June 2026

Have you ever had a strong feeling about something, only to talk yourself out of it moments later? Maybe you sensed that a relationship was no longer healthy, but told yourself you were being “too sensitive.” Maybe a job looked wonderful on paper, yet something in your body felt tense, heavy, or unsure. Still, you pushed that feeling aside and convinced yourself you should be grateful. This quiet inner pattern is often called self-gaslighting. Self-gaslighting happens when you dismiss, minimize, or question your own feelings, needs, memories, or instincts. Instead of trusting your inner experience, you begin to argue with it. You may...

Have you ever noticed yourself rubbing your temples when you feel tense, placing a hand on your chest when you’re emotional, or wringing your hands when anxiety rises? These gestures may seem small, but they are deeply intelligent. The body often reaches for comfort before the mind has words for what it needs. Intentional self-touch is a simple, accessible way to support nervous system regulation. It can help create a felt sense of safety, grounding, and connection, especially during moments of stress, anxiety, overwhelm, or emotional disconnection. We often look outside ourselves for soothing: a hug from someone we love, a cozy blanket,...

Have you ever felt a knot in your stomach when asked to do something you didn’t want to do, yet heard yourself say “yes” anyway? Or maybe you’ve ignored that quiet inner voice telling you to rest, pushing through exhaustion instead. These moments might seem small, but they are powerful messages we send to our nervous system. Each time we override our own needs, we subtly tell ourselves that we aren’t a priority. But what if we started doing the opposite? When you begin to say “yes” to yourself, a remarkable transformation occurs. You start building a powerful feedback loop of confidence and...

Have you ever felt like you were either a complete success or a total failure? Like one hard conversation meant a relationship was falling apart, or one mistake meant you had ruined everything? This is often called black and white thinking, or all-or-nothing thinking. It is a common cognitive pattern where the mind divides life into extremes: good or bad, right or wrong, safe or unsafe, success or failure. And while this way of thinking can feel frustrating, it is not a personal flaw. In many cases, it is your nervous system trying to protect you. As a therapist who works with trauma,...

Have you ever felt like you were either a complete success or a total failure? Like one difficult conversation meant a relationship was falling apart, or one mistake meant you had ruined everything? If so, you are not alone. This pattern is often called black and white thinking, or all-or-nothing thinking. It is a common way the mind tries to simplify a complicated world. When life feels uncertain, overwhelming, or emotionally charged, the brain may reach for extremes because extremes can feel more manageable than the unknown. But while black and white thinking may create a temporary sense of control, it can also...

A loved one takes longer than usual to text back, and suddenly your mind imagines an accident. A small mistake at work turns into a fear that you’ll lose your job. A shift in someone’s tone makes you wonder if the relationship is in danger. This pattern is called catastrophic thinking. The mind’s tendency to leap toward the most extreme negative outcome. If this feels familiar, please know this: you are not broken, and you are not alone. Your brain and body are trying to protect you. The alarm system may simply be working harder than it needs to. Catastrophic thinking is...

Have you ever caught yourself reacting in a way that feels bigger than the moment? Maybe your chest tightens the instant your boss emails you. Maybe Sunday afternoons bring a familiar heaviness. Maybe a loved one’s tone makes you feel defensive before you even know why. It can be easy to think, This is just who I am. But often, that is not the full story. Many of our emotional and physical reactions are shaped by patterns our nervous system learned a long time ago. These responses are not random, and they are not signs that something is wrong with you. They are...

Have you ever had a feeling so strong it seemed like absolute truth? Maybe anxiety rose before a presentation and your mind immediately said, I’m going to fail. Or maybe jealousy appeared in your relationship and suddenly it felt certain that my partner doesn’t care about me. These moments can feel incredibly convincing. Emotions often arrive with urgency, intensity, and a powerful sense of certainty. But even when feelings are real and valid, they are not always facts. This is not about dismissing your emotions. It is about understanding them more clearly. As a therapist specializing in nervous system healing, trauma-informed care, and...

Have you ever felt that sharp sting of disappointment when something did not go the way you hoped? Maybe it was a promotion you felt sure you would get, a date you thought would go beautifully, or a family holiday that was supposed to feel joyful but ended in tension. That pain is real. It is not just “in your head.” Often, the deepest hurt does not come only from the event itself, but from the gap between our expectations and reality. As a psychologist specializing in nervous system healing, I see this often. We naturally create stories about how things...

Have you ever found yourself consumed by thoughts of another person? Maybe it feels like more than a crush, more like an intense, obsessive experience where your whole day depends on whether they smiled at you, texted back, or seemed interested. If so, you may be experiencing limerence. Limerence can feel like the height of romantic love, but it often brings anxiety, emotional instability, and exhaustion instead of grounded connection. It can leave you overthinking every interaction, longing for reassurance, and feeling deeply unsettled. If you’ve been trying to understand these powerful feelings, you are not alone. As a therapist, I...