Blog

The term “trauma” is being used more frequently in therapy, mainstream media, and everyday conversations. Some people feel that the term is overused as another “pop psychology” buzzword and question the validity of so many people identifying as having experienced trauma. Personally, I believe there are two main reasons why the word "trauma" is becoming more widely discussed:

There have been many occasions when a client has come into my office asking, “Am I depressed?” It is definitely not always obvious if a person is depressed. Psychologists undergo years of training to learn how to tease out various everyday common symptoms into a diagnosable “disorder”. The DSM-5 classifies Major Depressive Disorder as “5 or more symptoms during a 2 week period that are a change from previous functioning that are not attributable to a medical condition”.

Relationships—whether friends, family, coworkers, romantic partners, neighbors, or even a random passerby—are a key part of the human experience. Life is made up of all different kinds of relationships, endless connections and disconnections, which can shape us as individuals and our environment. They can also be a limitless source of joy and energy while also being an endless pit of distress, pain, and anger.

Have you ever stopped to think about how many roles you play in your life? Roles within your personal life and also in the professional realm? Perhaps you are a daughter, sister, granddaughter, wife, mother, aunt… or a son, brother, grandson, husband, father, uncle, cousin… friend, godparent, and the list goes on... And that’s just in your personal life. What about a work? Most of us have jobs where we play multiple roles each day. For instance, not long ago, I was a hospital clinician, a researcher on an NIH funded study, and a supervisor to clinical psychology doctoral students doing their practicum training at just one job! With each role we play comes a different list of duties and responsibilities. How do we find balance in juggling these multiple roles? 

A little help over the holidays?  Now that’s something we can all be grateful for!  

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, many of us are preparing to spend time with family and loved ones. Although this time of year can be filled with joy, many of my clients have expressed anxiety around confronting the toxic nature of their families.