“What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across ...

In my last post, I wrote about how the ACT model of therapy creates the conditions for growth and healing. I thought it would be useful to spend my next few blogs writing specifically about each component of the ACT approach in more detail. The 3 main components of ACT ...

This summer Netflix released the show Gypsy, which portrays a caring yet highly unethical therapist. It reminded me of how few honest, informative depictions of therapy there are available to the general public, (I think the best is In Treatment), so I thought it would ...

Many people come to therapy seeking to develop a high self-esteem. Time and time again, I meet with people who, after some form of rejection – a break up, negative feedback at work, someone ghosting on one of several online dating platforms – experience a shift in ...

A driving tenet of a type of therapy that I practice is summarized in one simple quote by the famous greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus. “[People] are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them.” This powerful philosophy is anchored on thefundamental ...

When I was a kid, whenever I wanted to confess to my mother that I had done something wrong or if I wanted to ask for her permission to do something, I would often feel paralyzed. I’d repeatedly rehearse what I wanted to say and I would imagine the words building up ...

Sam is casually grocery shopping after having gone through another stressful week of the New York City grind. As Sam is navigating the fruits and vegetables section, something stops her in her tracks. Around her, nothing has significantly changed from a few moments ago ...

Hey there! In my previous post on depression I wrote that it’s mood and symptoms “stem from your beliefs about yourself, your goals and your appraisal of what a situation ultimately means.” I thought it would be useful to talk a bit more about the theory of emotions ...

“All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.” – Buddha As a therapist, I’m clearly interested in what gives rise to mental health issues ...

The process of finding a therapist can be daunting. Whether you are considering therapy or you are merely curious to learn more about its nature, this post will discuss important factors to consider when searching for a therapist. There are hundreds of therapists out ...

“Due to a signal malfunction, we are experiencing extensive delays in F train service. We apologize for any inconvenience.” Who would have thought that this one announcement would lead to an eruption of several different reactions across the train car? Some people ...

Let’s talk about depression. Did you ever notice how a loss like a divorce can be a catalyst for one person to be devastated, while for another person it can lead to a new, better life? Hell, it can even be both of those things for the same person! What’s up with ...

The other day, I was passing through one of those quaint East Village gardens on a sunny afternoon and paused at a small patch of wildflowers that seemed especially happy about the warm weather. These flowers were about 10 inches tall, bright yellow, and literally quivering ...

As a therapist, I get asked a lot about angst and anxiety; what it is, how to avoid it, how to stop being anxious. We therapists do tend to study anxiety quite a bit, but I’m actually motivated to write to you about anxiety for an additional reason. Can I share a secret ...

I’m in love with my smart phone. There; I said it. “Love?” You might ask. “Really?” Really. The other night, I couldn’t find my phone. It was time for bed, and my phone was nowhere to be found. I tried calling it from my ostensibly obsolete landline, but since ...