Blog for Better Living

What Are Men’s Issues?

By: Demet Çek, Ph.D. | March 13, 2020

We all heard the myths about men: Men don’t need to talk about their emotions. Men showing their feelings is a sign of weakness. Men, as a group, hold power and privilege. Men also experience psychological and public health issues at disproportionately higher rates than women. They are 2.5 times more likely than women to […]

LGBTQ+ Folk, Substance Use, and Self Esteem

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | January 17, 2020

The holidays have come and gone having brought socializing and cheer in the form of anything from eggnog to champagne to cannabis to harder substances too. While the general population might increase alcohol and substance use as a means to celebrate the season, research shows that the LGBTQ+ community increases use of such substances not […]

How I Practice What I Preach: A Therapist’s Journey

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | October 11, 2019

A common misconception is that professional Psychologists “have it all figured out.” As a professional Psychologist, I can say as our little known secret is that we don’t have it all figured out. At least, not always. I may have the training and education, but I am also human. I learned partly from my professional […]

Better Living Through Chemistry?

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | September 27, 2019

Exploring the Role of Medication for Mental Health Disorders The slogan, “Better Living Through Chemistry” was originally coined by DuPont, an American chemical company, in the 1930s. The slogan is also the title of a 2014 movie featuring Jane Fonda and Ray Liotta! For our purposes, the expression brings attention to the important role that […]

What Color Do You Feel Like Today?

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | September 19, 2019

Our English language often uses the psychology of color to depict emotions. We “see red” when we are angry. We “feel blue” when we are feeling down. Yellow is often associated with happiness (think smiley face!), and we are “green with envy” when we feel jealous of someone. These associations are so embedded in our […]

Anxiety, Depression

What is Integrated Therapy and How Might It Benefit You?

By: Other | September 6, 2019

Written by Kimberly Nenemay, Psy.D. An undeniable connection exists between the mind and body. That connection constituted an important lesson I came to understand from my work as a licensed psychologist for nearly 15 years. On my own reckoning with this concept, I quickly learned that I cannot do my best work as a psychologist […]

Together, We are Stronger: Remembering the Stonewall Riots

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | August 23, 2019

This year, the LGBTQ+ community celebrated the golden 50th anniversary of the riots that marked the start of the modern LGBTQ+ movement. The riots occurred in the early hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York City. Three women of color, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and Stormé […]

Therapy Changes Welcomes Dr. Kamaljit “Sonya” Virdi

By: Kamaljit "Sonya" Virdi, Ph.D. | July 12, 2019

I am so excited to join Therapy Changes and to have the opportunity to work with the clients we serve. I love being a psychologist, helping others, and feel so privileged to journey with clients as they navigate the most difficult chapters in their lives. As a South Asian American woman, I grew up in […]

Music for Mental Health

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | July 5, 2019

Music is an integral part of our culture, history, and daily lives. It provides the backdrop to our favorite movies, our significant life events, and our most vivid memories. Hearing a song can nostalgically bring you back to the first time you heard it and who you were with. It can also evoke painful emotions […]