coping patterns

Take Root Therapy July Newsletter

We talk about supporting teens through social struggles, clean up West Hollywood, and learn about coffin-lying. A Letter From Our Founder Dear reader, I am writing to you from a hotel bed, while on a trip to visit family. These trips usually serve as a reset button for me. I really value opportunities to be more present with my kids, who it seems I hardly…
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How to Tell If Your Teen Is Struggling Socially (Not Just Being a Teenager)

Most of us can remember struggling through adolescence, and those are definitely years that I am glad to have survived and left behind. When I was in high school, my parents were struggling financially, my father was in poor health, and my family was seemingly always in crisis. I was confused about my sexuality and my classes felt impossible. It all hit me, and hard,…
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Take Root Therapy June Newsletter

We learn about trauma-informed therapy, visit the Los Angeles community fridges, and avoid awkward small talk. A Letter From Our Founder Dear reader, Summer in Los Angeles is officially here (or it will be this weekend), and the sun is not messing around. There is a part of me that is ready to slow down, and another part that is apparently not getting the memo.…
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What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy and How Do You Know If It’s Right for You?: Understanding Trauma Informed Therapy

I saw my first therapist when I was a child, and have seen close to a dozen since. In Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of them, and while I was fortunate to work with some who were genuinely helpful, I’ve also had my share of experiences that were, at best, unhelpful and at worst, harmful. Therapists are human. We make mistakes, we miss things, and…
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Take Root Therapy May Newsletter

We learn to be curious about our anger, revamp Pershing Square, and get ready for Love Island. A Letter From Our Founder Dear reader, May has been a lot. I don’t mean that dramatically, I mean it in the way that parents of school-age children will probably recognize immediately. The end of the year requests, the performances, the parties, the feelings. All of it landing…
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What Is Your Anger Really Trying to Tell You?: Understanding Anger, What Lies Beneath It, and How to Begin Listening

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…
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Take Root Therapy April Newsletter

We talk about forgiveness, volunteer with the LGBT Center, and learn how to create emotional boundaries in relationships. A Letter From Our Founder Dear reader, I just returned from two weeks away with my family, and it was exactly what I needed. Time that moved slowly. Books that I read from start to finish. And mornings without an agenda. Having my children’s undivided attention and…
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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?

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…
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Take Root Therapy March Newsletter

We discuss why therapy works for chronic pain, make candles with CHIRLA, and learn about the benefits of daydreaming. A Letter From Our Founder Dear reader, I’ll be honest with you, this month has been a hard one for me. As an Iranian American with family in the Middle East, I have been watching the news with a heaviness that doesn’t leave when I close…
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Can Therapy Help With Chronic Pain? What the Research Shows and Why Therapy for Chronic Pain Helps

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,…
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Take Root Therapy February Newsletter

We learn about EMDR, mentor our youth, and develop skills for unwinding after work. A Letter From Our Founder Hi there, We made it through another month. Maybe you celebrated Valentine’s Day, maybe you let it pass quietly. The Lunar New Year came and went too (I celebrated, and I’m holding onto the hope that it means some good change is on the way). And…
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What Is EMDR Therapy?: A Los Angeles Therapist Explains How It Works and What to Expect

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…
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