When we hear that someone has an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) diagnosis, we often think this means they are very clean and like to wash their hands! Although these symptoms can be true for some individuals experiencing OCD, this is also a very limited perspective. First, let’s break this down by getting into the obsessions, then the compulsions, how they work together and lastly, what OCD treatment looks like.

When most people hear about intimate partner violence (IPV), thoughts of physical abuse usually come to mind. However, another insidious form of abuse, coercive control, is often overlooked since the scars are not always visible. Some coercive controllers are physically violent, while others are not.

So many of my clients have shared with me that meditation (mindfulness) coping skills ‘Don’t work for me!’ or ‘They make my anxiety worse!’ or ‘I could never sit and think about nothing!’ Maybe you can relate? For most of us, when we think of meditating, we think of a monk sitting cross legged on the floor experiencing a state of quiet and focus. Honestly, that’s what comes to my mind too.

Two years after our first child, my husband and I felt we were ready to add another to our family. Little did we know the second time around would be a very different experience. Long before trying for our second child, I recall having read an article about secondary infertility. It stuck with me, even though it wasn’t my reality yet. Secondary infertility is the inability to conceive or carry a baby to term after previously giving birth.

Social media and pop culture has recently brought awareness of narcissistic abuse into the light, making it the topic of podcasts, tv series, books, and day-to-day conversation. A lesser known term, antagonistic relational stress, which encompasses the feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, confusion, isolation, and invalidation when one is in a relationship with a psychologically harmful person.

The news that we were having triplets brought us so much joy. We already had a two-year-old daughter and had always said we wanted four kids, so this was perfect. We settled in and began to plan. Our families rallied around us, and we had faith that we could make it through. But before the triplets came, I had to make it through a grueling pregnancy. Nothing about it was easy.

Culture plays a significant role in shaping mental health perspectives and practices. Each mental health professional must receive education to gain knowledge on different cultures and how some communities will have differing views on mental health treatment and social views.

Grief. We are all familiar with it. When we hear the word, we most often associate it with death. I know I did. It wasn’t until I became a clinician that I understood that you can grieve anything. You can grieve things like a job, a loss of any kind, an idea, an unmet expectation of someone, etc.

“Those who expect you to get over grief have never suffered life-altering loss.” – Lisa Appelo
This blog is difficult for me, as I am trying to navigate writing this in my professional self and my personal self, so here’s a little bit of both. This November 29 will mark 6 years since I lost my brother, Kyle, to suicide.

According to a study by Adams, etc. in 2000 with 177 participants, 30% of pet owners experienced severe grief from losing their pet, while the remaining participants reported some impact with loss of their pets whether it was emotional, physical, or even social. People are impacted by pet grief as we often consider them a part of the family.