Blog for Better Living

Self-Soothe Using Your 5 Senses

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | March 15, 2024

Have you ever felt SO mad, sad, or frustrated that you don’t know what to do with yourself? In these moments, what tools and coping skills do you have to manage your emotions effectively? Do you use alcohol or other substances to calm or numb yourself? Do you lash out at loved ones or pick […]

How to Cope with Gender Disappointment

By: Niyatee Sukumaran, Ph.D. | November 10, 2023

If you are an expectant parent, you’ve undoubtedly been asked: “Do you want a boy or a girl?” All expectant parents have their own ideas and expectations about the biological sex of their future child and create fantasies around what an ideal family looks like. The anticipation of a child’s gender can lead to a […]

How to Cope When People Lack Empathy

By: Demet Çek, Ph.D. | July 7, 2023

Last year I embarked on a journey that required hard work, involved risk, and did not have great odds for a positive outcome. I was going to have an empowering experience bringing my second baby into the world. I believed that if I succeeded, the outcome would be life changing. To prepare for success, I […]

Mental Health Awareness Month

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | May 12, 2023

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! This month provides an opportunity to discuss the importance of mental health, break the stigma surrounding mental health concerns and to encourage anyone who struggles to seek help. The topic of mental health and mental health treatment is now part of the mainstream conversation, which is not surprising, since […]

Why are holidays so hard? A Guide for Coping

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | November 25, 2022

If the holidays don’t feel like the often quoted ‘most wonderful time of the year,’ you aren’t alone in that feeling. At an early age, we learn that the holidays are times for festivity, a time for the entire family to come together in perfect joy. Social media shows idyllic images of beautiful families together, […]

Family, Grief, Holidays, Stress, Trauma

Navigating Infertility

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | August 26, 2022

What to Say to a Loved One Struggling and How to Cope Yourself Driving to work recently, I was surprised to hear an advertisement on the radio for an In vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinic. This made me reflect on how much more normative the topic of fertility or infertility has become. Given the increased […]

Learning to be Happy Again After a Loss

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | August 12, 2022

Coping with the loss of someone you love is one of life’s biggest challenges. In fact, few things compare to the devastation and pain that follow the death of a loved one. Life doesn’t feel the same anymore. You feel empty, crushed, and lonely. You may doubt your ability to survive, let alone be happy, […]

Depression, Grief, Relationships

How Can I Tell if My Therapy is Working?

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | September 10, 2021

When I meet with clients for the first time, I ask whether they have had therapy before. If they answer ‘yes,’ I ask what was helpful or not helpful in that experience. I often hear people say they felt like they just vented to their therapist and didn’t get anywhere during their sessions. Surprisingly, many […]

Traumatic Grief in the COVID-19 Era

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | May 28, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has already altered the way we live, work, learn, and relate to each other. The many types of losses we’ve experienced during this time include financial insecurity, relocation, separation from family and friends, racial trauma, and losses of intangibles such as a sense of normalcy. The virus has also dramatically changed a […]

Grief, Trauma