Creative Counseling

As a therapist-in-training, I hear this a lot. Someone has heard about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, more commonly known as EMDR, and they are curious about it. They may have read about it online, heard about it from a friend, or had another therapist recommend it. But right alongside the curiosity is fear. “What if it makes things worse?” “What if I open something I can’t close?” “What if I fall apart?” “What if I am not ready?” Those fears make sense. EMDR

There is something wildly humbling and exciting about registering for your final semester of graduate school at 50 years old. At 22, people expect you to still be figuring things out. At 50, people sometimes assume you already have. But life has a funny way of reminding us that growth does not have an expiration date. For many people, there is a quiet dream that gets pushed to the side. Maybe it is going back to school. Maybe it is changing careers, starting therapy, writing

When people talk about marriage, they often talk about the highlights — the wedding, the honeymoon, the idea of finding your “person.” But very few people talk honestly about what happens after the photos are framed and real life settles in. The truth is, marriage can be incredibly meaningful… and incredibly hard at the same time. Not because you married the wrong person.Not because something is broken.But because marriage requires two imperfect people to grow, change, and n

There’s a subtle shift that happens in relationships—often without either person realizing it. A question starts to feel like criticism.A comment sounds like blame.A tone gets interpreted as disrespect. And before long, two people who genuinely care about each other are no longer talking—they’re defending. In couples counseling, this shows up all the time. One partner says something relatively neutral, and the other hears it through a lens of protection rather than connection

There’s a common misconception about couples counseling—that the work only happens during the session. You show up, you talk things through, maybe you feel a little lighter… and then you go back to real life. But the truth is, the session is just the starting point. What actually shapes your relationship is what happens in the in-between. The text messages, the tone after a long day, the conversations that almost happen—but don’t. That space between sessions is where patterns

Let’s be honest—dating over 40 is a whole different sport. We’re not out here trying to “see what happens.” We’ve seen what happens. We’ve lived what happens. We’ve healed from what happened. And now? We’re just trying to meet someone who knows what they want… and actually acts like it. Simple, right? Enter: online dating. You download the app thinking, “Okay, let me be open.” You upload a few good pictures (not too filtered, because we’re grown), write a thoughtful bio, and

For today’s teens, social media is not just something they use—it is part of the environment they live in. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and others have become central to how young people socialize, express themselves, and stay connected. But alongside the benefits of connection comes a level of pressure that many adults never experienced growing up. Teenagers today are navigating a world where their lives can feel constantly visible. There is often an unspoken

In a recent class discussion, we spent time talking about the state of the world. The conversation was thoughtful and heartfelt. Many of my classmates shared concerns about the direction of the country and what it means for their families, their communities, and their sense of safety. As I listened, something struck me. Many of the people speaking were experiencing a kind of disillusionment with the country that felt new to them. There was a sense of shock that systems they o

This winter has been relentless. Illness, weather, and constant schedule changes have made even simple plans feel uncertain. What was meant to be a quick weekend trip to New Orleans recently turned into something much longer. A blizzard cancelled our flight home to New York, and in the moment, we made a last-minute decision to reroute to Puerto Rico. While the sunshine and ocean have been a gift, I arrived here still recovering from the flu, working remotely, keeping up with

If you’ve felt like everything is a little…off lately, you’re not alone.The news cycle is relentless. Politics feels like a contact sport. School shootings shake any sense of safety we try to hold onto. People are arguing with strangers, family members, coworkers. And somehow, even in the middle of all that, someone stole a grandma. I mean…what? It’s a lot. And our nervous systems know it. When the outside world feels chaotic, our brains go into overdrive trying to make sense