Blog for Better Living

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 […]

The 10 Myths of Sleep

By: Other | May 3, 2019

Written by Haim Shemer, Psy.D. Are you sleepless in San Diego? Does the mystery of falling fast to sleep keep you up at night? That sleep plays a critical role in our daily functioning is an undisputed fact. Giving sleep the attention it deserves constitutes a major contribution to overall mental and physical health. Many […]

The Psychological Benefits of Tidying Up

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | April 12, 2019

Is joy lurking in your closet? Is satisfaction hiding under your stuff? While browsing Netflix I found a new show entitled “Tidying up with Marie Kondo.” Intrigued, I watched an episode of Marie Kondo’s world of tidying and organizing. Known as her KonMari Method, it includes, for example, new ways to fold clothes efficiently and […]

Anxiety, Personal Improvement, Therapy

Dr. Demet Çek Joins Therapy Changes

By: Demet Çek, Ph.D. | March 15, 2019

What fascinates me is the powerful role that emotions play in directing human behavior. Emotions are central to our experience, whether they are expressed through the beats of a song that make masses dance together or through psychological symptoms that cause social isolation. My interest in emotions led me to study psychology at Koç University, […]

Anxiety, Introduction, Therapy

Therapy Changes Welcomes Dr. Michael Toohey

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | March 8, 2019

Joining Therapy Changes feels like the culmination of a lifetime of service dedicated to helping others. I started helping others in the 8th grade as a volunteer when my junior high school opened a facility for severely developmentally delayed youth. In high school, early 1980s, I helped lower classmen affirm their own sexuality while I […]

RAIN for Mindful Well-Being

By: Other | March 1, 2019

Written by Haim Shemer, Psy.D. I had the fortune to partake of a Relational Mindfulness class in which our teacher introduced an acronym called “RAIN.” RAIN is a mindful technique used to manage challenging feelings. Taken from the teachings of psychologist, author, and meditation teacher, Dr. Tara Brach, RAIN stands for: R – Recognize what […]

Mindfulness, Therapy

The Importance of Self-Care in a Go-Go-Go World

By: Other | February 11, 2019

Written by Kimberly Nenemay, Psy.D. My first experience with the word “self-care” came to me as a graduate student. The term was used to describe a measure for preventing professional burnout. We were being taught, as burgeoning “helpers” to others, that it was important to finds ways to help ourselves. The graduate program that I […]

Avoiding Avoidance to Manage Anxiety

By: Other | December 7, 2018

Written by Haim Shemer, Psy.D. What is anxiety? It’s one of the most distressing emotions that people can experience! If you have ever felt anxious, you may be among the estimated 40 million adults affected by anxiety disorder in the U.S. It is the most common of mental illnesses. People who suffer from anxiety disorders […]

Anxiety, Personal Improvement, Therapy

Are You Coping with SAD?

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | November 9, 2018

I always feel better when I’ve had some time outside in the sun. The sensation of sun on my skin makes me feel more relaxed and rejuvenated. What about you? People by the millions travel every year to sunny beaches for vacations so they can soak up some sunshine. Even in sunny places such as […]