Intrusive Thoughts: Why Your Mind Says Things You'd Never Do
Think of your mind as a brainstorming machine. It throws out ideas constantly, including terrible ones. Most of the time, a strange thought shows up, you think "Well, that was weird," and it floats away.
Some habits that look like OCD are ordinary. As the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) puts it, "Not all rituals or habits are compulsions. Everyone double-checks things sometimes."
The difference isn't whether you have the thought. It's what happens next.
Winter Blues or Seasonal Depression? How to Tell the Difference
Shorter days, heavier mood? How to tell ordinary winter blues from seasonal affective disorder, and what helps when the dark settles in.
Why Does Anxiety Get Worse at Night?
If nighttime anxiety has become your normal, it's usually a sign that your mind and body have been in survival mode for a while. You might also notice daytime worry you can't turn off, tension headaches, stomach trouble, or a sense that rest is impossible to find. When that's the pattern, tips can take the edge off, but lasting change usually comes from understanding what's driving the alarm.
Being Lonely (together) Part 6 entering the arena as a normie
Part 6: The series closes with what it takes to step into ordinary life and real relationships as a “normie.”
Being Lonely (together) Part 5 The Expulsive Power of Shame and Disgust
Part 5: Shame and disgust drive us away from other people and from parts of ourselves. Part 5 looks at what that costs us.
Being Lonely (together) Part 4 Purity Psychologies: When our desire for Safety Becomes Toxic
Part 4: When our wish to feel safe becomes a demand for purity, it can turn toxic and push people away.
Being Lonely (together) Part 3 Slavery to Death: The Root of Neurotic Anxiety
Part 3 traces neurotic anxiety back to its root, the fear of death, and how that fear keeps us from real connection.
Being Lonely (together) Part 2 : The Self, Scarcity and the Fear of Being Ordinary.
How the need to feel special, and the fear of being ordinary, can leave us lonely even when we’re surrounded by people.
Being Lonely (together) Part 1: why is it uncomfortable?
Why does being alone with ourselves feel so uncomfortable? Part 1 of a series on loneliness looks at where that discomfort comes from.
The Ritual of Method
The Ritual of Method: If the model isn’t what heals, why does method still matter? A look at the role of structure and ritual in therapy.
In the bustling marketplace of mental health, patients are often sold on the precision of the scalpel: the cognitive reframing of CBT, the eye movements of EMDR, or the archetypal excavations of Jungian analysis. We are conditioned to believe that the "technology" of the treatment is the primary driver of the cure. Yet, we have known for some time that the model or theoretical framework is not the most effective predictor of a patient's improvement.
The Sugar Pill of the Soul
The Sugar Pill of the Soul: What hope and expectation, the “placebo” side of therapy, tell us about why therapy helps.
In the bustling marketplace of mental health, patients are often sold on the precision of the scalpel: the cognitive reframing of CBT, the eye movements of EMDR, or the archetypal excavations of Jungian analysis. We are conditioned to believe that the "technology" of the treatment is the primary driver of the cure. Yet, we have known for some time that the model or theoretical framework is not the most effective predictor of a patient's improvement.
The Alchemy of Alliance
The Alchemy of Alliance: Why the relationship between you and your therapist matters more than the technique, and what makes that bond work.
In the bustling marketplace of mental health, patients are often sold on the precision of the scalpel: the cognitive reframing of CBT, the eye movements of EMDR, or the archetypal excavations of Jungian analysis. We are conditioned to believe that the "technology" of the treatment is the primary driver of the cure. Yet, we have known for some time that the model or theoretical framework is not the most effective predictor of a patient's improvement.
The Unsung Hero: It’s Not Us, It’s You
The Unsung Hero: Research suggests the client, more than the therapist’s method, drives whether therapy works. Here’s what that means for you.
In the bustling marketplace of mental health, patients are often sold on the precision of the scalpel: the cognitive reframing of CBT, the eye movements of EMDR, or the archetypal excavations of Jungian analysis. We are conditioned to believe that the "technology" of the treatment is the primary driver of the cure. Yet, we have known for some time that the model or theoretical framework is not the most effective predictor of a patient's improvement.
The Invisible Architecture of Cure
In the bustling marketplace of mental health, patients are often sold on the precision of the scalpel: the cognitive reframing of CBT, the eye movements of EMDR, or the archetypal excavations of Jungian analysis. We are conditioned to believe that the "technology" of the treatment is the primary driver of the cure. Yet, we have known for some time that the model or theoretical framework is not the most effective predictor of a patient's improvement.
Basics of Therapy: What kind of therapy is the best fit for me?
A Quick Field Guide to Therapeutic Framework’s
and how to find the right type of therapy.
Basics of Therapy: How Long Should Therapy Last
Key Takeaways
Short-Term Efficacy: Shorter-term therapies are effective for immediate, specific issues and are generally more cost-effective.
Long-Term Depth: Longer-term therapies provide deeper emotional work and sustained benefits, especially for complex psychological issues.
Basics of Therapy: How often do I need to go to therapy?
How often should I go to therapy? Weekly unless…
Trauma Treatment: Current Trauma Classification in Clinical Settings
Classification: How clinicians classify trauma today, and why the diagnosis shapes treatment.
Treating Trauma: The Body and Brain's Response, From Adverse Experiences To Traumatic Event
Body and Brain: What wounds one person doesn’t wound everyone. Yet genuine trauma has consistent, observable effects on the brain and on behavior. (This is the current shared excerpt, cleaned up.)
Treating Trauma: History, Development & current debate on the definition of trauma
History & definition: How the definition of “trauma” has changed over time, and why clinicians still debate it.
on one hand what wounds someone doesn’t wound everybody. And yet when there is genuine traumatic wound there are consistent effects on the brain and certain behaviors in particular observable ways