Living with Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is one of the most misunderstood (and most stigmatized) mental health conditions. It’s often reduced to stereotypes: “dramatic,” “manipulative,” “too much.” But those labels miss the truth. At its core, BPD is about intense emotional sensitivity, deep pain, and a nervous system that struggles to regulate overwhelming internal experiences. And perhaps most importantly: BPD is treatable. People with BPD can, and do, go into remission. I completed postdoctoral training in Dialectical [read more]
Emotions 101
Why We Even Have Emotions Most people come into therapy wanting fewer emotions.Or at least quieter ones. But in DBT, emotions are not the problem.They are doing a job. Emotions evolved to help us survive, connect, and make decisions quickly. When we understand their function, they start to feel a lot less chaotic...and a lot more predictable! What Emotions Actually Do DBT breaks this down in a way I love because it is simple and [read more]
Traumatic Invalidation, Part II
Why It Hurts So Much and How to Start Healing When It Keeps Happening If you read my original post on traumatic invalidation, you’re probably already familiar with how deeply painful it can feel when your emotional experience is dismissed, especially during or after trauma. Many people told me they felt seen by that language. Others said, “This explains so much about my reactions.” This follow-up is for the next question that often comes up: [read more]
Money and the Holidays
Finding peace (and balance) where money, mental health, and the holidays collide. Why the Holidays Can Feel So Complicated The holidays have a funny way of stirring up joy and anxiety at the same time, especially when money is involved. We’re surrounded by images of perfect gatherings, expensive gifts, and effortless generosity, but behind the scenes, many of us are doing math on our phones, juggling guilt, or quietly panicking about credit card balances. For [read more]
Mother’s Day Grief
For some of us, Mother's Day is not a celebration. It's a tender bruise we carry into brunch invitations and Instagram tributes. It aches in the grocery store card aisle and pulses when we scroll past smiling photos of mothers and daughters who still call each other every Sunday. It's complicated grief. It's guilt and longing and rage and deep, bone-level sadness. I sent my mother a card this year. A generic one. One that [read more]
What Depression Really Feels Like
Depression doesn’t always look how people expect. It’s not just feeling sad. It’s not always crying in bed or dramatic movie scenes. Sometimes it looks like going through the motions with a smile no one questions. Other times, it feels like everything has stopped: your energy, your interest, your hope. What It Feels Like to Be Depressed Depression drains you. It makes everyday tasks feel impossible. Your to-do list becomes overwhelming. Even basic things like [read more]
