Articles

Man with his hands on his temples as he looks at laptop with notebook beside it managing high-functioning anxiety

What Is High-Functioning Anxiety?: When Anxiety Doesn’t Look Like Anxiety

September 24, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, self-care, trauma therapy, work stress

I have had moments when my anxiety peaks and makes it hard for me to tend to my responsibilities or spend time with the people I love. I remember one panic attack when I was scheduled to take my kid out for a bike ride. My stomach was in knots the whole time, I felt sick to my stomach, and was anywhere but present while…

Person in medical scrubs resting on a couch, learning to practice self-care.

Why Is Self-Care So Hard for High Achievers?: Learning to Listen to and Care for Your Body

August 25, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, trauma therapy

I grew up with two immigrant parents who seemed to live to work. I can’t speak to who they could have been if they hadn’t immigrated to the United States and specifically to West Los Angeles, where they were surrounded by wealth and always trying to keep up. But I can share that my father was often up before 5 am to head to the…

How to Tell If Your Teen Is Struggling Socially (Not Just Being a Teenager)

July 30, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges,

Most of us can remember struggling through adolescence, and those are definitely years that I am glad to have survived and left behind. When I was in high school, my parents were struggling financially, my father was in poor health, and my family was seemingly always in crisis. I was confused about my sexuality and my classes felt impossible. It all hit me, and hard,…

What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy and How Do You Know If It’s Right for You?: Understanding Trauma Informed Therapy

June 16, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, , trauma, trauma therapy

I saw my first therapist when I was a child, and have seen close to a dozen since. In Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of them, and while I was fortunate to work with some who were genuinely helpful, I’ve also had my share of experiences that were, at best, unhelpful and at worst, harmful. Therapists are human. We make mistakes, we miss things, and…

What Is Your Anger Really Trying to Tell You?: Understanding Anger, What Lies Beneath It, and How to Begin Listening

May 28, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, grief counseling, relationship challenges, , trauma, trauma therapy

Growing up in my Iranian household, anger scared the shit out of me. My parents, who both worked all the time and were generally overwhelmed themselves, weren’t necessarily quick to anger, but when they felt angry, they would explode. It wasn’t uncommon, and it never felt okay. I remember my father’s left eyebrow jumping up before the yelling started. That was the signal to make…

Flowers held over a person's shoulder in what looks like a self-embrace to reflect learning how to forgive

What Is Forgiveness and Why Does It Matter for Your Mental Health?

April 27, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, grief counseling, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

Running a business has taught me things I never expected to learn about myself, and not the things you might think. Yes, I’ve navigated the learning curve of marketing, profit and loss statements, and building a website from scratch. I once spent months dealing with a legal threat after using a photo without permission, and I settled in a way that still stings a little…

Can Therapy Help With Chronic Pain? What the Research Shows and Why Therapy for Chronic Pain Helps

March 17, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

When my older brother was in his last year of college, he developed a condition where he would break out in intense, painful hives whenever he was excited or stressed, when it was hot outside, when he was exercising, or even when he stepped into a hot shower. I watched as it turned his life upside down. He had been struggling with depression before college,…

What Is EMDR Therapy?: A Los Angeles Therapist Explains How It Works and What to Expect

February 24, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, , trauma, trauma therapy

I learned about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) long before I ever experienced it. People described it almost reverently, as a kind of last resort that actually worked, something that helped people recover when other approaches hadn’t. Of course I was curious. It took me years to fully understand how much of what I was struggling with was rooted in trauma, so I didn’t…

What Is Emotional Dysregulation? Signs, Causes, and Tools That Actually Work When You Feel Out of Control

January 29, 2026

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, burnout, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, relationship challenges, self-care, , trauma, trauma therapy

Yesterday morning, my daughter and I were running late to school. Again. The crosswalk light was blinking as we approached the busy intersection near our home in Los Angeles, and she started to dart across the street. “I don’t want to be late!” she yelled over her shoulder. My body reacted before my brain caught up. My heart lurched, my breath caught, and I screamed…

Why We Keep Buying Things: Emotional Spending, Impulse Shopping, and Mental Health

December 18, 2025

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, coping patterns, depression, depression therapy, poor self-esteem, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy

I love stuff. I love buying things, decorating my home, adorning myself with jewelry. I’m delighted by a new outfit, and few things bring me as much joy as snagging something I’ve been coveting on sale. I grew up with a mother who dragged me to yard sales and estate sales every weekend. As a small child, this wasn’t exactly how I wanted to spend…

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