Finding out you’re pregnant is a rollercoaster of emotions. First, you will inevitably be shocked at the news, which may be quickly replaced with excitement. This is a new chapter of your life, and even if you’ve experienced pregnancy before, there are a lot of unknowns that come with this experience. While pregnancy is often touted as a special and cherished time, it isn’t always as idyllic as expected. As your body rapidly changes to accommodate this new life inside you, it is also undergoing hormonal changes simultaneously. While your mind and body work together, the consistently fluct ..read more

Let’s face it: being a parent is hard. While meaningful, bringing in a new life into this world can result in both anxiety and distress around the unknown and the additional responsibility of caring for the well-being of a newborn. Whether this is your first, second, or third child the postpartum phase is often difficult for parents. Many new parents try to take each moment and day as they come. The excitement of bringing home a new baby is palpable. However, with that excitement can often come anxiety, stress, and subsequent feelings of sadness. For some parents this experience of anxiety and ..read more

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can impact many areas of a person’s life. OCD presents with distressing symptoms that sometimes can feel hard to manage. One area that can be impacted by OCD but is often not focused on is relationships. When an individual is struggling with OCD it is often pervasive throughout their daily lives, especially in their relationships. OCD often not only impacts the individual, but also their friendships, romantic partners, coworkers, and family. Through distressing intrusive thoughts OCD influences the way someone thinks and thus behaves in life. When an individ ..read more

We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t feel regret. Let’s face it: we all have done or said things in the past we wish we hadn’t. We all wish we had done something differently or gone a different route. It’s hard not to look back at your life and wonder, “What if?” Feeling intense emotions, such as guilt, shame, or regret, can be all-consuming. There are both positive and negative aspects of the spectrum of emotions we feel as humans. Certain difficult emotions can be beneficial and an opportunity for growth when they are met with acceptance and understanding. Through acknowledgement of mistakes, w ..read more

No one ever said parenting would be easy. Worth it? Yes, even if it doesn’t seem like it on the bad days. You brought your newborn baby home and knew you would experience a significant life transition. Having a child changes all aspects of your life from scheduling, relationships, to values. While some of these changes are undoubtedly positive, a significant amount of uncertainty comes with having another human who relies entirely on you. While you weren’t expecting it to be 24/7 bliss, individuals with postpartum anxiety are often shocked at the intensity of the worry and fear that can occur ..read more

Being a parent comes with many challenges. You understand how fragile yet resilient your child is. You know there will be growing pains as they get older. Expecting challenges, triumphs, and everything in between is par for the course when raising children. As much as you may want to help them through every difficulty and struggle, in some cases, these situations are learning experiences that they need to grow. When it comes to mental health, many parents struggle with knowing what exactly to do. Are they just having a bad week, day, month? Is there something more going on? Is it just part of ..read more

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be a debilitating disorder. When struggling with OCD an individual’s functioning and quality of life can be impaired.  Living with OCD often means frequent interruptions throughout the day to perform compulsions or ruminate in obsessive thoughts. OCD is not rare. OCD affects approximately 2.5 million people in the United States. When an individual is struggling with OCD loved ones and friends might be unsure around how they can support them. Here are some concrete steps anyone can take to support a loved one with OCD. Educate Yourself The first step ..read more

Emotional regulation skills are incredibly important for maintaining our overall health and well-being. These skills not only help us to work through difficult emotions, but they also facilitate positive and enriching emotional experiences. While there are various techniques that can be utilized to navigate challenging emotions, this article will focus on a strategy that aims to reduce emotional vulnerabilities to overwhelming emotions and serves as one of the first steps in navigating difficult situations. The specific skill featured in this article is helpful for regulating emotions and reso ..read more

It’s normal to experience anxiety or situations that make us anxious. After the situation is over, however, life should return to normal, and these feelings will go away. However, for those who experience chronic anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), it is a different story. If you’re reading this post, it likely means that you experience anxiety attacks but don’t know how to calm them. It’s common for many people to feel as if their anxiety attacks won’t ever end, even if we know that eventually, they will. Before we can talk about how to calm an anxiety attack, let’s go over what th ..read more

Fear and worry are typical for people of all ages. In the case of children, these emotions can be helpful. They teach us about being cautious when necessary and how to develop coping skills. Ideally, they also teach us how to identify a false fear. In other words, a fearful child is nothing to be concerned about — until it is. You see, any child can get caught in a cycle of fearfulness. An experience — real, imagined, or witnessed — can cause them to worry about their safety and the safety of their loved ones. If left unaddressed, this pattern can negatively shape a child’s perception and pers ..read more