Blog for Better Living

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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 […]

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Anxiety, Personal Improvement, Relationships

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 […]

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Anxiety, Depression, Mindfulness, Personal Improvement, Relationships

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 […]

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Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Personal Improvement, Racial Justice, Stress

Navigating Infertility

By: Jen McWaters, Psy.D. | August 26, 2022

What to Say to a Loved One Struggling and How to Cope Yourself   Driving to work recently, I was surprised to hear an advertisement on the radio for an In vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinic. This made me reflect on how much more normative the topic of fertility or infertility has become. Given the increased […]

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Anxiety, Depression, Family, Grief, Relationships, Stress, Therapy

Learning to be Happy Again After a Loss

By: Rochelle Perper, Ph.D. | August 12, 2022

Coping with the loss of someone you love is one of life’s biggest challenges. In fact, few things compare to the devastation and pain that follow the death of a loved one. Life doesn’t feel the same anymore. You feel empty, crushed, and lonely. You may doubt your ability to survive, let alone be happy, […]

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Depression, Grief, Relationships

Why You Should Embrace Your Anger

By: Demet Çek, Ph.D. | August 5, 2022

Anger is a fascinating emotion because it can be good for our mental health, but it can also cause problems in our relationships. Anger provides us with energy, passion, and vitality required to fight for the causes we believe in and stand up for ourselves. We all experience anger and anger does not go away […]

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Anger, Personal Improvement, Relationships, Therapy

When It’s More Than the “Baby Blues”

By: Kristen Lipari, Ph.D. | July 22, 2022

Depression and Anxiety During and After Pregnancy   Bringing a child into the world can be one of the biggest and happiest events in your life, but it can also be extremely stressful. Many physical and emotional changes happen during, and after pregnancy, bringing on unique mental health challenges. It is very common for pregnant […]

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Anxiety, Children, Depression, Parenting, Sleep/Relaxation

A Mom’s Perspective on Summer Vacation: Dream vs. Reality

By: Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. | July 15, 2022

Every year as summer approaches, I count down the days until school ends, awaiting the time when I have less on my plate. Exhausted from trying to balance my kids’ school demands, keeping the household functional, and keeping up with my own job, I look forward to not tracking almost daily COVID at-home tests, packing […]

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Children, Family, Parenting, Stress

Finding Hope

By: Michael Toohey, Psy.D. | July 8, 2022

How do we find hope when everything around us feels overwhelming and impossible? How do we get through the day when there has been so much loss for so many? How do we find the strength to raise our heads when we feel beaten down? I’ve often thought of hope as having a future orientation: […]

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Anxiety, Depression, Personal Improvement, Racial Justice, Stress, Trauma

Relationship Tips for Gay Men

By: Gregory E. Koch, Psy.D. | July 1, 2022

…and anyone smart enough to read this article   In 2014, I attempted my first 5-day backpacking trip. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first mountaineer to summit Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen, once said, “It is not the mountains we conquer but ourselves.” I remember feeling […]

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LGBTQ+, Relationships