family dynamics

Person in medical scrubs resting on a couch, learning to practice self-care.

Why Is Self-Care So Hard for High Achievers?: Learning to Listen to and Care for Your Body

August 25, 2026

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

I grew up with two immigrant parents who seemed to live to work. I can’t speak to who they could have been if they hadn’t immigrated to the United States and specifically to West Los Angeles, where they were surrounded by wealth and always trying to keep up. But I can share that my father was often up before 5 am to head to the…

How to Tell If Your Teen Is Struggling Socially (Not Just Being a Teenager)

July 30, 2026

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

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,…

What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy and How Do You Know If It’s Right for You?: Understanding Trauma Informed Therapy

June 16, 2026

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…

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…

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…

Take Root Therapy August Newsletter

August 29, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, self-care,

We tackle back-to-school anxiety, make art, and rediscover the joy of reading. A Letter From Our Founder Dear friends, Another month has come and gone, and for my family, that means the school year has officially started (even though it’s still August, which makes little sense to me). My family spent some time vacationing on the east coast right before the school year started, and…

Take Root Therapy May Newsletter

May 29, 2025

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

We manage the urge to people please, tend to the land, and celebrate PRIDE. A Letter From Our Founder Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a retreat that was held right at home in Los Angeles. It was something I’d really been looking forward to. I went in hoping to slow down and reconnect with myself. And I did, eventually. But it took…

Why Is It So Hard To Set Boundaries?: Understanding People-Pleasing and Learning to Honor Your Own Needs

May 29, 2025

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

I recently made the difficult decision to assert a boundary with my family while they were here visiting us in Los Angeles, knowing it might not go over well. I communicated it with as much care as I could and felt pretty good about it—until I got a phone call from my mother a couple of days later. She told me how hurt people felt…

Take Root Therapy April Newsletter

April 30, 2025

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

We understand what it means to be emotionally unavailable, paint the park, and learn about ecological grief. A Letter From Our Founder This past week, I felt like I was finally coming up for air. There’s no need to rehash how challenging 2025 has been—between the fires, the devastating chaos of the new administration, and the demands of caring for my children and aging…

What Does It Really Mean to Be Emotionally Available?: How to Go From Emotionally Unavailable to Building Real Connection for Healthier Relationships

April 30, 2025

boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, , trauma, trauma therapy

There are many moments in my life where I have acted in a way that later left me embarrassed or, even worse, ashamed. One exchange I have thought about many times since was a conversation between myself and a dear friend during my senior year in high school. My friend was a year older and was already in college, and he called me one night…

Take Root Therapy March Newsletter

March 26, 2025

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

We get curious about our inner critic, fly kites, and learn to build new friendships. A Letter From Our Founder Hi there, Spring is finally here, and it’s feeling… wonky. We had a few warm days, but today, when I stepped outside, I was shocked by the cold. It’s disorienting—almost like an external reflection of how I’ve been feeling internally. The world keeps spinning,…

Why Am I So Hard On Myself? Understanding Self-Criticism and Learning to Quiet Your Inner Critic

March 26, 2025

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

My schedule has been jam-packed recently: my kids are playing multiple sports in addition to their other after-school activities, and all of it spills into our weekends. We go from one game or birthday party to another, squeezing in meals, caring for our dog, and then tending to a never-ending to-do list. This week, their school has early dismissals all week, and my partner has…

family dynamics

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