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What Is Your Anger Really Trying to Tell You?: Understanding Anger, What Lies Beneath It, and How to Begin Listening

May 28, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, grief counseling, relationship challenges, , trauma, trauma therapy

Growing up in my Iranian household, anger scared the shit out of me. My parents, who both worked all the time and were generally overwhelmed themselves, weren’t necessarily quick to anger, but when they felt angry, they would explode. It wasn’t uncommon, and it never felt okay. I remember my father’s left eyebrow jumping up before the yelling started. That was the signal to make…

Flowers held over a person's shoulder in what looks like a self-embrace to reflect learning how to forgive

What Is Forgiveness and Why Does It Matter for Your Mental Health?

April 27, 2026

Running a business has taught me things I never expected to learn about myself, and not the things you might think. Yes, I’ve navigated the learning curve of marketing, profit and loss statements, and building a website from scratch. I once spent months dealing with a legal threat after using a photo without permission, and I settled in a way that still stings a little…

Can Therapy Help With Chronic Pain? What the Research Shows and Why Therapy for Chronic Pain Helps

March 17, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

When my older brother was in his last year of college, he developed a condition where he would break out in intense, painful hives whenever he was excited or stressed, when it was hot outside, when he was exercising, or even when he stepped into a hot shower. I watched as it turned his life upside down. He had been struggling with depression before college,…

What Is EMDR Therapy?: A Los Angeles Therapist Explains How It Works and What to Expect

February 24, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, , trauma, trauma therapy

I learned about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) long before I ever experienced it. People described it almost reverently, as a kind of last resort that actually worked, something that helped people recover when other approaches hadn’t. Of course I was curious. It took me years to fully understand how much of what I was struggling with was rooted in trauma, so I didn’t…

What Is Emotional Dysregulation? Signs, Causes, and Tools That Actually Work When You Feel Out of Control

January 29, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, burnout, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, , trauma, trauma therapy

Yesterday morning, my daughter and I were running late to school. Again. The crosswalk light was blinking as we approached the busy intersection near our home in Los Angeles, and she started to dart across the street. “I don’t want to be late!” she yelled over her shoulder. My body reacted before my brain caught up. My heart lurched, my breath caught, and I screamed…

Why We Keep Buying Things: Emotional Spending, Impulse Shopping, and Mental Health

December 18, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, depression, depression therapy, poor self-esteem, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

I love stuff. I love buying things, decorating my home, adorning myself with jewelry. I’m delighted by a new outfit, and few things bring me as much joy as snagging something I’ve been coveting on sale. I grew up with a mother who dragged me to yard sales and estate sales every weekend. As a small child, this wasn’t exactly how I wanted to spend…

Anxiety vs. Depression: What’s the Difference? Can You Have Both?

November 28, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

I’m no stranger to depression or anxiety, and have been managing both for the duration of my adult life. Depression, I’ve known since adolescence. I was a tween when my critical inner voice got louder and louder, when I would struggle to get out of bed, and when I would find myself thinking about dying far more than I now know is normal. I may…

What Is OCD? Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Beyond the Myths

October 28, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, relationship challenges, self-care,

After my second child was born, I began experiencing disturbing, intrusive images: vivid scenes of dropping her as I climbed the stairs, or her stroller breaking free and rolling into traffic. The thoughts felt so real that my body would flood with panic. I didn’t know what to do with the terror these images brought, so I developed strategies: I walked impossibly slowly up the…

Grief After Suicide: Understanding Complex Loss and Finding Support

September 29, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, , trauma, trauma therapy

Gentle content note: This article discusses suicide, traumatic loss, and complex grief. If you feel activated while reading, please pause, breathe, and come back when you feel ready. If you are in immediate danger or worried about your safety, call or text 988 in the U.S. for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or use online chat at 988lifeline.org. I wish no one had to die…

Back-to-School Stress?: A Therapist’s Guide to Easing the Transition

August 29, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, relationship challenges, self-care,

Back-to-school season can be exciting, but it can also bring a wave of stress and anxiety for both kids and parents. From shifting routines to worries about friends and teachers, the transition after summer can feel overwhelming. In my own family, I was reminded just how big these feelings can be when my kids received their teacher assignments the night before school started. During summer…

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