When you’re searching for a new therapist, you may be confused by the different letters next to everyone’s name: Psy.D, Ph.D, LMFT, LPC, LCAT, MD, PMHNP. You might see the initials LCSW, standing for licensed clinical social worker. In honor of March being Social Work Month, here is a primer on what exactly distinguishes an LCSW from other types of therapists.  What makes a clinical social worker unique?  Licensed clinical social workers attend social work graduate school for two years, followed by typically 3 years as an LMSW (licensed master social worker) where they are conductin ..read more

Being in love is a wonderful feeling. You are discovering a new partner who makes you feel seen, who excites you, and who you can see building a strong relationship together. But when you have relationship anxiety, the surprises and discoveries of a growing bond can feel scary instead of exciting.  What is Relationship Anxiety?  Relationship anxiety occurs when you feel insecure in your relationship. This may manifest as self-doubting thoughts about how your partner feels about you, a feeling of constant concern about the long term viability of the relationship, excessive stress abo ..read more

Becoming pregnant for the first time can bring up many questions: what will it be like, will I connect with my baby, how will I manage sleep deprivation? This time of your life can also create identity confusion or even crises as you gear up to become a parent. You might be asking yourself if you will lose parts of yourself as your priorities change. Perhaps you’re nervous about what kind of parent you will be, which is eliciting thoughts around how you were raised. Often, first time pregnant people take a microscope to the gender norms or family structures  they have grown up with or ma ..read more

Are you pregnant after a loss?  Nothing can be more daunting than going back to the OB-GYN office for routine check ups and testing when your last pregnancy was not routine for you and your family. It can be difficult and even traumatic to be back at the doctor’s office when you’re as anxious as you are. You may be worried about getting to the same week of when your loss happened during your previous pregnancy, or you may be extra worried about genetic testing, the nuchal test, or your 20 week anatomy scan. You may feel nervous to speak up when your doctor is in the room. You might find ..read more