“I should be further along by now.”“I should be more productive.”“I shouldn’t feel this way.” If you slow down and listen to your thoughts for a day, you might notice how often the word should shows up. It sounds responsible. Motivated. Disciplined. But beneath the...
People with OCD often describe a familiar, frustrating moment: “Why am I feeling this way?”“What’s wrong with me for having this emotion?”“If I could just stop feeling this, the thoughts would calm down.” OCD has a way of convincing you that the emotion itself is the...
Have you ever sent a text and, when you didn’t get a reply right away, immediately assumed you had offended someone? Or felt a small physical symptom and convinced yourself it meant something life threatening? If so, you’ve experienced catastrophizing, one of the most...
The start of the year is “supposed” to feel like a reset.New goals. Fresh routines. A sense of momentum. But for many adults, the early weeks of the year feel very different. Instead of motivation, there’s fatigue. Instead of clarity, there’s irritability,...
At some point, many of us ask a quiet but heavy question: What is the purpose of my life? Sometimes this question shows up during a major transition. After a breakup, career change, loss, faith shift, or identity exploration. Other times, it appears in the middle of...
Many people come to therapy believing that the goal is to get rid of uncomfortable emotions—anxiety, sadness, anger, shame. It’s an understandable hope. When emotions feel overwhelming, our nervous system naturally looks for escape. But not all ways of coping with...
