Your Dog Is Not Your Therapist… But They Are Helping

For many people, a dog is more than a pet—they are a steady presence, a source of comfort, and a relationship that supports mental and emotional well‑being. While dogs are not a substitute for therapy or medication, research consistently shows that meaningful relationships with dogs can positively support mental health in ways that are both psychological and physiological.

As a therapist, I often see how the human–dog bond provides grounding, routine, and connection—especially for people navigating anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, burnout, or loneliness.

Below is what the science actually tells us—without romanticizing pet ownership or overselling its benefits.

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face."

— Ben Williams

Dogs and Emotional Regulation

One of the most well‑documented benefits of interacting with dogs is improved emotional regulation. Spending time with a dog—petting, talking, or playing—has been shown to increase oxytocin (a hormone associated with bonding and calm) while decreasing cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone.

These physiological shifts are associated with:

• Reduced anxiety

• Improved mood

• Lower physiological stress responses

Importantly, these benefits don’t require a dog to perform tasks or “fix” anything. The calm often comes simply from safe, non‑judgmental presence.

A Therapy Room Example: How Hattie Brings Her Personality Into Healing

At our practice, we’re lucky to have Hattie—a therapy dog whose presence quietly embodies many of the mental health benefits research describes.

Hattie doesn’t perform tricks or follow a script in session. She brings her personality. And somehow, that’s exactly what people need.

She often enters the therapy room slowly, taking a moment to sniff the air as if she’s checking in with the emotional tone before deciding where to land. Sometimes she settles at a client’s feet with a dramatic sigh that gently invites everyone to exhale. Other times, when the room feels heavy or words are hard to find, she scoots closer and rests her head on a knee—grounding without interruption, offering connection without demand.

Hattie seems to sense when intensity is rising. When clients are anxious or unsure, she’ll stretch out across the floor, roll onto her back, or glance up with an expression that often leads to laughter—an organic break in tension that helps nervous systems reset. She reminds us that regulation doesn’t only happen through insight; it also happens through presence, warmth, and play.

What Hattie does best is stay. She doesn’t rush emotions or try to make them smaller. She offers steady companionship that allows people to soften, which often makes it easier to access vulnerability, self‑compassion, and reflection. In those moments, it becomes clear why research shows that dogs can support emotional regulation, reduce stress responses, and increase feelings of safety and connection.

Hattie doesn’t replace therapy—but she reinforces something essential: healing happens in relationships where we feel safe enough to be fully ourselves. Sometimes that relationship includes a dog who knows exactly when to lean in—and when to simply lie nearby and be still.

Anxiety, Depression, and Stress Buffering

Research during high‑stress periods—such as the COVID‑19 pandemic—found that dog owners reported lower depression scores and greater perceived social support compared to people who wanted dogs but did not yet own one.

Dogs appear to help buffer stress through several mechanisms:

• Providing consistent companionship

• Offering physical touch and grounding

• Interrupting rumination through engagement and routine

That said, large‑scale reviews show that dog ownership does not automatically reduce depression for everyone. Instead, benefits appear strongest when the relationship quality with the dog is high and perceived as supportive rather than burdensome.

Structure, Purpose, and Daily Rhythm

For individuals struggling with depression, ADHD, or burnout, dogs often provide gentle external structure—a reason to wake up, move the body, and engage with the day.

Daily tasks such as feeding, walking, or training a dog can:

• Increase physical activity

• Reinforce daily routines

• Restore a sense of purpose and responsibility

Research links dog ownership with increased movement and improved mood—both of which are protective for mental health.

Loneliness and Social Connection

Dogs can also act as social bridges. Dog owners often experience increased social interaction—whether through walking neighborhoods, visiting parks, or casual conversations with other dog owners.

Studies consistently associate dog companionship with reduced loneliness and improved perceived social support, particularly for individuals who live alone or are socially isolated.

Trauma, Safety, and Attachment

For some individuals—especially those with trauma histories—dogs offer a felt sense of safety that can be difficult to access in human relationships alone.

Research suggests that strong emotional bonds with dogs may correlate with lower anxiety and depression, particularly among individuals with adverse childhood experiences.

However, it’s also important to acknowledge complexity:

• Strong attachment can increase anticipatory grief

• Care demands can increase stress if resources are limited

• Dogs do not replace human relational repair or trauma therapy

Healthy benefit comes from mutual regulation, not emotional over‑reliance.

Emotional Support and Therapy Contexts

Animal‑assisted interventions—including therapy dogs—have demonstrated positive effects on mood, anxiety, and stress reduction in clinical and educational settings.

Emotional support animals (ESAs) are not service animals, but research suggests they can assist with:

• Emotional grounding

• Mood stabilization

• Decreased isolation

When integrated ethically and appropriately, animals can complement—not replace—evidence‑based mental health care.

A Balanced Clinical Perspective

Dogs can be powerful mental health companions—but they are not a universal solution. The benefits depend on:

• Individual capacity and resources

• Temperament and needs of the dog

• Support systems in place

• Relationship quality between human and animal

When the connection is mutual, supported, and sustainable, dogs can offer something deeply therapeutic: consistent presence without expectation—a quiet regulator in an overstimulated world.

References

• American Psychological Association. (2024). Pets can help reduce anxiety. [apa.org]

• Martin, F., et al. (2021). Depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners. PLOS ONE. [journals.plos.org]

• Moshfeghinia, R., et al. (2025). Pet ownership and risk of depression: A meta‑analysis. Annals of General Psychiatry. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Merkouri, A. M., et al. (2022). Dogs and the good life. Frontiers in Psychology. [frontiersin.org]

• Powell, A. (2024). Loving your pup may be a many‑splendored thing. Harvard Gazette. [news.harvard.edu]

• Peel, N., et al. (2023). Impact of therapy dogs on student mood. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• University of Utah Health. (2025). How therapy dogs support mental health. [healthcare.utah.edu]

• PositivePsychology.com. (2024). How emotional support animals promote mental health. [positiveps...hology.com]

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and Toxic Relationships

Why Some People Are More Vulnerable to Being Used—and How Healing Begins

At Summit Family Therapy, many of our clients describe a familiar and painful pattern: “I care deeply, I try so hard, and I still end up feeling small, blamed, or disposable in relationships.”

Often, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is part of that story.

Not because something is wrong with you—but because your nervous system is doing exactly what it learned to do to protect you from loss of connection.

When RSD intersects with unhealthy or toxic relationship dynamics, people may stay far longer than they want to in situations that quietly erode their safety, self‑trust, and sense of worth.

What Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)?

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria refers to an intense emotional and physiological response to perceived or actual rejection, criticism, or disapproval. For many people with ADHD—and some autistic adults as well—this response is rapid, overwhelming, and deeply painful.

RSD is not a formal DSM diagnosis, but it is widely recognized by clinicians as a manifestation of emotional dysregulation associated with ADHD. People who experience RSD often report:

• Sudden waves of shame, panic, or emotional pain

• A strong urge to withdraw, disappear, or “fix” the situation immediately

• Over‑apologizing or people‑pleasing to restore connection

• Rumination that lingers long after the interaction ends

These reactions are neurological, not intentional. The nervous system reacts before the thinking brain has time to slow things down or evaluate context.

Why RSD Can Increase Vulnerability in Relationships

RSD does not cause toxic relationships—but it can make toxic dynamics harder to identify, tolerate safely, or leave.

Disconnection Feels Like Threat

When your nervous system experiences disconnection as danger, even subtle cues—like a delayed response or a change in tone—can activate intense distress. The emotional priority becomes repairing the connection, often before assessing whether the relationship itself is safe or reciprocal.

Self‑Blame Becomes Automatic

Many people with ADHD grew up being corrected, misunderstood, or told they were “too much” or “not enough.” Over time, this can create an internal reflex of “I must be the problem.” In unhealthy relationships, this self‑doubt is easily reinforced.

People‑Pleasing Becomes a Survival Strategy

Appeasing others, minimizing needs, or over‑functioning often develops as a way to stay connected. In toxic dynamics, these strategies can unintentionally teach others that your boundaries are flexible—while theirs are not.

Hot‑Cold Relationship Cycles Are Especially Binding

Toxic relationships often swing between closeness and withdrawal. For someone with RSD, moments of warmth feel regulating and grounding, while withdrawal feels unbearable. This can create trauma‑bonded patterns that make leaving feel emotionally or physically impossible.

How This Shows Up Across Relationship Types

RSD‑related vulnerability does not look the same in every relationship. Its impact often depends on whether the environment supports emotional safety—or quietly undermines it.

Family Relationships

In families, these patterns may include:

• Emotional inconsistency dismissed as “that’s just how we are”

• Chronic criticism masked as concern or helpfulness

• Conditional approval tied to compliance, achievement, or emotional silence

Over time, this can teach someone to suppress their needs in order to maintain belonging.

Friendships

In friendships, RSD often shows up as:

• One‑sided emotional labor

• Chronic boundary violations that go unaddressed

• Fear of naming hurt due to abandonment anxiety or fear of being “too sensitive”

Many people feel deeply connected in these friendships—but chronically unseen.

Romantic Relationships

In romantic relationships, the stakes are even higher. RSD vulnerability can be exploited through:

• Partners using ADHD or sensitivity as leverage during conflict

• Pathologizing normal emotional needs as “overreacting”

• Power imbalances that grow as self‑trust shrinks

When your internal signals are repeatedly questioned or dismissed, it becomes harder to trust yourself—and easier for unhealthy dynamics to take root.

Importantly, not all difficult relationships are toxic, and not all conflict equals abuse. Toxicity is defined by patterns, not isolated moments—especially patterns that consistently undermine safety, agency, and self‑worth.

A Critical Reframe

RSD is not the problem.

The real danger lies in environments where emotional pain is dismissed, self‑doubt is reinforced, and accountability flows in only one direction.

People with RSD often bring extraordinary empathy, loyalty, creativity, and relational attunement into their relationships. In safe relationships, those traits are strengths.
In unsafe relationships, they are exploited.

Healing Starts with Emotional Safety

At Summit Family Therapy, we help clients:

• Differentiate emotional sensitivity from emotional harm

• Rebuild trust in their perceptions and internal signals

• Learn nervous‑system‑informed boundary setting

• Heal long‑standing patterns of self‑abandonment without shame

If this article resonates with you, it may be a sign that your nervous system isn’t asking you to become less sensitive—it’s asking for safer connection.

Ready for Support?

You don’t have to untangle this alone. Working with a therapist who understands ADHD, RSD, and relational trauma can be a powerful step toward healthier, more secure relationships.

References & Further Reading

• Dodson, W. W., et al. (2024). Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria in ADHD: A Case Series. Acta Scientific Neurology.

• Kahn, G. (2026). Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria: The Actual Research. Psychology Today.

• Rowney‑Smith, A., et al. (2026). The lived experience of rejection sensitivity in ADHD. PLOS ONE.

• Guy‑Evans, O. (2025). ADHD and Toxic Relationships. Simply Psychology.

• Sarkis, S. (2025). Why Toxic Relationships Swallow People with ADHD. ADDitude Magazine.

Mother’s Day: Holding the Joy and the Ache

Mother’s Day is often wrapped in images of brunches, flowers, smiling families, and gratitude. For some, this day genuinely feels warm and celebratory. But for many others, Mother’s Day carries a quieter, more complicated emotional reality.

Grief.
Longing.
Ambivalence.
Tenderness.

As a therapist—and as a human—I want to say this clearly:

It makes sense if Mother’s Day brings mixed feelings.

For me, it does.

I lost my mother to an aggressive breast cancer in 2016. She was taken too quickly, and even years later, Mother’s Day can still catch me off guard. I miss her voice. I miss being able to call her. I miss watching her be a grandmother to my children in the way she deserved to be.

And at the same time, I am deeply grateful to be a mother.

Both are true.

That coexistence—gratitude and grief sharing the same space—is something our culture rarely makes room for. We tend to frame Mother’s Day as something you’re either celebrating or surviving, but for many of us, it’s both.

When Mother’s Day Is Complicated

Mother’s Day can be especially difficult if you are:

• Grieving the loss of your mother

• Navigating a painful, distant, or unsafe relationship with your mother

• Longing to be a parent while facing infertility

• Grieving miscarriage, stillbirth, or pregnancy loss

• Living with the unimaginable pain of losing a child

• Parenting while carrying grief, exhaustion, burnout, or ambivalence you don’t feel allowed to name

For many, this grief is invisible. It doesn’t come with recognition or rituals. It exists quietly alongside functioning, caretaking, and managing everyday life. This kind of grief can feel isolating—not because it isn’t real, but because it isn’t always acknowledged.

Honoring What Was, While Living What Is

Over time, I’ve learned that honoring my mother doesn’t mean trying to recreate what was lost—or pretending the loss didn’t happen. Instead, I try to carry the best parts of her forward with my kids.

Her warmth.
Her humor.
Her deep care for people.

In that way, the relationship didn’t end—it changed. Love didn’t disappear. It found a new place to live.

Grief doesn’t mean we stop living. And living fully doesn’t mean we stop grieving.

Grief Is Not a Failure of Gratitude

Feeling grief on Mother’s Day does not mean:

• You are ungrateful

• You don’t love your children

• You loved your mother “too much”

• You’re stuck or doing healing wrong

Grief simply means something mattered deeply.

Love and loss are not opposites. In many ways, grief is love continuing after loss.

Gentle Self‑Care for Mother’s Day

If this day feels heavy, here are a few trauma‑informed ways to care for yourself:

✔ Let mixed emotions exist.
Joy, sadness, gratitude, anger, numbness—they can all coexist. You don’t have to choose one.

✔ Set boundaries without explanation.
You are allowed to opt out of plans, conversations, posts, or traditions that feel harmful.

✔ Redefine the day.
Mother’s Day does not have to look traditional or performative. You get to decide what feels supportive.

✔ Limit social media if needed.
Scrolling can amplify comparison and grief. Protect your nervous system.

✔ Practice self‑compassion.
Talk to yourself the way you would to a dear friend carrying loss.

✔ Stay connected to safe people.
Grief was never meant to be carried alone—even quiet companionship counts.

Preparing for Loss Dates and Traumaversaries

One thing I often remind both my clients—and myself—is that hard dates are easier when we prepare for them.

Loss anniversaries, diagnosis dates, death anniversaries, Mother’s Day, birthdays, and holidays can function as traumaversaries—times when the body and nervous system remember, even if we think we’re “fine.” Sometimes the emotional wave arrives days or weeks before the date itself.

Preparation isn’t about bracing for impact. It’s about meeting yourself with intention instead of surprise.

If you’re approaching a difficult date, consider:

• Naming it ahead of time
  “This is a tender season for me.” Simply acknowledging this can reduce shame and confusion when emotions surface.

• Lowering expectations on purpose
  Energy, productivity, and emotional bandwidth may dip. That’s not failure—it’s grief being honest.

• Planning extra support
  Schedule therapy, ask a trusted person to check in, or choose not to be alone if isolation worsens pain.

• Creating a grounding ritual
  Light a candle, write a letter, take a grounding walk, listen to familiar music. Rituals help contain grief rather than letting it overwhelm.

• Caring for the body, not just the mind
  Trauma often shows up physically. Rest, hydration, gentle movement, and predictability matter more than insight on these days.

And just as important—notice when the date passes. Many people experience an emotional drop afterward, when the nervous system finally exhales. That, too, is normal.

Grief doesn’t follow the calendar neatly. Preparing doesn’t make it painless—but it can make it feel less disorienting and less lonely.

A Closing Reflection

Mother’s Day can hold gratitude and grief.
Love and loss.
Presence and longing.

If today is joyful for you, I hope it’s deeply nourishing.
If today is painful, I hope you feel less alone.
And if today is both, I hope you know—you’re not broken.

I carry my mother with me every day.
And I honor her by loving my children the way she loved me.

Both can be true.

Name It to Tame It: The Power and Risk of Validation in Parenting

There’s a phrase I often share with parents: “Name it to tame it.”
It’s simple, accessible, and powerful.

When a child feels overwhelmed, angry, anxious, or frustrated, helping them put words to their internal experience can lower emotional intensity and support regulation. Naming emotions helps children feel seen and understood—and it gives their nervous system a chance to calm.

But like many therapeutic tools, validation is often misunderstood in practice.

Used well, validation builds emotional intelligence, resilience, and trust.
Used poorly, it can unintentionally reinforce dysregulation, avoidance, emotional fragility, or an inflated sense of self.

Understanding the how and when of validation matters.

What “Name It to Tame It” Really Means

The phrase comes from neuroscience. When emotions are labeled, higher‑order brain regions become active, helping shift a child from a reactive state toward a more regulated one.

In real life, validation might sound like:

• “You’re really frustrated right now.”

• “That felt unfair.”

• “You’re disappointed it didn’t go the way you hoped.”

This is validation: accurately reflecting a child’s internal experience without judgment.

It communicates:

• I see you.

• Your feelings make sense.

• You’re not alone.

• Your emotions are manageable.

That last message is critical. Validation isn’t about amplifying feelings—it’s about helping children experience them safely.

Why Validation Matters for Child Development

From a clinical perspective, effective validation supports several key areas of growth:

Emotional Literacy

Children learn to identify and differentiate emotions—an essential skill for self‑regulation and communication.

Nervous System Regulation

Feeling understood reduces perceived threat. Children no longer need to escalate to be heard.

Secure Attachment

Consistent validation reinforces that emotions don’t disrupt connection—they happen within it.

Integration of Experience

Naming emotions helps children organize their internal world rather than feel controlled by it.

Validation is a foundational tool for emotional regulation and resilience.

Where Parents Often Get Stuck

Challenges arise when validation either doesn’t happen at all or becomes indulgent or excessive.

When Validation Is Missing

This often sounds like:

• “You’re fine.”

• “Stop overreacting.”

• “It’s not that big of a deal.”

While usually well‑intended, these responses can communicate dismissal and increase emotional escalation.

When Validation Becomes Indulgent

Over‑validation can look like:

• Endless discussion of feelings without movement forward

• Treating every emotional response as urgent

• Emphasizing one child’s feelings at the expense of others

• Avoiding limits because distress feels uncomfortable

Validation becomes problematic when it communicates:

• “This feeling is too big for you to handle.”

• “We need to fix this immediately.”

• “Your feelings should determine what happens next.”

• “Your emotions are more important than anyone else’s.”

The Long‑Term Risks of Over‑Validation

When validation is delivered without boundaries or perspective‑taking, several unintended patterns can develop:

• Reduced distress tolerance – children struggle to sit with discomfort and rely on external soothing

• Emotional amplification – intensified expression to maintain attention

• Avoidance of limits – emotions override structure and expectations

• Emotion‑based identity – defining oneself by feelings rather than experiencing them as temporary states

• Reduced empathy – difficulty recognizing that others’ needs and feelings matter too

Rather than building resilience, excessive validation can undermine it.

Validation Is Not Agreement

One of the most important distinctions for parents to understand is this:

You can validate the feeling without endorsing the behavior or changing the outcome.

For example:
“You’re really angry that it’s time to turn off the game. That makes sense.”
And
“It’s still time to turn it off.”

Both can exist at the same time.
This balance is what builds emotional strength.

Healthy Validation Checklist for Parents

When you validate your child, ask yourself:

• Is it accurate? Reflect what’s actually happening—not what you think should be happening.

• Is it brief? One or two sentences are usually enough. Overtalking can escalate rather than soothe.

• Is it grounded? Your tone and body language matter more than your words.

• Is it non‑rescuing? You’re not removing the feeling—you’re helping your child face it.

The Other Half of “Name It to Tame It”

Labeling emotions is only half the process.
The other half is helping children stay with the feeling long enough for it to pass.

This may look like:

• Sitting nearby without fixing

• Holding a boundary even when your child protests

• Allowing frustration, disappointment, or boredom to exist

Regulation develops not by avoiding discomfort, but by experiencing it safely.

Instead of asking, “How do I make my child feel better?”
Try asking, “How do I help my child handle feeling this way?”

The Goal of Validation

Validation is one of the most powerful tools a parent can use. It helps children feel seen, understood, and connected. It gives language to experience, reduces escalation, and builds trust.

Its power comes from how it’s used:

Name the feeling.
Stay steady.
Hold the boundary.

When done well, validation teaches children that their feelings matter—and that so do other people’s. The goal isn’t to raise children who never feel upset. The goal is to raise children who know that when they do feel upset, they can handle it without losing sight of the world around them.

The Myth of Clarity: When Staying or Leaving a Relationship Isn’t Obvious

There’s a moment in many relationships that doesn’t look dramatic from the outside—but it’s no less real.
No slammed doors. No explosive arguments.
Just a quiet, persistent question that lingers beneath the surface:

Is this still right for me?

This realization rarely arrives all at once. Instead, it shows up in subtle ways:

• Hesitating before walking through the door

• Replaying the same unresolved conversations

• Holding back parts of yourself to avoid conflict

• A growing sense that you’re shrinking instead of expanding

And one day, you notice something unsettling—you’re not fully living your life.
You’re managing it.

The False Promise of “Clarity”

Many people believe that when it’s time to leave a relationship, clarity will appear.
There will be a final straw. A defining moment. An undeniable reason.

But more often, the truth is far murkier.

You can love someone and still feel unfulfilled.
You can be treated “well enough” and still feel unseen.
You can share history, loyalty, and meaningful memories—and still sense something is off.
You can try endlessly to make it work…and slowly lose touch with who you are.

It’s possible to feel lonely within commitment.
It’s possible to care deeply and still feel misaligned in values, needs, or emotional connection.

The Questions That Matter Most

When you’re deciding whether to stay or go, the most important questions aren’t about the other person—they’re about you:

• Who am I in this relationship?

• Am I adapting in healthy, flexible ways—or in ways that feel self-abandoning?

• Am I growing, or constantly managing emotions, conflict, or expectations?

• Do I feel emotionally safe being fully myself?

• If nothing changed, could I accept this relationship as it is for the rest of my life?

Staying is often framed as committing to potential.
But in reality, staying is a commitment to the present reality—not the version you hope might someday exist.

Why Staying Can Feel So Complicated

Staying is rarely about weakness. It’s rooted in very human experiences: Love.
Shared history.
Hope.
Family ties.
Fear of hurting someone—or being hurt.
Fear of being alone.
Fear of starting over.

Leaving doesn’t just mean walking away from a person.
It means walking away from the future you imagined, the investment you’ve made, and the identity you built within the relationship.

It can feel like failure. Like quitting. Like loss.

And sometimes, people stay because they believe that if they just try harder, communicate better, or wait a little longer, something might finally shift.

Sometimes it does.

But sometimes, staying becomes less about love—and more about avoidance.

When the Erosion Is Subtle

Not every relationship ends because of betrayal or constant conflict.
Sometimes it’s quieter than that.

It’s feeling consistently dismissed.
Walking on eggshells.
Doing most of the emotional labor.
Losing your sense of self, little by little.

Nothing explosive—just a gradual erosion of who you are.

Over time, that erosion can be just as damaging as something dramatic.

What Staying Should Feel Like

Staying doesn’t mean perfection. No relationship is flawless.
But it should feel alive.

Staying should feel like:

• Being able to exhale, not brace

• Being respected, not merely tolerated

• Growing side by side, not outgrowing each other

• Experiencing care and repair—even in conflict

You Don’t Need a “Good Enough” Reason to Leave

A hard truth: you don’t need a dramatic reason to leave a relationship.
You don’t need anyone else to validate your decision.

If something in you keeps whispering that this isn’t right, that voice may be worth listening to—not impulsively or fearfully, but honestly.

This isn’t about proving anything.
It’s about alignment—with your values, your needs, and the life you want to build.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stay and keep working.
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is leave.

The real courage lies in telling the truth to yourself—and trusting that you can handle what comes next.

Looksmaxxing: When “Self‑Improvement” Turns Into a Mental Health Risk

If you parent a teen or young adult, you’ve probably seen countless social media trends come and go. But there’s one gaining attention right now—not because it’s harmless or funny, but because of the very real mental health risks it carries.

It’s called looksmaxxing.

The growing concern around this trend is significant enough that it’s now the focus of a new Hulu documentary, IMPACT x Nightline: Looksmaxxed, which explores how some young men and teens are being pulled into increasingly extreme and psychologically harmful appearance-based pursuits. The fact that this phenomenon has reached mainstream investigative journalism speaks volumes.

As a therapist—and as a parent—I’m increasingly concerned about how looksmaxxing is impacting teens and young adults during an already vulnerable stage of development.

What Is Looksmaxxing?

Looksmaxxing is a term that originated in online forums and has spread rapidly across platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and Discord. It’s based on the belief that a person should maximize their physical appearance to meet rigid, often pseudoscientific beauty standards in order to gain confidence, social success, or romantic validation.

Looksmaxxing is often divided into two categories:

• “Softmaxxing” – grooming, skincare routines, fitness, clothing or style changes

• “Hardmaxxing” – extreme dieting, unregulated supplements or hormones, cosmetic procedures, and dangerous DIY practices promoted online

On the surface, some of this can resemble normal self-care. Wanting to feel confident in your body is human and developmentally appropriate.

The danger lies in the underlying message:

“My worth, success, and value as a person depend on how I look.”

Why Looksmaxxing Is Dangerous for Mental Health

1. It Turns Self‑Worth Into a Measurement System

Looksmaxxing communities often reduce human value to facial symmetry, body ratios, attractiveness rankings, or “scores.” In IMPACT x Nightline: Looksmaxxed, this belief system is shown repeatedly—young people being told their future happiness is determined by how closely they match an ideal.

From a mental health perspective, this creates an internal narrative that says:

• “If you don’t measure up, something is wrong with you.”

• “You must fix yourself to be worthy.”

For teens and young adults—especially those already struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, or identity development—this messaging can be deeply damaging.

2. It Fuels Body Dysmorphia and Obsessive Comparison

Looksmaxxing thrives on comparison culture. Social media algorithms reward extreme content and push idealized, filtered, and often unattainable images.

Clinically, we see this contributing to:

• Body dysmorphic symptoms

• Anxiety and panic related to appearance

• Depression linked to chronic dissatisfaction

• Disordered eating and compulsive exercise

As the documentary highlights, there is often no endpoint—only an escalating sense of “not enough.”

3. It Normalizes Risky and Harmful Behavior

One of the most troubling aspects explored in Looksmaxxed is how extreme behaviors become normalized in certain online spaces. When harmful practices are framed as “discipline,” “optimization,” or “masculinity,” young people may ignore warning signs and delay asking for help.

From a trauma‑informed lens, many of these behaviors function as attempts to regulate shame, rejection, or feelings of powerlessness—but at a significant psychological cost.

4. It Exploits Developmental Vulnerability

Adolescence and young adulthood are critical periods for identity formation. When appearance becomes the primary measure of worth, young people lose space to develop:

• Self‑compassion

• Emotional flexibility

• A secure sense of identity

• Healthy, reciprocal relationships

What Looksmaxxed makes clear—and what we see clinically—is that what starts as “self‑improvement” can quickly become self‑criticism and self‑harm in disguise.

What Parents and Caregivers Can Do

You don’t need to ban social media or panic to make a meaningful difference.

1. Stay Curious, Not Confrontational

Try asking:

• “Have you seen people talking about looksmaxxing online?”

• “How does that kind of content make you feel about yourself?”

Curiosity builds connection. Judgment shuts it down.

2. Normalize Insecurity Without Supporting Harm

You might say:

“It’s normal to care about how you look—and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel confident. But your worth isn’t something that needs to be fixed or optimized.”

This helps separate normal developmental insecurity from dangerous belief systems.

3. Watch for Red Flags

Be mindful of:

• Obsessive mirror checking

• Rigid food or workout rules

• Mood changes tied closely to appearance

• Increased shame, secrecy, or social withdrawal

These are signs to lean in—not pull away.

4. Model Healthy Body Talk

How we speak about our own bodies, aging, weight, or appearance matters more than we realize. Teens absorb tone even when they pretend not to listen.

5. Seek Professional Support When Needed

If appearance concerns begin interfering with mood, school, relationships, or daily functioning, therapy can help address the root distress, not just the behavior.

At Summit Family Therapy, we provide compassionate, developmentally appropriate support for teens, young adults, and families navigating body image, anxiety, and social media pressure.

A Final Word

Wanting to feel good in your skin is human.
Believing you must transform yourself to deserve love or belonging is not.

The mainstream attention brought by IMPACT x Nightline: Looksmaxxed confirms what mental health professionals have been seeing for years: looksmaxxing is not just a trend—it’s a warning sign.

If your teen or young adult is feeling caught in appearance‑based pressure, help is available, and healing is possible.

Self‑worth is not something to maximize.
It’s something to protect.

References

ABC News Studios. (2026). IMPACT x Nightline: Looksmaxxed. Hulu.
Investigative documentary examining the rise of looksmaxxing, its cultural roots, and psychological risks for young men, including expert commentary and firsthand accounts.

Halpin, M., Gosse, M., Yeo, K., Handlovsky, I., & Maguire, F. (2025). When help is harm: Lookism, self‑improvement, and the mental health impact of looksmaxxing communities. Sociology of Health & Illness.
Peer‑reviewed qualitative study analyzing thousands of online looksmaxxing posts, documenting body shame, self‑harm encouragement, and mental health deterioration in participants.

Healthline Editorial Team. (2026). Looksmaxxing: The toxic trend pushing men to “maximize” their looks. Healthline.
Overview article outlining how looksmaxxing contributes to anxiety, body dysmorphia, and disordered eating, particularly among teens and young adults.

Medical News Today. (2024). Looksmaxxing: Definition, potential risks, and mental health concerns.
Medical overview describing links between appearance‑focused online trends, body dissatisfaction, and increased risk for psychological distress.

Patient.info. (2026). What is looksmaxxing—and why should we be worried?
Clinician‑reviewed article discussing how looksmaxxing shifts self‑worth from internal identity to external metrics, increasing vulnerability during adolescence.

When Perfectionism Looks Like Strength—but Quietly Leads to Burnout

Perfectionism, Leadership, and Learning to Let Yourself Be Human

Perfectionism often looks admirable—especially in leadership.

It can look like being dependable, driven, detail‑oriented, and deeply committed to doing things “the right way.” Many of the clients we work with at Summit Family Therapy in Peoria, Illinois are high‑achieving professionals, caregivers, leaders, and helpers who pride themselves on responsibility and excellence.

And yet, many of them are also exhausted.

What often sits beneath that exhaustion isn’t a lack of motivation—it’s perfectionism. And while our culture frequently rewards perfectionism, both mental health research and Brené Brown’s work tell a different story: perfectionism is not the same as healthy striving—and over time, it can cost us our peace, our relationships, and our health.

What Perfectionism Really Is (and Isn’t)

Perfectionism is not about doing your best.

As researcher Brené Brown explains in The Gifts of Imperfection, perfectionism is a strategy for avoiding shame and judgment. It’s the belief that if I can be flawless, productive, or impressive enough, I can avoid criticism, rejection, or being seen as “not enough.”

In therapy, we often see perfectionism develop early—especially for people who learned that achievement, caretaking, or self‑sufficiency helped them feel safe or valued. What once worked as protection may now be driving anxiety, burnout, and chronic self‑pressure.

How Perfectionism Impacts Mental Health

At Summit Family Therapy, perfectionism commonly shows up alongside:

• Anxiety and overthinking

• Burnout and emotional exhaustion

• Difficulty resting or slowing down

• Harsh inner self‑criticism

• Fear of making mistakes or disappointing others

• Tying self‑worth to productivity or success

Perfectionism can keep people constantly “on,” even when they’re depleted. And because it often gets praised as dedication or competence, many people don’t realize it’s contributing to their stress until their body or mind forces them to stop.

Brené Brown reminds us that perfectionism isn’t self‑improvement—it’s shame‑based self‑protection. And shame is not a sustainable motivator.

Why Perfectionism Hits Leaders Especially Hard

Perfectionism is especially common—and especially costly—for leaders.

We see this often with:

• Business owners and executives

• Managers and supervisors

• Healthcare professionals and therapists

• Parents carrying invisible leadership roles at home

Leadership perfectionism often sounds like:

• “Everyone is counting on me.”

• “I can’t mess this up.”

• “If I don’t stay on top of everything, something will fall apart.”

Over time, perfectionism in leadership can lead to:

• Over‑functioning and micromanaging

• Difficulty delegating or trusting others

• Fear‑based decision‑making

• Compassion fatigue

• Burnout and resentment

Brené Brown describes perfectionism as armor—a way leaders try to stay in control and avoid vulnerability. While armor can feel protective, it also blocks connection, collaboration, creativity, and trust.

Healthy leadership—at work or at home—doesn’t require perfection. It requires clarity, values, and courage.

Perfectionism Isn’t the Same as Excellence

One of the biggest fears people have in therapy is:

“If I let go of perfectionism, I’ll stop caring—or my work will suffer.”

In reality, the opposite is usually true.

Letting go of perfectionism does not mean lowering your standards. It means:

• Separating worth from performance

• Allowing room for learning instead of constant self‑punishment

• Choosing values over image

• Leading from trust instead of fear

In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown calls this wholehearted living—showing up authentically, believing you are enough, and staying connected even when things are messy.

This kind of leadership creates safer workplaces, healthier families, and more resilient people.

Gentle Ways to Begin Letting Go

Here are a few small shifts we often explore with clients in therapy:

🌱 Practice “good enough”

Not every task needs excellence. Ask yourself: Does this require perfection—or progress?

🌱 Notice self‑talk after mistakes

Do you become harsh or shaming with yourself? Try replacing “I failed” with “I’m learning.”

🌱 Normalize imperfection in leadership

When leaders and parents name mistakes and repair openly, it builds trust and psychological safety.

🌱 Reconnect with your values

Perfectionism focuses on outcomes. Values ground us in what matters—integrity, kindness, connection, and presence.

Therapy for Perfectionism, Burnout, and Leadership Stress

At Summit Family Therapy, we support clients struggling with:

• Perfectionism and anxiety

• Burnout and work stress

• Leadership pressure

• High‑functioning depression

• Shame and self‑criticism

Therapy isn’t about convincing you to care less—it’s about helping you care without destroying yourself in the process. Together, we explore where perfectionism came from, what it has protected, and how to build a healthier relationship with yourself moving forward.

You don’t have to earn your worth here. You’re allowed to be human.

Recommended Books

Brown, B. (2010). The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are.
A foundational book on shame, self‑worth, and perfectionism. Brené Brown explores how perfectionism functions as armor and introduces the concept of wholehearted living—choosing authenticity, compassion, and connection over fear and performance pressure.

Brown, B. (2018). Dare to Lead.
Focused on leadership, this book expands Brown’s research into workplaces and organizations. It addresses how perfectionism, fear, and disengagement limit leadership effectiveness—and how courage, vulnerability, and values‑based leadership build trust and resilience.

Schafler, K. M. (2023). The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control.
A therapist‑written, compassionate exploration of different “types” of perfectionism and how to loosen its hold without losing ambition.

Research‑Informed Articles

American Counseling Association – “Perfectionism and Its Effects on Mental Health.”
An overview of how perfectionism contributes to anxiety, depression, burnout, and chronic dissatisfaction, written for both clinicians and the public.

Hill, A. P., & Curran, T. (2016). Perfectionism and Burnout Meta‑Analysis.
Research showing that fear‑based perfectionism (not high standards themselves) is strongly linked to burnout. A key distinction for leaders and high achievers.

Liu et al. (2025). Leader Perfectionism and Team Dynamics.
Research demonstrating how leader perfectionism can increase anxiety, reduce psychological safety, and impact ethical decision‑making within teams.

Self-Compassion: Learning to Be on Your Own Side

Many of us move through life with an internal rulebook that says: Do better. Be better. Don’t mess up. When we fall short—as all humans do—that inner voice can quickly turn harsh, critical, and shaming.

Self‑compassion invites a different way of relating to ourselves. It does not lower standards or excuse harmful behavior. Instead, it offers a supportive, grounded, and evidence‑based path for responding to our own suffering with the same care we would offer someone we love.

What Is Self-Compassion?

Self‑compassion is most clearly defined by psychologist and researcher Dr. Kristin Neff, whose work has shaped decades of research in this area. She defines self‑compassion as “being supportive toward oneself when experiencing suffering or pain—whether caused by personal mistakes, inadequacies, or external life challenges.”

According to Neff’s research, self‑compassion has three core components:

1. Self‑kindness – Responding to yourself with warmth and understanding rather than harsh self‑judgment

2. Common humanity – Recognizing that struggle, imperfection, and pain are part of being human, not signs of personal failure

3. Mindfulness – Holding painful thoughts and emotions with balanced awareness, without suppressing or becoming overwhelmed by them

Together, these components create a way of relating to ourselves that is honest, steady, and deeply humane.

Why Self-Compassion Matters

Research consistently shows that self‑compassion is strongly associated with better mental health and emotional resilience. Higher levels of self‑compassion are linked with lower anxiety, depression, stress, shame, rumination, and perfectionism, and with greater life satisfaction, emotional regulation, and resilience.

Importantly, self‑compassion is not the same as self‑pity or weakness. In fact, studies demonstrate that it supports motivation and personal responsibility without the emotional cost of chronic self‑criticism.

From a physiological standpoint, self‑compassion activates the body’s soothing and caregiving system, increasing parasympathetic nervous system activity and reducing stress hormones such as cortisol. In contrast, harsh self‑criticism keeps the nervous system stuck in threat mode.

For caregivers, leaders, and mental health professionals, self‑compassion also plays a protective role—helping reduce burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma, while supporting emotional sustainability and effectiveness in our work.

Self-Compassion Is a Skill—Not a Personality Trait

One of the most hopeful findings in the research is this: self‑compassion can be learned. Structured interventions such as Mindful Self‑Compassion (MSC) show significant and lasting improvements in self‑compassion, anxiety, depression, and emotional flexibility, with benefits sustained over time.

This means you do not need to “naturally” be gentle with yourself to practice self‑compassion. Like any skill, it grows with intention, repetition, and patience.

Active Practices to Foster Self-Compassion

Below are evidence‑informed, accessible practices that can be woven into everyday life.

1. The Self-Compassion Break

A brief practice developed by Neff and Germer that can be used in moments of distress.

• Acknowledge the difficulty: “This is really hard right now.”

• Name common humanity: “I’m not alone—struggle is part of being human.”

• Offer kindness: “May I be gentle with myself in this moment.”

This practice helps interrupt self‑critical spirals and re‑orients the nervous system toward safety.

2. Speak to Yourself Like Someone You Love

Research shows that reframing self‑talk with kindness can reduce rumination and emotional distress.

When you notice self‑criticism, ask:

• What would I say to a close friend in this situation?

• Then, gently offer those same words to yourself.

3. Soothing Touch

Simple physical gestures—placing a hand over your heart, holding your arms, or gentle pressure—can increase feelings of safety and calm by activating the body’s caregiving system.

This can be especially regulating during moments of emotional overwhelm.

4. Mindfulness Without Judgment

Mindfulness within self‑compassion does not require fixing or reframing emotions. It simply means noticing them with curiosity rather than criticism.

Try naming your experience:

• “I notice tightness in my chest.”

• “I notice sadness showing up.”

Awareness itself often softens intensity.

5. Normalize Struggle

Gently remind yourself:

• “This is part of being human.”

• “Others struggle too—even if I can’t see it.”

Research shows that reducing isolation through common humanity is a powerful protective factor for mental health.

A Gentle Closing Thought

Self‑compassion is not about lowering expectations or ignoring accountability. It is about creating an inner environment where growth, healing, and resilience are actually possible.

If self‑kindness feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable, that does not mean you are doing it wrong. It often means you are practicing something new.

You deserve care—not only from others, but from yourself.

References

• Neff, K. D. (2023). Self‑Compassion: Theory, Method, Research, and Intervention. Annual Review of Psychology. [pubmed.ncb...lm.nih.gov]

• Neff, K. D. (2003). Self‑compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. [rochester.edu]

• Anthes, L. S., & Dreisoerner, A. (2026). Self‑Compassion and Mental Health: A Systematic Review. Mindfulness. [link.springer.com]

• Crego, A., et al. (2022). Benefits of Self‑Compassion in Mental Health Professionals. Psychology Research & Behavior Management. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Harvard Health Publishing. (2026). The Power of Self‑Compassion. [health.harvard.edu]

• Crego, A., et al. (2025). Long‑term effectiveness of the Mindful Self‑Compassion program. Frontiers in Psychology. [frontiersin.org]

Book Review: Why Does Everybody Hate Me? Living and Loving with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

Overview — and Why This Book Hit Close to Home

Why Does Everybody Hate Me? is a compassionate, validating, and deeply human exploration of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) by ADHD advocate Alex Partridge. Through personal stories, humor, and accessible psychoeducation, Partridge gives language to an experience many neurodivergent people live with silently—often wrapped in shame, confusion, and self‑doubt.

As a therapist, I was struck by how precisely this book reflects what I see clinically.
As someone living with RSD myself, it brought up a mix of anger, grief, relief, and recognition—sometimes all on the same page.

Alex Partridge doesn’t bury the lead. He tells you exactly what this book is about:

“Its all about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), something I truly believe to be the hardest part of ADHD.”

There were moments I had to put the book down. Not because it was dramatic or overwhelming, but because it was accurate. The book didn’t exaggerate RSD. It named it.

Partridge also answers his own question with disarming directness:

“Why did I write this book?
RSD hurts like hell.”

That sentence alone explains why this book matters. It doesn’t try to talk readers out of their experience. It names it clearly — and then offers language and pathways forward.

What Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)?

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) refers to intense emotional pain triggered by perceived or actual rejection, criticism, or failure. While it is not a formal DSM diagnosis, it is widely recognized by ADHD specialists as a form of emotional dysregulation, most commonly associated with ADHD and other neurodivergent profiles.

The word dysphoria means “difficult to bear.” And for people with RSD, that description is painfully exact. The response is often immediate, overwhelming, and deeply embodied. What might feel mildly uncomfortable to one person can register as emotionally devastating to someone with RSD.

Partridge dismantles the myth that RSD is simply “being too sensitive.” Instead, he frames it as a nervous system that reacts to perceived disconnection as though safety itself is at stake.

Partridge frames the “why” behind it like this:

“People with ADHD experience something called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, it causes intense pain and is triggered by real or perceived rejection, and it happens because ADHD people were criticized 20,000 more times than your average child.”

He also emphasizes the core experience: the pain isn’t a mild sting. It’s heavy, fast, and often overwhelming — a theme echoed in multiple clinical and psychoeducational descriptions of RSD.

Actual Rejection vs. the Felt Experience of RSD

One of the most validating distinctions Partridge makes is between actual rejection and the felt experience of rejection when RSD is activated.

Actual rejection is real. People do leave, say no, pull away, or disappoint us. When that happens, pain is normal and appropriate.

RSD, however, does not require actual rejection to activate. It is often triggered by:

• ambiguity

• anticipation

• silence

• a shift in tone

• a delayed response

And this is critical to name:

The pain of RSD is real—even when rejection itself is not.

RSD is a nervous‑system event, not a cognitive misunderstanding. The body reacts first—before the thinking brain has time to assess what’s actually happening.

This is why someone with RSD can logically know:

• “They probably aren’t mad at me,”

• “This doesn’t mean I did anything wrong,”

• “Nothing bad has actually happened,”

…and still feel completely undone.

Both things can be true:

• It may not be actual rejection

• And the pain still deserves care

Invalidating that pain because rejection hasn’t “technically” happened only deepens shame and prolongs spirals.

The Physical Reality of RSD: When Emotional Pain Lives in the Body

One of the most misunderstood aspects of RSD—and one Partridge names clearly—is that RSD pain is not just emotional. It is physical.

People with RSD are often told:

• “Don’t take it so personally.”

• “Try not to read into it.”

• “Just calm down.”

These responses assume the distress lives primarily in thoughts. For many of us, RSD begins in the body.

The nervous system reacts before there is time to think.

Common physical experiences during an RSD episode include:

• A sudden hollow or dropping sensation in the stomach, like a free‑fall

• Tightness or pain in the chest, sometimes described as heartbreak or pressure

• A lump in the throat or difficulty swallowing

• Feeling winded, shaky, flushed, or nauseous

• A sense of collapse, dissociation, or urgent need to escape

Many people describe RSD as feeling like they’ve been punched in the chest or emotionally “winded”—even when nothing overt has happened.

Partridge highlights a key neuroscience reality:
the brain processes social rejection using some of the same neural pathways as physical pain.

This is why the pain feels real—because it is real.

Personally, some of my most intense RSD reactions have started not with catastrophic thoughts, but with a body signal:

• a sudden heaviness in my chest after reading a short text

• a rush of nausea after sensing a subtle shift in tone

• the urge to withdraw or disappear before I could articulate why

Only afterward did the story show up: I messed up. I’m too much. I don’t belong.

Understanding RSD as a somatic experience changes how we respond. Regulation has to start with safety, grounding, and reassurance—not logic alone.

What RSD Feels Like — Especially Inside Relationships

RSD tends to show up most strongly in relationships that matter.

Caring increases emotional risk. With that risk comes hyper‑vigilance: scanning for tone changes, pauses, facial expressions, or moments of ambiguity that the brain can quickly interpret as rejection.

Reading this section brought up anger and grief for me—anger at the sheer amount of internal work required just to stay regulated, and grief for how RSD has shaped my relationships.

Many people with RSD live in a painful tension:

• Needing reassurance, clarity, and patience

• While desperately not wanting to feel needy or burdensome

Partridge names a thought many are afraid to say out loud:

Why would anyone want to partner with me—or be close friends with me—if this is what my inner world is like?

That question doesn’t come from self‑hatred.
It comes from chronic emotional labor.

The Hidden Exhaustion of Managing Yourself Around Others

Partridge speaks to something rarely acknowledged:
the exhaustion of managing yourself in close relationships when you live with RSD.

• Monitoring reactions.

• Rewriting internal narratives.

• Pausing before responding.

• Talking yourself down from emotional cliffs.

• Apologizing for feelings you didn’t choose.

Over time, this constant self‑regulation can become so draining that distance starts to feel safer than connection.

Not because you don’t want closeness—but because closeness requires so much work.

Sometimes withdrawal isn’t avoidance. It’s fatigue.

RSD and Perfectionism: “If I Do Everything Right, I Can’t Be Rejected”

Another powerful insight in the book is its reframing of perfectionism.

Perfectionism isn’t about excellence.
It’s about safety.

Partridge explains how perfectionism becomes a survival strategy: if I anticipate needs, say the right thing, perform well, and never misstep, maybe I can prevent rejection before it happens.

For many with RSD, perfectionism looks like:

• Over‑preparing for interactions

• Replaying conversations afterward

• Holding impossibly high standards

• Deep shame over small mistakes

• Believing connection must be earned

Perfectionism becomes an attempt to control connection—and over time, it leads to exhaustion, isolation, and self‑erasure.

When RSD Leads Us to Lower Our Standards and Settle for Less

Another painful pattern Partridge gently names is how RSD can lead us to lower our standards in relationships and tolerate being treated poorly.

When rejection feels unbearable, the nervous system often prioritizes any connection over healthy connection.

The internal logic may sound like:

• Maybe I’m asking for too much.

• At least they’re still here.

• If I speak up, they might leave.

• I should be grateful anyone wants me.

RSD can quietly distort our sense of what we’re allowed to want. When fear of rejection is intense, self‑abandonment can feel safer than risking disconnection.

This isn’t a character flaw. It’s survival.

But over time, lowering standards creates a quieter, deeper harm. Resentment builds. Exhaustion grows. And the belief that “this is all I can expect” becomes harder to challenge.

Raising standards with RSD isn’t arrogance—it’s courage.

Getting Out of an RSD Shame Spiral: What Actually Helps

Shame spirals are often the most painful part of RSD—when perceived rejection turns into “I am too much,” “I am unlovable,” or “I don’t belong.”

Partridge reminds us that logic rarely works in the moment. RSD is a nervous‑system response, not a reasoning one.

When RSD hits, it often triggers a fast, brutal shame spiral:

I’m too much.
They’re annoyed with me.
I ruined it.
No one actually wants me.

In those moments, logic is usually the wrong starting point. RSD is a nervous‑system experience first, not a thinking one. What helps most is regulation—not convincing yourself anything.

Here are the tools that have helped me most in real life.

Anchor, Don’t Argue

When I’m spiraling, I do not start by debating the thoughts in my head. I don’t ask, Is this rational? or What evidence do I have?

Instead, I anchor.

I keep a dedicated photo album on my iPhone specifically for moments when RSD and shame hit. I have had it for years and find it incredible helpful. It includes:

• Photos of handwritten notes friends have given me

• Birthday and holiday cards

• Screenshots of meaningful texts or emails

• Photos tied to grounding memories of connection (shared dinners, trips, ordinary moments that felt safe)

This album is not about “proof” in a legal sense. It’s not about winning an argument with my brain.

It’s about felt safety.

When shame says, “No one wants you. You’re tolerated at best,” I scroll. Slowly. Intentionally. I don’t rush it. I let my nervous system see faces, handwriting, words that came from people who chose connection with me.

What I notice is this: my breathing changes. My shoulders drop. The intensity softens enough that I can think again.

This works because RSD isn’t just a story—it’s a body state. Anchoring gives the nervous system sensory evidence of belonging, which calms the threat response faster than logic ever could.

Name What’s Happening

One of the most powerful (and simplest) steps is quietly naming what’s happening:

“This is RSD.”

Not:

• I’m ridiculous.

• I’m overreacting.

• What is wrong with me?

But:

• My nervous system is activated.

• This is RSD doing what it does.

Naming it creates distance between who you are and what’s happening in your body.

It also interrupts shame. Instead of the spiral becoming “I am the problem,” it becomes “Something is happening to me—and I know what it is.”

I’ll often say this silently to myself before doing anything else:

This is RSD. I don’t need to solve the relationship right now. I need to regulate.

That alone can reduce the urgency enough to prevent impulsive texts, apologies, or emotional withdrawal that I later regret.

Delay Meaning‑Making

RSD demands immediate meaning: That tone meant they’re mad.
That pause means I messed up.
That vague message means I’m unwanted.

One of the hardest but most effective skills is delaying that meaning.

Delay doesn’t mean denial. It means not deciding the story while activated.

This can look like:

• Waiting an hour before responding to a triggering text

• Sleeping on it before sending the long explanation or apology

• Saying to yourself, “I don’t have enough information yet.”

Even brief delays help because emotional intensity naturally peaks and falls. Once the body settles even slightly, the story often changes—or at least softens.

I’ll sometimes literally tell myself:

This feels urgent, but it isn’t. I can decide tomorrow.

Delay is a way of protecting both your relationships and your dignity from the heat of the RSD moment.

Seek Reassurance Without Shame

This one matters deeply.

Many people with RSD avoid reassurance because they’re afraid of being:

• too needy

• too much

• a burden

But here’s the truth: reassurance is not weakness—it’s co‑regulation.

RSD developed in a nervous system that experienced repeated criticism, inconsistency, or relational unpredictability. Reassurance helps repair that learning.

Healthy reassurance sounds like:

• “Hey, my brain is spiraling—can you tell me if we’re okay?”

• “I might be reading into this. Were you upset, or just busy?”

• “Can you reassure me that we’re good? That would help me settle.”

This is not asking someone else to manage your emotions forever. It’s using relationship as a healing resource, not a threat.

Over time, consistent reassurance doesn’t increase dependency—it often reduces reactivity, because the nervous system learns that clarity and care are available.

The goal isn’t to never need reassurance.
The goal is to receive enough safety that your system doesn’t have to scream for it.

A Gentle Reframe

None of these tools are about becoming less sensitive.

They’re about:

• working with your nervous system instead of against it

• responding to pain with compassion instead of shame

• staying connected without disappearing

RSD doesn’t mean you’re broken.

It means your body learned how much rejection hurts—and did everything it could to protect you from that pain.

These tools aren’t fixes.
They’re supports. And for many of us, support is exactly what allows healing to happen.

The Overlap Between RSD, ADHD, and Childhood Trauma

RSD is closely linked to ADHD—but it often overlaps with childhood and relational trauma.

For those who grew up with emotional inconsistency, chronic criticism, bullying, or conditional love, rejection is rarely just about the present moment.

Trauma teaches the nervous system:

• Love can be withdrawn

• Belonging must be earned

• Disconnection is dangerous

When trauma and neurodivergence overlap, the nervous system becomes hyper‑vigilant. Small ambiguities may activate old fears:

If I am rejected, I am not safe.

These patterns reflect adaptation, not defect.

For Partners, Friends, and Family: Communicating with Care

And Why an Explicit Invitation Matters

A core message of this book is how much communication style—and explicit invitation—matter.

Neutral language is often not neutral to an RSD nervous system. Silence, short replies, vague tone, or delays can feel like withdrawal.

And critically:

People with RSD often need an explicit invitation to communicate.

Many of us don’t ask for reassurance because we’re trying not to be “too much.”

Helpful practices include:

• Saying the invitation out loud (“If you’re unsure, you can ask me”)

• Being explicit rather than neutral

• Pairing pauses with reassurance

• Using warmth intentionally

Reassurance doesn’t make RSD worse. It helps regulate it.

Partridge explains how repeated criticism accumulates into a nervous system that expects rejection — and he gives examples of the kinds of messages ADHD kids often hear:

“Why are you being weird, it’s not that loud in here”
“You’re embarrassing yourself”
“Why are you being lazy?”
“Stop biting your nails!”
“Why are you crying?!”
“You’ve let me down!”
“You’re really rude”
“Stop being weird!”
“Stop fidgeting”
“Calm down”
“Be normal!”
“Stop it!”

And he connects that history to how adults interpret social information:

“And it means that as as adult, they read positive comments as neutral, in fact they don’t believe positivity, it bounces off them, they read neutral comments like ‘come to the party if you like’, as negative and when they experience actual negative comments, well, let’s just say you don’t want to be around for that. Instant rage, sadness and crippling shame. It’s brutal.”

That “instant” emotional shift and the intensity of shame/anger/sadness maps closely onto common clinical descriptions of RSD as a rapid, painful reactivity pattern.

Final Reflections

This book didn’t make RSD easy—but it made it less lonely.

It helped me hold two truths at once:

• RSD can be profoundly exhausting

• People with RSD are not broken, unlovable, or too much

Needing clarity, patience, and care doesn’t make you weak.
It means your nervous system learned how to survive.

If you live with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, I want you to hear this clearly: nothing about you is “too much,” broken, or shameful. Your nervous system learned early that connection could be fragile and that rejection could hurt deeply—and it adapted in the only ways it knew how. That sensitivity you carry is not a flaw; it is evidence of how deeply you care, how attuned you are, and how hard you have worked to belong. Healing RSD isn’t about becoming less yourself or feeling less—it’s about learning that you are allowed safety, clarity, connection, and reassurance without earning them through perfection or self-erasure. You are not imagining your pain. You are not weak for needing support. And you do not have to disappear in order to be loved. You are worthy of care exactly as you are, in this moment, and you always have been.

References & Further Reading

• Partridge, A. (2026). Why Does Everybody Hate Me? Living and Loving with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. Sheldon Press. (Publication details and description) [allbelong.com], [neurodiver...odcast.com]

• Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): overview and symptoms. [youtube.com]

• Mutti‑Driscoll, C. J. (2026). “Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria: The Iceberg Under the Surface.” Psychology Today.

• Rowney‑Smith, A., Sutton, B., Quadt, L., & Eccles, J. A. (2026). The lived experience of rejection sensitivity in ADHD (qualitative themes include withdrawal and bodily sensations). PLOS One. [bookhero.co.nz]

• Rehman, M., & Quddos, S. (2025). Childhood trauma and rejection sensitivity associations. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma. [coles-books.co.uk]

• Clark, G. (2026). RSD and trauma overlap (relational trauma and nervous system threat responses). A Braver Space. [youtube.com]

• Magdi, H. M., et al. (2025). ADHD and PTSD adult comorbidity (systematic review). Systematic Reviews. [youtube.com]

• Chester, D. S., DeWall, C. N., & Pond, R. S. (2016). Evidence for overlap between social pain and physical-pain-related neural signatures. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience. [takecontroladhd.com]

• Woo, C‑W., et al. (2014). Pain and social rejection neural representations (overview of the research context). Nature Communications. [discoveryo...athllc.com]

Lost in Space and Lost on an Island: How Project Hail Mary and Cast Away Explore Loneliness and the Need for Connection

⚠️ Movie Spoiler Alert
This article contains spoilers for Project Hail Mary (2026) and Cast Away (2000).

Introduction: Two Very Different Stories, One Shared Human Need

Project Hail Mary and Cast Away take place in drastically different environments. One is set light‑years from Earth aboard a spacecraft. The other unfolds on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean. But psychologically and emotionally, these films are telling the same story:

What happens to the human mind when connection is removed—and what changes when it returns?

Both films explore isolation, resilience, and the ways humans instinctively reach for relationship when they are completely alone.

A Brief Overview of Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a former middle‑school science teacher and molecular biologist who wakes up alone aboard a spacecraft with no memory of how he got there. He soon realizes he is the sole surviving crew member on a one‑way mission to stop a microorganism that is slowly dimming Earth’s sun and threatening mass extinction.

For a large portion of the movie, Grace is entirely alone—managing fear, confusion, and the psychological strain of isolation while solving complex scientific problems. Eventually, however, the story shifts when Grace encounters Rocky, an alien who is on a similar mission to save his own planet. Their relationship becomes the emotional center of the film and transforms Grace’s experience of isolation into one of shared survival and mutual growth.

A Brief Overview of Cast Away

Cast Away (2000), directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, tells the story of Chuck Noland, a FedEx executive whose plane crashes in the Pacific Ocean. Chuck survives but becomes stranded alone on an uninhabited island for several years.

With no other humans present, Chuck must learn to survive physically and psychologically. Over time, the absence of human connection takes an increasing toll on him. One of the most memorable and psychologically significant parts of the film is Chuck’s relationship with Wilson, an inanimate volleyball that becomes his companion during isolation. The film is widely regarded as a powerful portrayal of the emotional and mental effects of prolonged solitude.

Who Is Wilson—and Why Does He Matter?

Wilson is a volleyball, not a living being. Chuck finds it among the cargo that washes ashore after the plane crash. During an early attempt to make fire, Chuck injures his hand, accidentally leaving a bloody handprint on the volleyball. In a moment of desperation and loneliness, he draws a face on it and names it “Wilson.”

From that point on, Chuck talks to Wilson, argues with him, seeks comfort from him, and relates to him as if he were another person. Wilson becomes a substitute for human connection—someone to speak to in a place where there is no one else.

Psychologically, Wilson represents a crucial survival strategy. When humans are isolated for long periods, the brain seeks ways to preserve connection, identity, and regulation. Wilson functions as an emotional anchor, helping Chuck maintain a sense of self and emotional stability even though the relationship is symbolic rather than real.

Wilson cannot change Chuck’s situation—but he helps Chuck remain human while enduring it.

Loneliness and Mental Health in Both Films

Despite their different settings, both films portray isolation in very similar psychological ways. The characters:

• Talk out loud to maintain organization of thought

• Create routines to structure time

• Attach meaning to tasks as a way to stabilize emotion

• Struggle with despair, hope, and identity over time

These behaviors reflect what mental‑health research and clinical work consistently show: humans are not wired to tolerate long‑term isolation without relational support, whether real or symbolic.

Both films also reflect cultural patterns—especially for men—where emotional self‑sufficiency is emphasized, while dependence and vulnerability are often discouraged.

Who Is Rocky—and Why Is He Different from Wilson?

Rocky is an alien engineer from a distant planet whose environment, biology, and communication style are completely different from Earth’s. He breathes ammonia instead of oxygen, perceives the world through echolocation rather than sight, and communicates using musical tones rather than spoken language. Rocky is not a mascot or a metaphor—he is a fully autonomous, intelligent being with his own mission, needs, and emotional capacity.

Unlike Wilson, Rocky can:

• Communicate independently

• Disagree and problem‑solve

• Take risks and make sacrifices

• Influence Grace’s decisions and priorities

Rocky and Ryland Grace initially connect out of necessity, but gradually form a deep bond based on trust, cooperation, and shared responsibility. Their relationship requires patience, translation, and mutual care, making connection transformational rather than symbolic.

From Wilson to Rocky: How Connection Evolves

Wilson represents symbolic connection—a way to endure isolation when real relationship is unavailable.

Rocky represents mutual relationship—a bond that demands growth, vulnerability, and collaboration.

This distinction matters psychologically. Coping strategies, like Wilson, help people survive emotionally. Real relationships, like the one Grace forms with Rocky, change who a person becomes.

Through Rocky, Grace learns that survival isn’t just about intelligence or self‑reliance. It’s about trust, cooperation, and being willing to need another being. Grace doesn’t just get through isolation—he is fundamentally shaped by relationship.

Watching Project Hail Mary as a Family

I watched Project Hail Mary with my family on Easter Sunday, just after returning from a spring break trip. We were exhausted—physically and emotionally—and not expecting anything profound.

What surprised me was how grounding the experience felt. Sitting together, watching a story about isolation and connection, felt regulating in itself. No big conversations—just shared space and presence.

In a quiet way, it echoed what both films communicate: togetherness matters, even in small, ordinary moments.

The Male Loneliness Epidemic: The Real‑World Context Behind These Films

The themes explored in Cast Away and Project Hail Mary are not just cinematic—they reflect a growing public‑health concern often referred to as the male loneliness epidemic.

Since 2023, U.S. health authorities and international organizations have formally identified loneliness and social isolation as a public health crisis. While loneliness affects people of all genders, research consistently shows that men are more likely to be socially isolated, less likely to feel meaningfully connected to a community, and less likely to seek emotional support when they are struggling.

Data from the American Institute for Boys and Men shows that while men and women report similar overall levels of loneliness, men are significantly more likely to say they do not belong to any group or community and that their role in the world feels “less relevant.” These feelings are particularly pronounced in older men and men with fewer social or educational resources.

Younger men are also at risk. Psychological research indicates that a significant proportion of U.S. men ages 15–34 report feeling lonely frequently, often more so than their peers in other developed nations. Factors linked to this include remote work, increased reliance on technology for connection, fewer in‑person friendships, and persistent stigma around men expressing emotional need or vulnerability.

The mental‑health consequences are significant. Loneliness and lack of social connection are strongly associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, physical health problems, and suicide risk. Men, in particular, die by suicide at significantly higher rates than women, and social disconnection is a major contributing factor.

What’s striking is how closely these real‑world patterns mirror the stories told in these films. Chuck Noland and Ryland Grace are both competent, problem‑solving, emotionally restrained men who initially rely on self‑sufficiency to survive isolation. Neither seeks connection at first—connection emerges only when isolation becomes unbearable.

In Cast Away, that need shows up symbolically through Wilson. In Project Hail Mary, it shows up through Rocky, a relationship that requires vulnerability, cooperation, and emotional risk. Both stories reflect a truth well known in therapy rooms: men are often allowed competence, but not closeness—and loneliness grows in that gap.

🧠 Therapist Takeaway: Why These Movies Matter—Especially in the Era of the Male Loneliness Epidemic

• The male loneliness epidemic is real—and often invisible. Research shows that many men experience deep social isolation, fewer close friendships, and a weaker sense of belonging, even if they don’t label themselves as “lonely.” Both films reflect this reality through competent, self‑sufficient male protagonists whose emotional needs go largely unspoken.

• Loneliness is not a personal failure. Isolation changes the nervous system and increases risk for depression, physical health problems, and suicide. Men are often socialized to endure rather than reach out, which makes loneliness quieter—but no less dangerous.

• Symbolic connection is a survival strategy. Wilson represents how people—especially men—cope when real connection feels unavailable or unsafe. When vulnerability isn’t permitted, the mind finds substitutes to preserve emotional regulation and identity.

• Healing requires mutual relationship. Rocky demonstrates what moves people from survival to growth. Mutual, responsive connection—where needs, risks, and care go both ways—is what reshapes identity and restores meaning.

• Competence is not the same as connection. Both films challenge the idea that strength means self‑reliance alone. True resilience includes the ability to depend on others without shame.

• Small, shared moments matter. Watching a movie together, working alongside someone, sharing space without fixing or performing—these are powerful counterweights to isolation and key tools for addressing loneliness in men and families alike.

Ultimately, Cast Away and Project Hail Mary hold up a mirror to our culture:
we allow men to be capable, but rarely to be connected.

In the midst of a loneliness epidemic, these stories remind us that connection is not an add‑on to mental health—it is foundational.

Whether lost on an island or adrift in space, Cast Away and Project Hail Mary tell the same truth:
humans are not meant to be alone—and connection is what keeps us human.

References: The Male Loneliness Epidemic

1. American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM).
   Bledsoe, I., & Smith, B. (2025). Male loneliness and isolation: What the data shows.
   This report analyzes national survey data and finds that while men and women report similar levels of loneliness, men are more likely to experience social isolation, lack of community belonging, and reduced sense of relevance—especially older men and men with fewer educational or social resources.
   https://aibm.org/research/male-loneliness-and-isolation-what-the-data-shows/ [collider.com]

2. Healthline.
   Male loneliness epidemic: Research, myths, and coping strategies. (2026).
   This overview summarizes current research identifying loneliness as a public‑health crisis, noting gendered patterns in how loneliness is experienced and reported, including men’s lower likelihood of seeking emotional support and discussing vulnerability.
   https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/male-loneliness-epidemic [youtube.com]

3. Psychology Today.
   Killian, K. D., PhD, LMFT. (2025). The loneliest of all: Younger men in the U.S.
   This article reviews research showing elevated loneliness among U.S. men ages 15–34 compared to peers in other developed nations and identifies contributing factors such as remote work, reliance on technology, reduced in‑person friendships, and stigma around emotional expression.
   https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intersections/202509/the-loneliest-of-all-younger-us-men [projecthai...fandom.com]

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
   Bruss, K. V., Seth, P., & Zhao, G. (2024). Loneliness, lack of social and emotional support, and mental health issues — United States, 2022.
   This CDC report establishes loneliness as a significant risk factor for depression, frequent mental distress, and poor physical health, and underscores the relationship between social disconnection and serious mental‑health outcomes.
   https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7324a1.htm [imdb.com]

5. American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM).
   Additional analysis cited in connection between social isolation and suicide risk among men, noting that men die by suicide at significantly higher rates than women and that social disconnection is a major contributing factor.
   https://aibm.org/research/male-loneliness-and-isolation-what-the-data-shows/ [collider.com]

When a Marriage Ends, the Judgment Begins: How to Support Someone Through Divorce Without Taking Sides

A few weeks ago, a client said something that lingered with me long after our session ended:

“I’m not just grieving my marriage. I’m grieving how differently people are treating me now.”

They asked if I’d write about divorce—not the logistics, not the legal pieces, but the social and relational fallout. The judgment. The awkwardness. The friendships that suddenly feel fragile. The family members who ask too many questions. The people who quietly disappear.

So this article is for them—and for anyone who has walked through divorce or loved someone who has.

Divorce Isn’t Just a Legal Ending—It’s a Social Earthquake

Divorce is consistently ranked among the most stressful life events a person can experience, second only to the death of a spouse. It disrupts identity, stability, finances, routines, and emotional safety all at once. Research shows increased rates of depression, anxiety, shame, and social isolation during this period, particularly in the early years following separation.

But what often hurts just as much as the loss of the relationship is how others respond to it.

Friends feel forced to “pick sides.”
Family members ask for explanations they aren’t entitled to.
Some people offer advice when what’s needed is presence.
Others withdraw entirely, unsure what to say—or afraid it might “rub off.”

Divorce creates discomfort for everyone, and judgment is often a way people try to manage their own unease.

Why We Judge (Even When We Don’t Mean To)

Judgment during divorce often isn’t malicious—it’s protective. People fill in gaps with assumptions because:

• They’re only hearing one side of the story

• Divorce challenges their beliefs about relationships, commitment, or morality

• It activates fear: “If this happened to them, could it happen to me?”

• They want clarity in a situation that is deeply nuanced

Social stigma remains a real issue, even as divorce becomes more common. Many divorced individuals report feelings of shame, failure, and being quietly categorized as “the problem,” particularly when others don’t understand the complexity behind the decision.

The truth is this:

1. You can never fully understand a marriage from the outside.

2. And no one owes the world the full context of their pain.

Navigating Friendships and Family During Divorce

One of the hardest realities of divorce is that relationships often change—even the good ones.

• Shared friends may pull away or grow awkward

• Invitations slow down

• Conversations feel loaded or overly cautious

• Family members may push for details, blame, or reconciliation

Research confirms that divorce commonly reshapes social networks, leading to loneliness and secondary losses that often go unacknowledged.

For the person going through divorce, this can feel like:

• “I’m on trial without knowing the charges.”

• “I lost people I thought would always be there.”

• “I’m exhausted from managing everyone else’s feelings.”

All of this while grieving the marriage itself.

Common Struggles People Experience During Divorce

Divorce rarely brings one clean emotion. Most people experience conflicting, overlapping feelings, including:

• Grief and relief at the same time

• Shame or self‑doubt, even when the decision was necessary

• Anxiety about finances, parenting, or the future

• Loneliness and loss of shared identity

• Emotional dysregulation—tearfulness, irritability, numbness

• Feeling misunderstood or unfairly judged

Neurological and psychological research suggests divorce can function like a trauma response for some individuals, especially when high conflict or sudden loss is involved.

This is not weakness—it’s the nervous system responding to destabilization.

How to Support Someone Going Through Divorce (Without Making It Worse)

If someone you care about is navigating divorce, your role is not to solve it or analyze it. Your role is to hold steady.

Here’s what actually helps:

1. Honor that you only have one side of the story
You don’t need the full picture to offer compassion. Resist the urge to fill in gaps or assign blame.

2. Stay curious, not corrective
Avoid statements that begin with:

• “At least…”

• “If I were you…”

• “Did you try…?”

Instead, try:

• “That sounds incredibly heavy.”

• “I’m really glad you told me.”

• “How can I best support you right now?”

3. Don’t make them manage your discomfort
Silence, distance, or awkwardness often communicates judgment—even when unintended.

4. Let them change
Divorce is an identity shift. Grief, growth, anger, and healing don’t happen in a straight line.

5. Keep showing up
Consistency matters more than perfect words.

Social support significantly improves emotional adjustment during divorce, while isolation worsens outcomes.

A Gentle Note for Anyone Reading This While Going Through a Divorce

If you are reading this while living inside a divorce—whether it’s freshly unfolding or still echoing years later—I want you to know this:

You are not weak for struggling.
You are not failing because this hurts.
And you are not “doing it wrong” if some days feel heavier than others.

Divorce is often experienced as a layered loss: the loss of a relationship, a future you imagined, routines that grounded you, and sometimes relationships or communities you thought were safe. It can bring up grief, relief, anger, fear, numbness, and moments of deep exhaustion—sometimes all in the same day. None of those reactions mean you made the wrong decision or that you are broken.

You don’t owe anyone the full story of what led you here. You are allowed to protect your privacy, go at your own pace, and change your mind about what you need from others as you heal.

If this season feels overwhelming, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Support—whether from trusted people, therapy, or community—matters. And it’s okay to reach for help not because you’re at rock bottom, but because this is hard.

Be gentle with yourself. This is not just a chapter ending—it’s a nervous system, heart, and identity recalibrating. Healing is rarely linear, but it is possible.

A Final Thought

Divorce is not a character flaw.
It is not a public referendum on someone’s worth.
It is not an invitation for speculation or sides.

If you’ve never walked through it, lead with humility.
If you have, remember how vulnerable that season felt.

Compassion costs us very little—but it can mean everything to someone standing in the wreckage of a life they once believed in.

References

• Amato, P. R. (2010). Research on divorce: Continuing trends and new developments. Journal of Marriage and Family. [link.springer.com]

• Sbarra, D. A. (2015). Divorce and Health: Current Trends and Future Directions. Psychosomatic Medicine. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Field, T. (2025). Divorce and Breakup Distress: A Narrative Review. Journal of Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry. [medcraveonline.com]

• Mental Health America. Coping with Separation and Divorce.[mhanational.org]

• BetterHelp Editorial Team. Navigating Friendships After Divorce.[betterhelp.com]

• Ganguli, P. (2024). Divorce and Social Stigma: Psychological and Social Implications.[linkedin.com]

What If Your Hardest Feelings Are Trying to Help You?

In his newest book, Hard Feelings: Finding the Wisdom in Our Darkest Emotions, psychotherapist and author Daniel Smith invites us to reconsider something most of us have spent years trying to avoid: our so‑called negative emotions. Rather than treating anger, shame, envy, regret, jealousy, annoyance, boredom, or despair as problems to eliminate, Smith makes a compelling and deeply humane case that these emotions serve an essential purpose—if we are willing to listen to what they are trying to tell us.

Why This Book Feels So Relatable

One of the reasons Hard Feelings resonates is that it is not written from a place of emotional mastery, but from lived experience. Smith openly shares the contexts that stirred both his self‑consciousness and the emotional urgency behind this book. He traces three pivotal life experiences that forced him to confront emotions he would have preferred to avoid: the sudden end of his marriage, the profound emotional responsibility that came with becoming a parent, and his own aging process—each dismantling the illusion that emotional control alone is enough to live well.

Many of us can recognize ourselves here. We often talk about emotions as if they should be managed away—especially once we’re “adults.” Smith challenges this narrative, suggesting instead that emotional turbulence does not mean something is wrong with us; it may mean something important is happening.

Rethinking “Negative” Emotions

Smith asks a deceptively simple question: What if the emotions we resist the most aren’t obstacles, but guides? He explores emotions such as shame, envy, despair, boredom, and annoyance—not as character flaws, but as signals that illuminate our unmet needs, values, fears, and longings.

Rather than dividing feelings into “good” and “bad,” Smith demonstrates how this binary can actually disconnect us from ourselves. Suppressing emotions rarely makes them disappear; more often, it drives them underground, where they emerge as anxiety, irritability, numbness, or chronic dissatisfaction. From both his clinical work and personal history, Smith illustrates how listening to emotions—rather than silencing them—creates the possibility for insight, integration, and growth.

Practical Takeaways You Can Apply Today

While Hard Feelings is not a step‑by‑step self‑help guide, it offers several practical shifts in how we relate to our emotional lives:

• Pause before fixing or dismissing a feeling. Ask, What might this emotion be trying to protect or show me?

• Normalize emotional discomfort. Feeling envy, shame, or despair does not mean you are failing—it means you are human.

• Notice emotional patterns instead of judging them. Repeated “hard” feelings often point to unresolved grief, unmet needs, or values that are being ignored.

• Practice curiosity over self‑criticism. Shame deepens when we attack ourselves for having emotions; it softens when we approach ourselves with compassion.

These practices echo what many therapists see in the therapy room: meaningful change often begins not when emotions disappear, but when they are finally given space to be understood.

Why This Matters for Psychotherapy

Hard Feelings aligns closely with the work of psychotherapy. Therapy is not about removing difficult emotions—it’s about learning how to relate to them differently. Many people seek therapy because their emotions feel overwhelming, confusing, or intrusive. This book gently reframes that experience: emotions are not the enemy; they are information.

In therapy, these “hard feelings” can be explored in a safe, non‑judgmental space. Anger may reveal a violated boundary. Envy may point to a neglected desire. Despair may signal grief that never had room to be felt. When emotions are listened to rather than suppressed, they often become less frightening—and more meaningful.

A Gentle Invitation

If this book resonates with you—if you find yourself exhausted by your emotions, ashamed of them, or unsure how to make sense of them—you don’t have to navigate that alone. Psychotherapy can help transform overwhelming emotional experiences into insight, self‑understanding, and healing. Beginning therapy isn’t a sign that something is wrong; it’s often a sign that something inside you is ready to be heard.

References

• Smith, D. (2026). Hard Feelings: Finding the Wisdom in Our Darkest Emotions. Simon & Schuster. [amazon.com]

• Simon & Schuster. (2026). Hard Feelings – Official Book Description. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Hard-Feelings/Daniel-Smith/9781982103903 [simonandschuster.com]

• Altschuler, G. C. (2026). Coping with our “bad” emotions isn’t easy. Psychology Today. [psychologytoday.com]

• Zozzaro, P. (2026). Review: Hard Feelings by Daniel Smith. BookTrib. https://booktrib.com/2026/03/03/review-hard-feelings-daniel-smith/ [booktrib.com]

Finding the Sweet Spot: How to Stay Connected Without Losing Yourself

In her newest book, The Balancing Act: Creating Healthy Dependency and Connection Without Losing Yourself, licensed therapist and bestselling author Nedra Glover Tawwab explores a question many people quietly wrestle with: How do we stay connected to others without losing ourselves in the process?

Building on her previous work on boundaries and family dynamics, Tawwab reframes dependency as something that isn’t inherently unhealthy—but rather something that exists on a spectrum. When balanced well, healthy dependency (often referred to as interdependence) can support connection, authenticity, and emotional well‑being.

Part One: Understanding the Dependency Spectrum

In the first section of the book, Tawwab introduces the dependency spectrum, ranging from hyper‑independence on one end to hyper‑dependence on the other. She helps readers identify where they tend to land and how early experiences, trauma, attachment patterns, and fear of rejection or abandonment can shape how they relate to others.

Hyper‑independence often shows up as “I don’t need anyone,” while hyper‑dependence may look like over‑giving, losing boundaries, or abandoning one’s own needs to maintain connection. Tawwab emphasizes that both extremes can lead to loneliness, disconnection, and emotional exhaustion.

Part Two: Moving Toward Healthier Connection

In the second half of the book, Tawwab outlines a path toward healing and balance, offering tools for those who struggle with either extreme. She helps readers learn how to distinguish between faux connection—relationships that are maintained out of fear, obligation, or distraction—and deep, meaningful connection, which allows space for authenticity, boundaries, and mutual care.

Tawwab also highlights forms of dependency that can quietly keep people stuck, including:

• Overreliance on social media and technology

• Dependency on substances

• Unbalanced relationship patterns within one’s social life

Rather than encouraging all‑or‑nothing thinking, she invites readers to examine how and why they depend on certain people or behaviors—and whether those patterns support or erode their well‑being.

Practical Applications for Everyday Life

One of the book’s strengths is its practical, real‑world focus. Readers are encouraged to:

• Practice asking for help in clear, direct ways

• Build a diversified support system instead of relying on one person for all emotional needs

• Allow room for discomfort and repair in relationships, recognizing that friction can be part of healthy growth

• Balance time alone with time together—learning to be both independent and connected

• Reframe boundaries as pathways to closeness rather than barriers to intimacy

These tools can be especially helpful for individuals recovering from codependent patterns, trauma, or emotionally unbalanced relationships.

Why This Book Matters

At its core, The Balancing Act reminds readers that relationships are about human engagement, not perfection or self‑sufficiency. We thrive when we allow ourselves to lean on others while also maintaining autonomy. Working toward healthier dependency can support mental, physical, and social well‑being—offering opportunities for protection, restoration, and more harmonious connections.

For individuals seeking to deepen relationships without losing themselves—and for those healing from extremes of independence or dependence—this book offers a compassionate, grounded guide forward.

References

• Tawwab, N. G. (2026). The Balancing Act: Creating Healthy Dependency and Connection Without Losing Yourself. Tarcher / Penguin Random House. [amazon.com]

• Tawwab, N. G. (2026). The Balancing Act – Official Book Description. Nedra Tawwab. https://www.nedratawwab.com/books/the-balancing-act [nedratawwab.com]

• Johnson, R. (2026). “The Balancing Act” (Healthy Dependency): Nedra Glover Tawwab. Minding Therapy. https://www.mindingtherapy.com/balancing-act-nedra-glover-tawwab/ [mindingtherapy.com]

• Lindsay, S. (2026). Nedra Glover Tawwab Says This Is How to Create Healthy Relationships. The Sunday Paper. https://www.mariashriversundaypaper.com/nedra-glover-tawwab-create-healthy-relationships/ [mariashriv...ypaper.com]

When Joy Feels Out of Reach: Understanding Anhedonia

Have you ever noticed that things you used to enjoy just don’t feel the same anymore? Maybe your favorite foods taste flat, time with friends feels draining instead of fulfilling, or activities that once brought excitement now feel empty. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and there’s a name for this experience: anhedonia.

What Is Anhedonia?

Anhedonia is the reduced or lost ability to experience pleasure from activities that are typically enjoyable. It’s most commonly associated with depression, but it can also occur in people experiencing anxiety, PTSD, substance use disorders, eating disorders, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, or certain neurological conditions. Importantly, anhedonia can also occur without a formal diagnosis of depression.

Rather than sadness, many people describe anhedonia as emotional numbness—a sense of being disconnected from joy, motivation, or meaning.

Types of Anhedonia

Anhedonia can show up differently for different people, but it’s often described in two main ways:

• Social anhedonia: Difficulty experiencing pleasure or connection from social interactions, relationships, or group activities.

• Physical anhedonia: Reduced pleasure from physical sensations such as eating, physical touch, listening to music, or sexual activity.

Someone may experience one type, both types, or move between them over time.

Anhedonia vs. Apathy: What’s the Difference?

These two terms are often confused, but they’re not the same:

• Anhedonia refers to an inability to feel pleasure, even when you want to.

• Apathy refers to a lack of motivation, interest, or emotional engagement.

You might still want connection or enjoyment but not be able to feel it (anhedonia), or you might feel indifferent about engaging at all (apathy). A person can experience one without the other.

Common Signs of Anhedonia

Symptoms can range from subtle to deeply impactful and may include:

• Reduced interest in activities you previously enjoyed

• Difficulty planning or initiating activities

• Little excitement or anticipation about future events

• Trouble feeling joy, even during positive moments

• Decreased pleasure from food, physical touch, or sex

• Social withdrawal or disconnection

• Feeling lonely even when surrounded by others

If you recognize yourself in this list, it’s important to know that anhedonia is not a personal failure. It often reflects how the brain and nervous system respond to prolonged stress, trauma, or emotional overload.

Therapy Treatment Options

Anhedonia is treatable, though improvement often happens gradually.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  CBT can help stimulate the brain’s reward system by identifying patterns that reduce engagement and gently rebuilding responses to positive experiences.

• Behavioral Activation Therapy
  This approach focuses on increasing involvement in meaningful or value‑based activities—even when motivation or pleasure is low—to help reawaken positive emotional responses over time.

• Mindfulness‑Based Interventions
  Mindfulness practices can help people notice small moments of presence, comfort, or neutrality and reduce avoidance of emotional experiences. These approaches have been helpful for people with chronic stress, trauma histories, and substance use recovery.

Things You Can Try on Your Own

Healing from anhedonia often involves small, compassionate steps rather than big emotional shifts. You might consider:

• Practicing mindfulness to gently notice moments of neutrality or comfort

• Maintaining social connections, even when you don’t feel like it

• Establishing a regular sleep schedule and predictable daily routine

• Engaging in regular physical movement

• Keeping a brief journal of small, positive, or meaningful moments

• Being patient with yourself and acknowledging tiny improvements

• Joining support groups where others understand what you’re experiencing

• Seeking guidance from a therapist, coach, or trusted mentor to explore how you respond to stress and negative experiences

A Gentle Reminder

If you’re experiencing anhedonia, it doesn’t mean joy is gone forever. It means your system may need care, time, and support. You don’t have to force yourself to “feel better” to move toward healing.

If this resonates with you, a mental health professional can help you explore what’s happening and find a path forward that feels manageable and supportive.

References & Further Reading

• Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Anhedonia: What it is, causes, symptoms & treatment.
  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/25155-anhedonia

• WebMD. (2025). Anhedonia: Meaning, types, causes, and treatment.
  https://www.webmd.com/depression/what-is-anhedonia

• Serretti, A. (2023). Anhedonia and depressive disorders. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience, 21(3), 401–409.
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10335915/

• Psychology Today. (n.d.). Anhedonia.
  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/anhedonia

• Hanuka, S., et al. (2023). Reduced anhedonia following cognitive‑behavioral therapy is mediated by enhanced reward circuit activation. Psychological Medicine.
  https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/abs/reduced-anhedonia-following-internetbased-cognitivebehavioral-therapy-for-depression-is-mediated-by-enhanced-reward-circuit-activation/B9806BEDB39FD3A4D60DCE12DF2C5AAB

Red Flags in Therapy: How to Know When a Therapist Isn’t the Right Fit—and How to Choose One Who Is

Therapy is often described as a safe space—and at its best, it truly is.
But the reality is this: not all therapy is good therapy, and not every licensed therapist practices ethically, attentively, or skillfully.

As a therapist myself, I’ve sat with many clients who didn’t just struggle before therapy—but were harmed by it.

Many of them hesitated to say anything because of thoughts like:

• “Maybe this is just my discomfort.”

• “They’re the professional—this must be normal.”

• “I don’t want to be difficult or dramatic.”

Let me be clear: If something in therapy feels wrong, dismissive, unsafe, or inappropriate, that matters.

Let’s talk about some very real red flags in therapy—including experiences clients have shared with me—and then we’ll cover how to choose a therapist who actually supports healing.

Common Red Flags in Therapy (Yes, These Are Real Examples)

1. The Therapist Is Distracted or Multitasking During Sessions

One client shared that their therapist routinely opened personal mail during sessions, sorting envelopes while the client talked about deeply distressing events.

Another described sessions being paused so the therapist could microwave food—then eat it in front of them while continuing the conversation.

These are not neutral behaviors.
They communicate something loudly and clearly:

You do not have my full attention.

Therapy requires presence. Multitasking during sessions—especially in ways unrelated to client care—undermines trust and signals a lack of professional boundaries.

2. The Session Becomes About the Therapist

I’ve heard from multiple clients who described sitting through entire sessions where:

• The therapist talked almost exclusively about their own life

• Personal stories were shared without clinical purpose

• No meaningful questions were asked

One client described leaving sessions thinking,

“I know more about my therapist than they know about me.”

Self‑disclosure can be helpful when it serves the client’s process.
When it replaces curiosity, assessment, and exploration, it’s a red flag.

Therapy is not a reciprocal friendship. It should be client‑centered at all times.

3. You Feel Judged, Shamed, or Dismissed

Therapy can be challenging—but it should never be shaming.

Red flags include:

• Being told you’re “overreacting” without exploration

• Subtle blame for your trauma responses

• Feeling criticized rather than understood

Discomfort that leads to growth feels very different from discomfort that comes from feeling minimized or evaluated.

4. The Therapist Pushes Forgiveness, Reconciliation, or “Moving On” Too Soon

This happens frequently, especially for trauma survivors.

Statements like:

• “Holding onto this isn’t healthy”

• “You just need to forgive them”

• “At some point you have to move on”

…can override your nervous system’s need for safety, pacing, and meaning‑making.

Healing is not a deadline‑based process. Forgiveness is a personal choice—not a therapeutic requirement.

5. Poor or Confusing Boundaries

Healthy therapy relies on clear, consistent boundaries.

Red flags include:

• Oversharing personal information without clinical purpose

• Boundary blurring that makes you feel responsible for the therapist’s feelings

• Contact outside of sessions that feels confusing or uncomfortable

Boundaries aren’t cold—they’re what make therapy feel safe, predictable, and grounded.

What Good Therapy Typically Feels Like

Good therapy isn’t perfect or painless—but it is respectful.

In healthy therapy:

• The therapist is present and attentive

• Your feedback is welcomed, not defended against

• You understand what you’re working on and why

• You feel more connected to yourself over time

A good therapist does not act as the authority on your life.
They work with you, not over you.

How to Choose a Therapist (Practical Guidance)

1. Look for Fit, Not Just Credentials

Licensure matters. Training matters.
But relational fit matters just as much.

You are allowed to ask:

• What approach they use

• How they handle feedback or ruptures

• What populations or issues they specialize in

You are not being difficult—you are being informed.

2. Notice the First Few Sessions

Early sessions should feel:

• Structured but flexible

• Curious rather than interrogative

• Emotionally safe, even if hard

Persistent uneasiness, dismissal, or boundary confusion early on usually doesn’t improve with time.

3. Know That Leaving Is Allowed

You do not owe a therapist:

• Loyalty

• Extra sessions to make it “less awkward”

• Silence if something doesn’t feel right

Ending therapy that isn’t helping is not failure. It is self‑advocacy.

A Final Word

Therapy can be deeply transformative—but only when it’s practiced ethically, skillfully, and with full respect for the person seeking help.

Trust your body’s cues.
Ask questions.
Expect attention, presence, and professionalism.

Good therapy should help you feel more empowered, not smaller.

Post-Divorce Pouncing: Why Hitting on Women Immediately After Divorce Is a Bad Idea

When a woman gets divorced, something predictable—and exhausting—often happens.

Before the paperwork is finalized, before the dust settles, sometimes before the ink is even dry, the messages start coming in. “Just checking on you.” “You deserve to be treated better.” “I’ve always admired you.”

What follows is rarely subtle. Support quickly morphs into flirtation. Concern turns into pursuit.

As both a therapist and a woman, I’ve seen this pattern repeatedly. It’s common, it’s harmful, and it deserves a name.

Counselors call it Post-Divorce Pouncing—a term that describes the tendency for people (most often men) to pursue women romantically or sexually immediately after a divorce or separation, mistaking vulnerability for availability.

Divorce Is Not a Dating Announcement

Divorce is often misread as a reset button:
She’s single now.
She must be lonely.
This is my chance.

But psychologically speaking, divorce is not an entry point into dating—it’s a major nervous system event.

Divorce typically involves:

• Grief and identity loss

• Disruption of emotional and physical safety

• Chronic stress tied to legal, financial, and parenting changes

• A period of emotional recalibration that can last months or years

From a clinical perspective, the brain and attachment system are in repair mode. People are reassessing who they are, what they want, and what they will no longer tolerate.

That moment is not about readiness—it’s about reconstruction.

What Is Post-Divorce Pouncing?

Post-Divorce Pouncing occurs when someone:

• Moves in romantically before emotional stabilization has occurred

• Interprets someone’s pain or openness as sexual or relational interest

• Treats vulnerability like an invitation rather than a boundary

It’s often framed as kindness or attraction, but the timing reveals something else: urgency rooted in opportunity, not mutual readiness.

Why Post-Divorce Pouncing Is a Problem

Even when intentions are not malicious, the impact can be harmful.

1. It Turns Support Into a Transaction

Women going through divorce often need:

• Stability

• Respectful connection

• Validation of their worth without strings attached

When support rapidly becomes romantic, the unspoken message can feel like:

“I care—as long as there’s something in it for me.”

That erodes trust, not builds it.

2. It Exploits a Temporary Power Imbalance

Periods of emotional upheaval can make people more likely to:

• Second-guess their instincts

• Accept attention rather than evaluate compatibility

• Confuse intensity with intimacy

This is how rebound relationships form—not from clarity, but from unhealed pain and skewed timing.

3. It Interrupts Necessary Healing

Emotional processing after divorce is not optional—it’s essential.

Rushing into new romantic dynamics can:

• Delay grief

• Reinforce avoidance rather than growth

• Create relationships built on distraction rather than stability

In therapy, we consistently see that untreated post-divorce grief resurfaces later—often inside the next relationship.

A Word to the People Doing the Pursuing

If you feel tempted to make a move immediately after someone’s divorce, pause and ask yourself:

• Am I responding to who this person is, or to an opening in the timeline?

• Would I move at this pace if she were emotionally steady?

• Am I offering space—or pressure?

Healthy interest is patient. It doesn’t rush intimacy or position itself as the solution to someone else’s loss.

To Women Navigating This Phase: You’re Not Overreacting

If you’ve felt overwhelmed by sudden attention or pressured to be “ready” before you are—nothing is wrong with you.

You are allowed to say no.
You are allowed to take space.
You are allowed to heal without being pursued.

Needing time is not resistance—it’s wisdom.

Final Thought

Divorce is not a signal to advance—it’s a signal to slow down.

If you genuinely respect a woman who is newly divorced, the most caring response might be giving her room to become whole again—without claiming, chasing, or rushing her becoming.

Post-Divorce Pouncing doesn’t create connection.
Presence, patience, and respect do.

Post Vacation Reflection: Coming Back Sunburned, Grateful, and Slightly Wobbly

There is something deeply humbling about returning from Spring Break vacation and realizing three things at once:

1. You are very glad you went.

2. You miss it already.

3. Your legs are not convinced you are back on land.

Stepping off the cruise ship, I genuinely wondered if I had forgotten how to walk. My body swayed like it was still negotiating waves, and for a brief moment I questioned whether balance—literal and metaphorical—was optional. It turns out, both take a minute to come back.

That felt like an appropriate metaphor for this season of life.

As I ease back into routines, inboxes, and the laundry that somehow multiplied while we were gone, one feeling keeps rising above the rest: gratitude.

It is a privilege to be healthy.
It is a privilege to have a healthy family.
It is a privilege to have the financial ability and flexibility to take a vacation at all.

And it is a privilege to be invited into community.

Grateful for the Invitation—and the People Who Made It Sweeter

This trip wasn’t something we did alone. We were invited by a generous group, and one of the unexpected gifts of the week was connecting not just with them, but with their extended family as well. Shared meals, easy conversations, laughter that didn’t require explanation—those moments mattered.

There is something grounding about being welcomed into spaces where connection feels natural and unforced. It reminded me that rest isn’t only about location; it’s about who you’re with. Community has a way of multiplying joy and making memories feel richer, and we are deeply thankful for the people who made this experience possible.

The Beach Photo That Says Everything

Like all good family vacations, there is the photo.

Our family beach photo includes my 14‑year‑old son, who made it very clear that participation was not his preference. He didn’t refuse outright—because he’s kind—but he did protest. Subtly. In the background. With his whole body.

So there we are: smiling, sun‑kissed, grateful… and behind us, a teenager silently communicating, I am here against my will.

Honestly? I love that picture. Because it’s honest. It captures the stage of life we’re in—where togetherness sometimes looks like compromise, eye‑rolling, and showing up anyway.

And that matters.

Holding Time Gently With My Daughter

One of the sweetest gifts of this trip was the time with my 11‑year‑old daughter. Unhurried conversations. Laughter. Shared moments that didn’t need multitasking.

If I’m being honest, I often work more than I should. I love my work. I believe deeply in it. But vacations have a way of gently reminding me that time is both precious and fleeting.

She is still at an age where she wants to be close, where presence matters more than productivity. That awareness sat tenderly with me this week—not with guilt, but with intention. Time together isn’t something to schedule later. It’s something to cherish now.

Naming the Burnout (Because It Was There)

This vacation came at a moment when I was burned out.

Not the dramatic, fall‑apart kind—but the quieter version that sneaks in when responsibility stacks up, when you’re holding space for others, making decisions, and carrying emotional weight for a long time without much pause. The kind where you’re still functioning, still caring, still showing up—but you’re tired in a way that sleep alone doesn’t fix.

Winter intensified that for me. Short days. Full calendars. A nervous system that had been “on” for longer than I realized.

I didn’t fully notice how depleted I was until we slowed down.

Vacation didn’t erase the burnout—but it interrupted it. It gave my nervous system a chance to settle. It reminded me what it feels like to wake up without urgency, to laugh without multitasking, to be present without planning the next thing.

From a psychoeducation standpoint, this matters: burnout recovery is less about escaping responsibility and more about helping the body complete stress responses and return to a felt sense of safety.

Gentle Burnout Recovery Reminders (Inspired by Emily Nagoski)

One framework I often return to—personally and professionally—comes from Emily Nagoski’s work on burnout. A few gentle reminders that stood out to me on this trip:

• Burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s what happens when stress accumulates faster than our bodies can process it. You’re not broken—you’re overloaded.

• Rest alone doesn’t complete the stress cycle. Sleep is important, but our bodies often need movement, connection, laughter, or emotional expression to truly reset.

• Physical movement helps the body feel “done.” Even gentle walking, stretching, or dancing can signal to the nervous system that the stressor has passed.

• Connection is regulation. Safe relationships—shared meals, hugs, laughter, meaningful conversation—help the body return to calm far more effectively than isolation.

• Burnout recovery happens in small, repeated moments. Not one vacation. Not one weekend. But consistent permission to rest, connect, and slow down over time.

Burnout narrows our world. These practices slowly widen it again.

The Ups, the Downs, and the Reset We Needed

Yes, there were beautiful moments—sunshine, slow mornings, meals without rushing, laughter that felt lighter than it has in months. There were also tired moments, overstimulation, minor meltdowns, and at least one “Why did we think this would be restful?” realization.

Vacation doesn’t remove real life. It just gives it a different backdrop.

But after a long winter—emotionally, mentally, and seasonally—this reset mattered. Winter has a way of tightening us up. By the time spring arrives, many of us don’t realize how much we’ve been bracing until we finally stop.

This trip gave us space to breathe again.

Health, Provision, and the Gift of Possibility

One quiet but powerful truth stayed with me: none of this is guaranteed.

Health is not guaranteed.
Time is not guaranteed.
Opportunities to rest, travel, and reconnect are not guaranteed.

Being able to walk off a ship (eventually), spend time with people we love, meet new family friends, laugh together, and simply be—that is a gift.

Gratitude doesn’t deny hardship. It deepens appreciation for what is present.

Coming Home Re‑Grounded (and Mostly Steady)

I didn’t come home magically transformed or suddenly immune to stress. But I did come home more grounded. More aware of what matters. More committed to protecting time with my family—and to remembering that balance, like sea legs, takes intentional recalibration.

And yes, I’m still finding my footing.

If this season finds you tired, longing for rest, or unsure how to regain balance, let this be your reminder: renewal doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes it starts with stepping away. Sometimes it starts with gratitude. Sometimes it starts with noticing the beauty—even when someone is protesting in the background.

I’m grateful we went.
I’m grateful for the people who invited us and welcomed us.
I’m grateful we came back.
And I’m grateful for the reminder of what truly steadies us.

Resources

• Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. (2019). Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Ballantine Books.

• Nagoski, E. & Nagoski, A. Burnout Project & resources: https://www.burnoutbook.net/

• CPTSD Foundation. Completing the Stress Cycle (overview of Nagoski’s framework)

The State of the Union: A Weekly Check‑In That Can Transform Your Relationship

Most couples don’t drift apart because they don’t care.
They drift apart because life gets loud.

Between work, kids, stress, trauma histories, neurodivergent brains, grief, and exhaustion, relationships often become reactive instead of intentional. Conversations turn into arguments. Important topics get avoided. And before you know it, connection gets replaced by distance.

That’s where the Gottman Method’s “State of the Union” meeting comes in.

This isn’t about fixing everything or having perfect communication. It’s about creating a predictable, emotionally safe space to check in, repair, and stay connected—before resentment builds.

What Is a State of the Union Meeting?

Developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, the State of the Union is a weekly relationship check‑in designed to help couples:

• Stay emotionally connected

• Address concerns gently

• Build appreciation and fondness

• Reduce blow‑ups and emotional shutdowns

Think of it as preventative maintenance for your relationship, not a crisis meeting.

According to the Gottman Institute, this structured conversation helps couples talk about what’s working, what’s not, and what needs attention—without turning every issue into a fight.

Why Weekly Check‑Ins Matter

Many couples tell me,

“We talk all the time—why do we need a meeting?”

Here’s the difference:
Most daily conversations are logistical (“Who’s picking up the kids?”) or reactive (“Why didn’t you text me back?”).

The State of the Union is intentional.

Research consistently shows that how couples talk about problems predicts relationship outcomes more than the problems themselves. Regular check‑ins reduce defensiveness, increase emotional attunement, and help couples feel like a team again.

The Four Core Parts (Made Practical)

1. Start With Appreciation (Yes, Even If You’re Annoyed)

Each partner shares five specific appreciations from the past week.

Not:

“Thanks for being a good spouse.”

But:

“I appreciated how you handled bedtime when I was overwhelmed. It made me feel supported.”

Why this matters: Appreciation activates safety in the nervous system and sets a collaborative tone for harder conversations.

Tip: If five feels like too much, start with three. Consistency matters more than perfection.

2. Talk About What Went Well

This step is often skipped—and it’s a mistake.

Ask:

• When did we feel connected this week?

• What did we handle well together?

• What do we want to keep doing?

Couples who intentionally name their strengths build emotional resilience, making it easier to navigate conflict when it shows up.

3. Address Concerns Gently (One at a Time)

This isn’t the time to unload the entire relationship history.

Choose one issue or a “regrettable incident” from the week.

Use a softened start‑up, which the Gottman research shows is crucial for preventing escalation:

“I feel ___ about ___, and what I need is ___.”

Example:

“I felt disconnected when we didn’t talk after dinner. I need some intentional check‑in time.”

During this part, Gottman emphasizes ATTUNEMENT:

• Awareness

• Tolerance

• Turning toward

• Understanding

• Non‑defensive listening

• Empathy

Tip: If either partner feels flooded or overwhelmed, pause. Regulation comes before resolution.

4. End With Connection

Before wrapping up:

• Express affection

• Thank each other for showing up

• Name one thing you’re hopeful about

This helps the conversation end in connection rather than depletion, reinforcing that you’re on the same side.

Making It Work in Real Life

Let’s be honest—weekly meetings can sound unrealistic.

Here’s how couples actually make it stick:

• ✅ Same day, same time each week

• ✅ Phones away

• ✅ Keep it under 60 minutes

• ✅ Snacks count as emotional support

Some couples start with 15–20 minutes and build from there. That still counts.

When It’s Especially Helpful

The State of the Union is particularly powerful for couples navigating:

• Parenting stress

• ADHD or neurodivergence

• Trauma or loss

• High‑conflict cycles

• Emotional distance

It provides structure when emotions feel messy and safety when conversations feel risky.

Final Thoughts

Healthy relationships aren’t conflict‑free.
They’re repair‑rich.

The State of the Union isn’t about doing everything right—it’s about showing up regularly, with intention, curiosity, and care.

If you’re feeling stuck, disconnected, or unsure how to have these conversations without things spiraling, couples therapy can help guide the process and tailor it to your unique relationship.

Your relationship deserves that kind of care.

Spring Break Isn’t Always a Break: Managing Stress, Expectations, and Overstimulation

Spring break is supposed to feel like relief.

A pause.
A reset.
A chance to rest, connect, and maybe even enjoy ourselves.

And yet, for many people—especially parents, caregivers, and neurodivergent adults—spring break can feel anything but restful. In my therapy office, I hear it every year: “I thought I’d feel better… but I’m more exhausted than before.”

As both a therapist and someone with ADHD, I want to say this clearly:

If spring break doesn’t feel like a break for you, you’re not doing it wrong.

Why Spring Break Can Increase Stress Instead of Relieve It

Spring break often disrupts the very things that help us feel regulated: routine, predictability, and structure. School schedules change. Work expectations stay the same. Childcare becomes more complicated. Travel, crowds, noise, and social demands increase.

From a nervous‑system perspective, our bodies don’t automatically interpret “time off” as safe or calming. For many people—especially those already stretched thin—these sudden shifts can push us outside our window of tolerance, making regulation harder, not easier.

This isn’t a personal failure.
It’s biology.

The Pressure to Make Spring Break “Magical”

There’s also an unspoken expectation that spring break should be special.

Fun.
Memory‑making.
Instagram‑worthy.

But that pressure—especially for parents—can quietly turn into emotional labor. Planning, coordinating, managing behavior, keeping everyone entertained, and making it all look effortless takes energy. A lot of it.

At Summit Family Therapy, we often talk about the importance of good‑enough parenting—letting go of perfection in favor of connection and compassion. Spring break is a perfect place to practice that mindset.

Your kids don’t need a perfect break.
They need a regulated, emotionally available adult.

And sometimes that means lowering the bar.

A Personal Note: Spring Break and ADHD

I want to share this from a personal place.

As someone with ADHD, spring break can be especially challenging for me. Changes in routine are hard. Increased noise and stimulation drain my energy quickly. Transitions—between activities, plans, or expectations—take more mental effort than most people realize.

Even “fun” can be overstimulating.

When I don’t plan for that, I find myself more irritable, more exhausted, and more likely to feel like I’m failing at things that should feel easy. Over time, I’ve learned that managing ADHD during breaks isn’t about pushing through—it’s about working with my brain instead of against it.

That means building in recovery time, protecting my energy, and being honest about my limits. This isn’t weakness. It’s self‑awareness.

Having a Plan and Managing Expectations Can Reduce Anxiety

One of the most helpful things we can do during spring break is hold two truths at the same time:

• Having some plan can reduce anxiety

• Rigid expectations can increase it

For many people—especially those with anxiety, ADHD, or trauma histories—uncertainty is one of the biggest stressors. When everything feels up in the air, our brains stay on high alert. A loose plan—knowing what the day generally holds, what’s expected, and what support is available—can help calm the nervous system.

At the same time, overly detailed or perfectionistic plans often backfire. When things inevitably don’t go exactly as expected (because… life), frustration and self‑criticism creep in.

What tends to work best is flexible structure:

• A general rhythm to the day

• One or two priority activities

• Built‑in downtime

• Permission to change plans without guilt

As someone with ADHD, I function best when I know what’s coming—but I also need space to pivot if my energy, focus, or regulation shifts. A plan gives my brain a sense of safety; realistic expectations give me compassion.

If your plan includes the possibility that plans may change, you’re already reducing anxiety.

Overstimulation Is Real—For Kids and Adults

Spring break often brings more screens, more social interaction, more outings, and less downtime. For neurodivergent kids (and adults), that level of stimulation can lead to meltdowns, shutdowns, irritability, or withdrawal.

These aren’t behavior problems.
They’re signs of a nervous system that needs support.

Some gentle ways to reduce overstimulation during breaks:

• Keep a few predictable anchors in the day

• Build in low‑demand, quiet time

• Lower expectations for productivity

• Normalize rest without earning it

Regulation doesn’t come from doing more—it often comes from doing less.

Redefining What “Rest” Really Means

Rest doesn’t always look like naps or vacations. Sometimes rest looks like:

• Fewer plans

• More flexibility

• Letting go of comparison

• Permission to be human

Spring break doesn’t have to restore you completely. It just needs to not deplete you further.

A Gentle Reminder

If spring break feels hard, you’re not broken.
If you’re counting down until routine returns, you’re not ungrateful.
If you need support navigating stress, transitions, or burnout, you’re not alone.

Mental health care isn’t just for crisis—it’s also for seasons like this, when life feels heavier than expected and you want support making sense of it.

Be gentle with yourself this spring.
Good enough really is enough.

When a TV Show Feels Like Therapy: The Power of Corrective Emotional Experiences

Have you ever watched a TV show or movie that affected you more deeply than you expected?

I’ve had that experience more times than I can count—Heated Rivalry, Heartstopper, and This Is Us, just to name a few. What starts as “just a show” somehow turns into tears on the couch, a lump in your throat, or a quiet realization that stays with you long after the credits roll.

There’s something incredibly powerful about storytelling. Certain shows and films connect with us in ways that feel surprisingly healing—sometimes even reaching places that have taken years to explore in therapy. I’ve had moments of emotional clarity arrive in just a few episodes that took much longer to uncover elsewhere.

In therapy, we have a name for experiences like this: Corrective Emotional Experiences (CEEs). A CEE is “a therapeutic process that allows someone to re‑experience past emotional pain in a safe environment, with a different—often more supportive—outcome.” In simpler terms, it’s when something familiar plays out in a new, healing way.

While CEEs are often associated with the therapy room, they don’t only happen there. More and more, clients share how meaningful moments in popular media have served as corrective experiences for them. Shows like This Is Us, Heated Rivalry, Heartstopper, and Parenthood have been deeply transformative for many people.

Most of us have “comfort shows”—the ones we return to again and again. But we don’t always stop to ask why.

Sometimes, it’s because those stories give us something we didn’t receive when we needed it most.

Relationship expert Esther Perel touches on this beautifully while discussing Heated Rivalry. She describes watching the show with a friend who had already seen it multiple times. As she watched, she noticed something striking: just when she braced herself for something painful or disappointing to happen, the characters responded with care, understanding, or love instead.

That unexpected shift—that moment when harm doesn’t occur—is the heart of a corrective emotional experience.

We see this in powerful ways across popular shows:

In both Heated Rivalry and Heartstopper, when a main character comes out to their mom, the anticipated rejection never comes. Instead of being shut down or pushed away, they are met with unconditional love and acceptance.

In This Is Us, when Rebecca grieves the loss of Jack, she isn’t left alone in her pain. She is surrounded by support, community, and care. The same is true for her children—Kate, Randall, and Kevin—who repeatedly encounter compassion in moments where they might have expected disconnection or misunderstanding.

These moments matter because they mirror real emotional experiences—grief, fear, vulnerability. When we see our own stories reflected on screen, it can feel both exposing and comforting. And when those stories unfold differently than our own—when they end in connection instead of hurt—it can slowly reshape what we expect from others and even what we believe we deserve.

This may be one reason we rewatch certain shows again and again. It isn’t just about familiarity. Rewatching can be regulating. It can be healing. It can be a way of giving ourselves access to the responses we needed but didn’t receive at the time.

Of course, meaningful media doesn’t replace real, relational healing. In therapy, corrective emotional experiences happen in real time—in a space where your story is known, held, and responded to with care.

Still, if you’ve ever noticed yourself having a strong emotional reaction to a show or movie, it might be worth getting curious about that. There may be something important there—something your mind and body are trying to process or heal.

And you don’t have to do that work alone.

So I’m curious—what shows or movies have offered you a corrective emotional experience?

As for me, I’ll be over here rewatching Gilmore Girls.

Resources
Hartman, D., & Zimberoff, D. (2004). Corrective Emotional Experience in the Therapeutic Process.