Blog for Better Living

Embracing Fear and Vulnerability as Opportunities of a Lifetime

By: Lisa Card Strong, Ph.D. | February 12, 2021

We live in extraordinarily strange times. Thriving does not come to mind by merely surviving. Restructuring does that better. I’ve noticed increased stress levels and more strain on most of us as the pandemic wears on nearly a year now. Boredom exists, although I detect fear more frequently. Fear can grip the important questions of […]

Grief, Personal Improvement, Stress

It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | January 29, 2021

More than ten months have passed since the first stay-at-home orders in March 2020. I still have days when my anxiety feels overwhelming, when fear makes me irritable and easily upset, when fatigue overcomes me, and when I struggle to find beauty in the world. I sometimes wonder “What’s wrong with me that I can’t […]

A Better Approach to This Year’s Resolutions

By: Other | January 15, 2021

Written by guest author Caroline Huarte, Ph.D., BCBA, FNTP Let’s make this year different than any before! I’m suggesting we skip the lofty New Year’s resolution that often leaves us deprived and unhappy and trade it in for living an intentional and mindful year that prioritizes self-care. While self-care has become quite the trendy term, […]

Grieving the Loss of the Holidays: Managing Expectations During COVID-19

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | December 18, 2020

As COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the country, for most of us the holiday season will look different this year. The safest way to celebrate is at home with the people you live with. This means foregoing the parties, visits with family and friends, and participating in community activities and celebrations. We face the […]

Grief, Holidays, Stress

The Impossible Dream: I Just Want to Make Everyone Happy!

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | November 20, 2020

It’s that time of year again wherein we finish off Halloween candy, we take out our sweaters, and we face the inevitable questions about where to celebrate Thanksgiving and the Holidays. These questions challenge us under normal circumstances, but during a pandemic they rise to a whole new level of nerve-wracking. If you find yourself […]

Surviving the 2020 Presidential Election

By: Kamaljit "Sonya" Virdi, Ph.D. | October 30, 2020

The year 2020 marks one of the most challenging years in our recent history. Our country remains in a state of political unrest. Racial tensions remain high while Black, Indigenous, People of Color, (BIPOC) and White allies advocate for more equitable systems. COVID-19 continues to endanger the health and safety of many while ongoing unemployment […]

Therapy Changes Welcomes Dr. Kristen Lipari

By: Kristen Lipari, Ph.D. | September 18, 2020

I am thrilled to join the Therapy Changes family and look forward to serving our diverse and resilient clients. I understand that in your own family you might have received the message that therapy signals weakness, especially for those who really struggle. I received similar messages growing up as an Armenian American ethnic minority. However, […]

Letting Go of F.E.A.R.

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | July 31, 2020

Let’s be real: Right now most of us endure some level of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty in this ever-changing pandemic reality. Now more than ever must we find ways to manage our stress and worry as we continue living our lives in these uncertain times. Coping can take extra creativity, given the limited or non-existent […]

Anxiety, Mindfulness, Stress, Therapy

How to be Patient with Yourself and Others in a Changing World

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | July 10, 2020

We live in a time where everything can change at an accelerated pace. No protocol exists for a time like this, no wisdom upon which to rely or set a course to follow. If ever there was a time when we should show patience, it would be now, right? After all, we’ve never done this […]