The GoodTherapy Blog

As a therapist working with diverse people who have diverse minds and diverse emotional struggles, I call upon a diverse range of ideas and skills for helping. I try (emphasis on try) not ... Read More

The decision to initiate any interpersonal relationship is anxiety-provoking, and the decision to talk with a therapist might be uniquely so. When we decide to meet with a therapist, we ... Read More

“I know I shouldn’t think this, but …” “This is going to sound completely crazy, but …” “I hate myself for feeling this way, but …” Wouldn’t it be great if we had ... Read More

I do not like to suffer, and I do not like for others to suffer. I avoid unnecessary suffering as much as possible, and as a therapist I try to help people to see and stop the unintentional, ... Read More

We do not get to choose the content of our minds, but we certainly try. There are many things in life—inside and outside of us—we do not choose or control, and that fall short of our ... Read More

Unanswered questions exist in everyone’s lives, and looming unanswered questions are part of what brings many of us to therapy: Should I leave or stay? Is this right for me? Why do I ... Read More

A recent randomized controlled study of therapy for treatment-resistant depression produced evidence that a brief trial of intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) may have large ... Read More

Labeling pathology in another person is easy. One teacher of mine said it’s like “shooting fish in a barrel.” Think of any person you know and, unless you’ve totally idealized them, ... Read More

When I educate medical health professionals about the complex links between emotional functioning and physical health, many express a fear that their patients will respond to a referral ... Read More

Anxiety can manifest in a variety of ways in the human body. It can make us tense in our large, voluntary muscles, activate the involuntary muscles of our internal organs, and even cause ... Read More

Every system of the body is vulnerable to physical illness. This is common sense. But did you know every system of the body is vulnerable to emotional discord as well? The nervous system, ... Read More

As a therapist, I hear the word “should” often. Usually it appears just before a spike in anxiety, a precipitous drop in self-esteem, or a sudden crying jag: “I should be over this ... Read More