A blog on grief, growth, and being human (Swiftie moments included).
Losing a pet is one of the most painful life events one can go through. Although taking time to remember them can bring many tears and feelings of sadness, it can also help you to heal from the loss. Which is why days like Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day are so important to acknowledge. Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day is on August 28th. It is a special day dedicated to honoring the
If you are lucky enough to experience the unconditional love of a wonderful, loving soulmate pet, then you also know what it is like to feel depressed after losing a pet. Although many people in our world don’t view the death of a pet as a significant loss, believe me, it is one of the most devastating life experiences you can go through. Which is why it is very normal
In anticipation of the release of The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift curated 5 playlists of her songs that correspond to the 5 stages of heartbreak, or grief. However, she forgot the 6th stage. The stage that I believe is the most healing. But first I have to say thank you, Taylor Swift, for calling attention to the stages of grief during heartbreak. Because breakups are typically not acknowledged as
When a soulmate pet dies, you don’t just go through “grief.” It’s a heartbreak that disrupts your daily routine, your sense of comfort, and your identity. You know grief takes time, but nothing prepares you for the emptiness that follows this kind of loss. It’s not just missing your pet. It’s missing your home. You may be asking yourself, “How am I supposed to fall asleep, let alone get through
As we inch closer to the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, I thought I’d dissect the last song she left us with on Midnights. The transitional track before we enter the Tortured Poets era. A track that just happens to be one of my all time favorites. Dear Reader. Dear Reader is the “Right Where You Left Me” of Midnights. It’s underrated, but once you give it a real
Living in NYC is hard. It’s not for everyone. But if you’re like me, and have always been drawn to this city, then you figure out ways to make it work. When I moved to NYC from Florida 11 years ago, people would ask me why I wanted to live here. And I would always respond, “because of the bagels!” Which is partly true. But the other truth is that,
If you’re going through a hard time, do you ever wish you could skip over the healing, the processing, and the being sad – and instead time travel into the future? Part of you knows you won’t always feel this way. But you’re tired of being in the here and now. It’s a dark place. You’re sick of it. And you wish you could get a glimpse into the future,
I feel the same way about Taylor Swift’s Reputation Album as I do about any major life challenge I’ve faced; it was much darker than I would have liked it to be, but looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I am, in fact, grateful for it. With Reputation, Taylor Swift revealed a side of herself that we don’t usually get to see. A moodier side. An
When it comes to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, I am very much living for the hope of it all. But I think it’s because this relationship is about more than a love story. It’s about a heroine’s journey. Taylor Swift’s heroine’s journey. And the culmination is unfolding right before our eyes. Before I delve into how Taylor Swift’s journey can be used to inspire you, I have to address the concept
If you live in NYC and feel depressed, you are not alone. Even though the city is stuffed to the brim with people, it can feel like one of the loneliest placest on the planet. And while there is always something fun going on, it’s common for people who live here to feel a lingering emptiness throughout the day. So allow me to present one of the most underrated yet
If you’re a pet owner, you know the worst part about having a pet it isn’t cleaning up their poop. Or the torn-up furniture. It isn’t even the expensive vet bills. It’s the fact that one day, you will have to say goodbye. Your pet is going to get old (if you’re lucky). And eventually, their body will no longer be able to house their beautiful soul. We never get
Whether it’s buying flowers for yourself, looking at flowers, picking, giving, or receiving flowers, there is just something about flowers that always brings me so much joy. Which makes me wonder… why? Why are we, as human beings, so drawn to flowers? What is the psychology of flowers? For me, there is no doubt that flowers have a profoundly positive effect on my mood. And I was wondering if there is
Self-Esteem vs. confidence: they may seem like synonyms, right? And in some ways, they are similar concepts. However, if you tend to put yourself down a lot, or feel like a complete failure when you make a mistake, focusing on cultivating self-esteem may be more effective if you want to make lasting, positive changes to how you view yourself. And look, we all have insecurities. We all have things about
FOMO (AKA the Fear Of Missing Out) is the anxiety of the modern age. It can cause you to feel left out, or burnt out. It can make you lose sleep, feel depressed, and experience conflict in your relationships. If FOMO is an ever-present feeling in your life, you might want to stop worrying so much about your actual plans, and instead, address some of the underlying symptoms – what
If you’re feeling lost, one of the best ways to get your life back into alignment with who you are is by taking time to connect with yourself. Because self-connection is at the root of real self-care. And when you are able to connect with yourself authentically, you are able to get in touch with a deeper part of you that knows what you need to create a life of
If taking care of your mental health in the new year is something you want to start focusing on more seriously, putting a Mental Health New Year’s resolution in place is one of the most positive ways you can ring in the new year. Because New Year’s resolutions aren’t about the resolutions themselves – they’re about having hope. They’re about inspiration, and creating the life you envision for yourself. And
As I patiently wait for the release of Midnights, I thought that it would be fun to pour over Taylor Swift’s entire discography and choose what I believe are her top 10 songs for healing. We all know that Taylor Swift has the uncanny ability to make us feel SEEN. So depending on what you’re going through, any song she has written has potential to heal. But it wasn’t until
If you live in NYC, learning to relax isn’t just a nice skill to have. It is a necessity if you want to survive in this city, and actually enjoy your time here. And don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love living in NYC. But as magical as it can feel living here, it can also be equally as stressful. Maybe it’s the concrete, maybe it’s the crowds – maybe
Are you feeling overwhelmed and depressed? If so, you’re probably very eager to move through this dark period and get back to your normal self. And I’m here to help you do that. But first, I want to remind you of a saying that has become very cliche, but is also very true. And I want you to try to really feel these words as you read them: “it’s okay
If journaling is something you’ve been intrigued by, but just haven’t been able to bring yourself to do it, you’ve found yourself in the right place. Because this article right here, is the ultimate guide to get you to start journaling by getting the most out of your journaling with insight-driven prompts. First, I’m going over some myths about journaling that might be getting in your way. I’m also going
If you are looking to start therapy in NYC, one of the biggest hurdles to get over is sorting through the hundreds (if not thousands) of options that exist in Manhattan (not mention Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island). And full disclosure – I know how hard it can be to find a therapist. I tried going to 3 other providers before I found the right fit. Fourth times a charm!
Learning how to be okay with yourself might not seem like a super positive approach to improving your mental health at first glance. But for many of us, there are times when simply being okay with who you are feels much more genuine and achievable than practicing full-blown self-love. Loving yourself mentally is easy on a good day – when you are feeling confident, have a lot to look forward
If you’re ready to start taking care of your mental health, but don’t know how to afford therapy without insurance, I feel you. I’ve been there. But you’re in luck! Because below is a list of creative avenues you can take to get the mental health treatment you’ve been searching for, even without insurance. Starting Therapy Without Health Insurance Yes, therapy can be expensive, but that is because it is
If you find yourself procrastinating because you want everything to be perfect, welcome to the club! As a fellow procrastinating perfectionist, I’m sure you can imagine how long it took me to write and edit this post, let alone sit down to actually type it out! Most likely, if you’ve found yourself here because part of you wants to stop procrastinating and start before everything feels perfect. But the other
If you are constantly worried about the state of our planet and starting to feel pretty hopeless about anything changing, it is likely that you are experiencing eco-anxiety along with a touch of existential dread. Please know, you are not alone in this. I provide a lot of climate change therapy in my practice, for people who are trying to deal with eco-anxiety. In fact, it comes up at some
Have you ever come across a quote that activated hope inside of you and had the power to completely turn your day around? Well today my friends, if you’re in search of that kind of quote, you’re in luck. Because I’ve gathered my top 10 favorite quotes on self-compassion, to help you do just that. What is self-compassion? Dr. Kristin Neff, who is a pioneer researcher in this area of
It can be really hard to watch someone else’s dreams come true, when you feel like you’ve been waiting forever for your turn. If you’re feeling left behind while all of your friends are off getting married, having kids or being promoted, it is likely that on one hand, you’re happy for your friends! But on the other, you feel sorry for yourself. And look, I get it. When you
If you’re someone who enjoys reading, but just can’t get yourself to read these days, this post is going to help you fall in love with reading again. And also gain the many mental health benefits of reading. I too, have always loved reading books. But there is no doubt that within the past few years, my ability to focus when reading has dramatically declined. And I really started to miss
When Taylor Swift released the highly anticipated 10-minute version of All Too Well, I woke up and immediately played it twice in bed and twice while making coffee, before realizing “Wow. I just spent almost 45 minutes listening to the same song over and and over again.” There is just something about this song. The nostalgia… THE LYRICISM! Taylor Swift is truly able to strike a chord (no pun intended?) with
Is it just me, or is Never Have I Ever one of the most relatable, therapeutic, and unexpectedly profound sitcoms you’ve ever seen? I really wish shows like this were on TV when I was a teen. Even now, as a 30-something-year-old, it’s still managing to nourish that inner-adolescent that still exists inside of me. If you’ve seen it, you know. If you haven’t, I highly recommend you watch it!
Do you dread weekends where you don’t have every moment filled with some kind of plan or event? Or feel stressed and lonely if someone cancels on you? If so, there is one mind shift you need to enjoy being alone. I remember being fresh out of college, and absolutely hating the idea of being alone on a Friday night. Especially when it seemed like everyone had plans and were
You’ve probably heard about the benefits of practicing mindfulness. It can help reduce anxiety, increase self-awareness, encourage kindness, and even improve tolerance around physical pain. And luckily, mindfulness can be practiced in any moment, even for just 1 minute at a time. It’s like a more practical, accessible kind of meditation. Mindfulness is simply a heightened state of awareness or consciousness. There are both formal and informal ways to do
One of the most common themes that comes up with my clients in our therapy sessions is how to stop worrying about what others think, and focus on yourself instead. Oftentimes, it’s not such an obvious problem. It can look like “But I don’t want to disappoint my parents.” Or “They’re judging me, I know it.” Or, “What if I do this thing, and then they’re mad at me?” I
We are coming up on a year of social isolation. The general assumption is that as more of us get vaccinated, life will become one big celebration. Everyone will be partying and happy and all will be swell again! For some of us, that may be the case, and if so, hooray! However, I’m dedicating this post to those of who are feeling anxious about things getting back to “normal.”
It is a rainy day in Brooklyn. I am sitting at my kitchen table, drinking an iced coffee, listening to Taylor Swift’s brand new album, Folklore, on repeat. It was unexpectedly released last night, and I have now found myself, unexpectedly, overwhelmed by emotions. Taylor Swift has obviously become an incredible force in our culture. But I don’t think it’s because she creates catchy tunes. I believe it’s because she
Have you ever sat down to work on a project, or start a new hobby, and suddenly hours have passed and you have no idea where the time went? That, my friend, means you found your flow! What Are The Characteristics Of Flow? Flow is a state of being, where you are completely engaged in an activity for its own sake. Time ceases to exist. The ego falls away. The
For many of us, being happy is the goal, right? But what does “being happy?” really mean? And is it realistic to think that you can “be happy” all the time? The answer is… unlikely. Humans just aren’t made that way. However, what you can do almost all the time, is create little moments of joy. Creating Moments Of Joy I originally wrote this post during the 4th week of
If you’re feeling stuck or lost, it is likely that you are having some confusion about who you are and what you truly want out of life. I’ve definitely been there. For me, the most challenging periods I’ve experienced were when my life felt out of alignment with who I am at my core. When I was in jobs that weren’t a good fit, in relationships with people that didn’t
There are endless reasons as to why you might hate the holidays. It can be the most wonderful, yet the most stressful, time of the year! Holiday stress can feel very overwhelming at times, because it doesn’t just occur on the actual day – there are months of anticipation leading up. Maybe you are stuck being around relatives who have very different beliefs than you do, and having conversations with
Most people believe that therapy is reserved only for individuals who are experiencing extreme dysfunction. But what about those people who are able to function “normally,” but still have that feeling that something is not quite right? Below is a list of signs that you may benefit from talking to a professional, AKA a therapist. You have trouble sleeping at night due to racing thoughts. Let me set the stage:
Cat Lover, Real Person, and LGBTQIA+ Friendly Psychotherapist in NYC.
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