Blog for Better Living

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The Fawn Response

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | December 9, 2022

Fight, Flight, Freeze……Fawn? Most people are familiar with the stress responses known as fight, flight, and freeze. These are natural responses to real, or perceived physical or emotional threats. These responses help us evade and manage threats and dangers we encounter to keep us safe. Have you heard of the fawn response? It’s less well […]

Bullying, Stress, Trauma

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 […]

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

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

Mindfulness for Holiday Stress

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | October 21, 2022

It’s almost holiday season! This statement might elicit excitement, joy, as well as other emotions such as dread, stress, or a combination of these, and other feelings. The holidays raise mixed emotions, and for many of us, stress is an expected component of this time of year. Between holiday travel, possible inclement weather, gift buying, […]

Anxiety, Family, Holidays, Mindfulness

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria: What You Need to Know

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | September 30, 2022

Most people are concerned with being liked and fear rejection by others, but those with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) are hypersensitive to this possibility and the repercussions are profound. A desire to be liked and accepted by others is a deeply embedded survival instinct and feeling rejected is a fundamentally distressing, and at times, quite […]

Unplugging the Social Anxiety Spotlight

By: Other | September 23, 2022

Written by Stephanie Salo, Psy.D. If you dread social situations because you worry about being perceived as “weird,” or if you feel awkward around new people or in groups, you are likely experiencing the immobilizing effect of social anxiety. Although it is common to feel some nervousness in social settings (especially during re-entry in the […]

How to Cultivate Self-Compassion

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | September 16, 2022

Experiences such as loss, pain, and disappointment are unavoidable parts of being human. If we want to feel the good stuff in life such as love, connection, and proud moments, then we must also accept the risk of the flip side of these experiences. For example, if you love someone, you are vulnerable to feeling […]

How to Positively Respond to Change

By: Lisa Card Strong, Ph.D. | September 2, 2022

Our society is changing in cavernous ways. I never expected a pandemic combined with such significant political and social unrest. I am shocked and profoundly saddened by the horrible rebounds and backward motion for women’s rights and LBGTQ+, Black, and minority communities. I am shaking in my boots from it all. Okay, I’m not wearing […]