Blog for Better Living

The Power of Validation

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | August 9, 2024

We all want to feel heard, accepted, valued, and even loved. When we validate someone, we are essentially giving them this experience. Life can be confusing and difficult for all of us, but when we are genuinely validated, we feel acknowledged and reassured that we are not alone. Life seems more manageable, and we become […]

Balance Parenting Responsibilities: Increase Equity and Decrease Resentment

By: Kristen Lipari, Ph.D. | April 12, 2024

Many women in their 30’s grew up observing traditional gender roles, when women primarily managed child-rearing responsibilities and “kept the home,” while men worked outside the home to provide financial stability. Over the years gender roles have changed and women have more opportunities to advance their careers. Despite this significant evolution, women with careers who […]

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 […]

Nurturing YOU: Overcoming Burnout as a Working Mom

By: Kristen Lipari, Ph.D. | June 16, 2023

Balancing motherhood and working outside the home is a balancing act that can leave you feeling stretched thin. You may find yourself wrestling with guilt when you don’t meet the high expectations you set for yourself. As a psychologist who specializes in perinatal mental health, I not only work with moms with young children, I […]

A Mom’s Perspective: The Sneaky Month of May

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | June 9, 2023

It was midnight on a dark and almost stormy night. I was sitting on the living room floor when the lights went out. I heard ominous creaking somewhere in the house. My eyes fell on the many pairs of sinister-looking scissors surrounding me, glistening in the moonlight. “How did I get here?” I wondered to […]

Therapy Changes Welcomes Dr. Melissa Bernstein

By: Other | December 2, 2022

Written by Melissa Bernstein, Ph.D. I’m so excited to be welcomed into the Therapy Changes family. The journey to become a child psychologist has been a true privilege for me. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to support kids and families in different professional capacities as a therapist, professor, and researcher for over a decade. I find […]

Compassionate Self-Talk for the Stressed-Out Parent

By: Kristen Lipari, Ph.D. | November 18, 2022

The tasks of parenthood can feel overwhelming. Whether you are a stay-at-home parent or balancing a job with parenthood, these years are trying. You’re managing your own mental and physical well-being as well as that of tiny humans. There are dozens of seemingly invisible tasks that add up and it feels like there’s never enough […]

Children, Family, Parenting, Stress

Indian Parenting: The Cost of Keeping Up Appearances

By: Kamaljit "Sonya" Virdi, Ph.D. | November 11, 2022

What happens when the approval of others comes at the cost of your child’s well-being and mental health? And would you recognize that it was happening? If you are an adult child of Indian origin, your parents likely encouraged you to become a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. You may have pursued a career in one […]

Anxiety, Family, Parenting

When It’s More Than the “Baby Blues”

By: Kristen Lipari, Ph.D. | July 22, 2022

Depression and Anxiety During and After Pregnancy Bringing a child into the world can be one of the biggest and happiest events in your life, but it can also be extremely stressful. Many physical and emotional changes happen during, and after pregnancy, bringing on unique mental health challenges. It is very common for pregnant […]