HOUSTON THERAPY

Are you opposed to engaging in conflict in your interpersonal relationships? Do you buy into the narrative that “healthy relationships”...

In the context of borderline personality disorder, it may shed light on how the traumatized brain plays a role in the behavior of people with BPD. BPD carries much stigma and people with BPD are often viewed negatively, by both mental health professionals and people who are not in the mental health field.

What is Attachment Theory? Psychologists John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth’s research helped us to understand what we now call attachment styles, which is the way we engage in relationships. There are three major kinds that the most study has been done on; anxious, secure and avoidant. Anxious attachment people crave intimacy over everything. They’re more likely to perceive possible negative connotations from their partners and seek closeness in order to feel more secure. If the

One way of thinking about men and how we experience our feelings and emotion

One of the most frequent DBT skills I find myself teaching in individual therapy is DEAR MAN. This skill comes from the Interpersonal Effectiveness module of DBT, which focuses on how to build and improve relationships. There are 4 different skills within Interpersonal Effectiveness, and DEAR MAN is only one of them (although the most popular and well-known)! DEAR MAN focuses on objective effectiveness, which means how to ask for something that you want or need from another i

Connection with others is more important than you might think. Meaningful connections with others lowers anxiety and depression, raises self-esteem, improves immune function and helps with emotional regulation. The human brain is hard wired to seek connection because evolutionarily people needed to band together to survive. So what is connection? Connection is a feeling of belonging and closeness that allows us to feel seen, heard and understood by another person. This f

You’ve probably already heard the suggestion of keeping a gratitude journal to improve your mental health. Science backs the idea- we are ha

“It can’t all be sorrow, can it? I’ve always been alone, so I don’t feel the lack. It’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve never experienced loss because I’ve never had a loved one to lose. But what is grief, if not love persevering?”- “Previously On.” WandaVision, created by Jac Schaeffer, season 1, episode 8, Marvel Studios, 2021. I’ve always loved this quote and this probably won’t be the only time I use it in a blog post, especially since I write a lot about grief counseling. Thi

“To live a full and connected life in the face of difficulty and even tragedy requires the capacity to feel and make use of our emotional experience.” - Diana Fosha Feelings play a central part in the healing journey. However, I find many puzzled faces sitting across from me when I inquire about my patients’ emotional experiences. In many ways, our society has conditioned us to value our cognitive, rational minds and devalue our emotional minds. Many people feel a sense of p

We generally understand what is healthy for the body, mind and emotions, but sexuality is a category of its own when it comes to self-care. We have received mixed messages from society and family about what we are allowed to feel within ourselves and with others. As we separate from the norms we accepted as a child, we discover a whole new world of unique, empowered sexuality. Sexual self-care is the journey we take to unveil and embody our fullest sexual potential. The word

Being aware of the benefits and potential costs of being a creative is essential to enjoying good mental health.

This article is the first in a series aimed to promote understanding of helpful and unhelpful ways to manage emotions, with the overarching

In my view, most people’s simple desire is the authentic expression of their experience.