, doesn't matter if they're facing anxiety, life transitions, addiction, etc. But what are boundaries? Boundaries are expectations that we set in interpersonal relationships to optimize our quality of life. What are the types of boundaries? Harper (2020) describes boundaries in seven categories: Physical boundaries- These...[ read more ]

Today, I’m excited to share the key insights from one of the best books I’ve read this year, Why Won’t You Apologize? By Harriet Lerner. “We are imperfect human beings and prone to error and defensiveness. So the challenge of offering a heartfelt apology permeates almost every relationship. We take turns at being the offender and the offended until our...[ read more ]

My wife was able to hear Michele Borba, the author of Unselfie, at a school counselor conference. Since I also work with children and adolescents, I thought I'd check out the book as well. Today I'll be sharing some of what I learned with you about kids and emotional intelligence. Unselfie was written as a guide for adults to empower...[ read more ]

Today, I’m excited to share an interview with my wife, Rachel, who is a school counselor. As I think back to my elementary and middle school years, I don’t recall my peers going through too many mental health issues. I was likely unaware. What are the type of issues you encounter in your daily work as a school counselor? This...[ read more ]

I've worked with people of all ages in my time as a therapist but I especially enjoy working with adolescents and young adults. I am passionate about working with these age groups because 1) I was an adolescent not too long ago 2) those were some of the most difficult years of my life and 3) being a young adult...[ read more ]

What is trauma bonding? This phenomenon is more commonly known as Stockholm Syndrome. Trauma bonding occurs when a victim caught in the abuse cycle becomes dependent on their abuser physically, psychologically, and socially, making it more difficult to escape the abuse as time goes on. As a therapist, I have done research on the abuse cycle because to me, it’s...[ read more ]

I wrote this post a year ago on Father’s Day on my personal blog. Given that it’s still relevant, I am sharing it here, as I know for many, Father’s Day carries with it a lot of pain and brokenness. I kept the post in present tense. *** Prior to getting married last year, I didn’t give much thought to...[ read more ]

For today's Counseling Awareness Month post, I'm excited to share an interview that I did with Shalanda Jackson, LCSW. Shalanda is the owner of J Group Counseling Services, a private practice for psychotherapy where she offers individual counseling and group counseling. I understand that you do group therapy for anger management. Tell the readers about what that group is like...[ read more ]

At the age of 26, I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve never lost a person who I’ve been close to. I was there to help my mom when her husband died suddenly of a heart attack in 2017. I’m also a therapist, so I’ve worked with many clients who are struggling with grief. It wasn’t until I suffered my own...[ read more ]

I remember New Year’s 2017. I deemed it, “The year of the small circle.” Though I’m introverted and tend to keep a small circle, I had become aware that quality is better than quantity when it comes to relationships. Because we are human, we’re going to disappoint each other at times. In worthwhile relationships, those issues get worked out and...[ read more ]