relationship challenges

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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Take Root Therapy January Newsletter

We talk about emotion dysregulation, raise funds for our beloved immigrant communities, and learn tools for soothing nighttime anxiety. A Letter From Our Founder Hi reader, It’s hard to know where to start this letter. I feel myself being pulled in so many directions, and that’s become more and more common these days. I want to offer you comfort and hope. I want to sit…
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What Is Emotional Dysregulation? Signs, Causes, and Tools That Actually Work When You Feel Out of Control

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

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

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…
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Grief After Suicide: Understanding Complex Loss and Finding Support

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

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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