Blog for Better Living

Supporting a Friend Through Significant Loss

By: Kamaljit "Sonya" Virdi, Ph.D. | April 9, 2021

The loss of a loved one is the most difficult life experience for many. A significant loss, such as a parent, a child, or partner, can be devastating. Losses that happen abruptly or prematurely can be even more devastating. A person grieving such losses may have difficulty coping with complicated emotions such as anger, sadness, […]

Grief, Relationships

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 […]

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

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 […]

Self-Care for BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color & Tips for Allies

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | June 26, 2020

Co-authored by Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. and Estefani Mejia, B.A. “I don’t know what to say” is a common theme in therapy rooms these days as people grapple with issues of injustice in Black communities. To say these times are difficult is an understatement. When asked what we think about recent events and racial issues, we […]

Allyship

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | June 19, 2020

Our country is in a state of unrest, as protesters take to the streets in support of racial equality. As we watch events unfolding on the news, we feel anxious, stressed, afraid, and for some…determined: determined to make things better for people of color. Many of us, however, are unsure what to do or where […]

Why You Should Get Help Now

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | June 5, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered every aspect of our lives. From access to health care, our work, education, how we socialize, and how we take care of ourselves, we feel that the world has changed. It has, and it changed quickly. We know it’s temporary, but recovery feels like forever. Those experiencing losses by death, […]

And We Danced . . .

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | May 1, 2020

Over the past few months, the COVID-19 virus has had a tremendous impact on the world. I see people overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, and afraid of intimate contact with others outside of their family or housemates. Although COVID-19 presents as a novel experience for many, gay men like me see it with a lot familiarity. We’ve […]

Anxiety, Grief, Stress, Therapy