Topic Experts answer your questions about psychotherapy, mental health, and relationships.

• Help! My Therapist Ended Her Practice and I Don't Know What to Do
  

  Dear GoodTherapy, I had been seeing my therapist for 28 years. Around March, she was unwell. This was a rare occurrence in our time together. But her viral infection ... Read more »

• Help! I Have No One to Talk To
  

  Dear GoodTherapy, Ever since my dad died last year, I have had no one to talk to. And really, I had no one to talk to for the last three years of his life, ravaged ... Read more »

• I Don’t Want to See My Family Anymore
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I’m done with my family. With the exception of my brother-in-law, they ... Read more »

• How Do I Trust a Therapist If I Can't Trust Anyone?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I grew up in a dysfunctional family. I know every family is a ... Read more »

• Help! I Want to Stop Competing with My Friend
  

  Dear GoodTherapy, My best friend and I have known each other since college. We started out as “enemies,” Read more »

• Will Social Anxiety Go Away?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I have really bad social anxiety. I don’t want to go anywhere ... Read more »

• Do I Have to Forgive My Dad for Leaving?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My dad abandoned our family when I was in elementary school. A ... Read more »

• Do Midlife Crisis Relationships Last?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Not long after my 48th birthday, I started having persistent thoughts about time slipping away, getting old, and letting go of my dreams. The ... Read more »

• Why Can’t I Cry?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My ex-husband is suing me. My kids don’t want anything to do with me. My job is a dead end, and my life sucks. I feel like I have no future ... Read more »

• How Do I Cope with Being the Least Favorite Child?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My parents have three children, and I’m the least favorite. They’ve never said it in those exact words, but it’s obvious in the way they ... Read more »

• How Do I Fix Trust Issues After Being Caught Cheating?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I cheated on my girlfriend. Yes, I’m a cheater and I’ll never live it down. I don’t deserve Read more »

• Help! My Child Won’t Stop Washing His Hands
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Like most little boys, my 6-year-old son is messy. He tracks mud in the house, gets finger paint on the couch, and is basically a whirlwind of ... Read more »

• Help! I’m Catfishing Someone and I Don’t Know How to Stop
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I’m an ugly guy. I used to look okay, but I got a bad injury when I was 11. The surgeon did his best, but … there’s a reason I don’t ... Read more »

• Does OCD Get Worse Before It Gets Better?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I have bad OCD. Fear of germs, obsessive and anxious thoughts, needing ... Read more »

• Help! My Partner Doesn't Like to Be Touched
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Have you ever dealt with couples where one partner had issues with being touched? That's the situation I am in now. I have been seeing a guy ... Read more »

• How Can I Help My Adult Child with Depression?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My adult daughter is incredibly gifted (she tested around 130 IQ), but she has pretty serious Read more »

• Why Won't My Partner Sleep with Me?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My husband and I used to have a great relationship, but ever ... Read more »

• Help! I’m Already Forgetting Words
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My memory isn’t so hot these days. I used to be a walking dictionary, but ... Read more »

• Why Is It So Hard for Me to Say No?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I feel so strung out lately. I definitely consider myself a people-pleaser. I tend to go out of my way to make sure friends, family, and ... Read more »

• Is It Ethical for My Therapist to Work with My Ex and Not Tell Me?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Several years ago, my wife began seeing a therapist. After a year, she asked that I join her for a session. Afterward, I began seeing the same ... Read more »

• Help! I Am Having an Affair and Don't Want to Stop
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I have been having a torrid affair with a coworker for seven ... Read more »

• Help! My Teenage Daughter Hates Me
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My 16-year-old daughter thinks I'm evil. Anytime I try to use discipline, whether it's asking her to help around the house or do her homework, ... Read more »

• Is It Wrong for Me to Want to Date Younger Men?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Hallelujah! I just retired at age 63 after four decades in the loan industry. I can't wait to see what retirement holds for me. After my ... Read more »

• Help! I Feel Guilty About Not Giving Gifts This Christmas
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Christmas is coming up and I'm dreading it. I'm so sick of all the commercialization. I'm also pretty much Read more »

• Help! I Don't Want to Hang Out with My Friends Who Drink
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I hope you can help me with something. Recently I decided I don't want to drink anymore. I was never a big drinker to begin with and don't have ... Read more »

• Help! My Partner Is a Terrible Kisser
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, A few months ago I started dating a woman who has a lot going for her—great Read more »

• Help! My Husband Snores Terribly and Refuses to Do Anything About It
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My husband and I have been married for 27 years. About 10 years ago, his snoring became intolerable, and they ran some tests and Read more »

• It Needs to Happen, but the Idea of Creating a Will Makes Me Anxious
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I’ve managed to get to age 66 without writing a will. The thought has always terrified me, but now it’s more real than ever. As my kids ... Read more »

• Help! I'm Having Second Thoughts About Quitting My Job
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I left my job about two months ago, run-down and on the brink of something drastic because of how miserable I was. It was an extremely high-Read more »

• Help! My Teenage Daughter Won't Listen to Me
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My daughter won't listen to me! She is 15 and thinks she has everything figured out. She yells at me all the time and says nasty things. I ... Read more »

• Should I Tell My Partner About My Gender Dysphoria?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I need some friendly feedback with a problem I am stuck with. I am a 60-year-old male who was diagnosed 23 years ago with Read more »

• Help! I Have No Interest in Sex
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Ever since my ex and I broke up a few years ago, my interest in Read more »

• Help! My Wife Doesn't Love Me Anymore and Says She Needs 'Space'
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I've been married for nine years and have two children. This past month, my wife told me that she no longer loves me and she needs space. I was ... Read more »

• Help! My Partner Doesn't Seem to Like My Child
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I am a mother of one child, and I share custody of that child with her father. I've been divorced for seven years, and for the last two I've ... Read more »

• How Do I Get My Family to Stop Pressuring Me to Get Married?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, How can I make my family understand that I'm not ready for Read more »

• Help! My Partner Insists on Checking My Phone Messages
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I have been with my boyfriend for going on three years. A couple of months ago, he said he thought it would be "healthy" for us to be able to ... Read more »

• Is It Abuse When My Partner Calls Me Names?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I don't think my relationship with my boyfriend is that bad, ... Read more »

• Is It Healthy to Masturbate to Thoughts of People I Know?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Some people masturbate to thoughts of faceless figures. Some people masturbate to porn. Some people have fantasies about characters from fan ... Read more »

• I Don't Like Kids. I Don't Want Kids. What's Wrong with Me?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Everyone I know goes bonkers when they see a kid under the age of, say, 6. "Oh, what a sweet-faced little angel!" they'll say. All I see, ... Read more »

• Should I Try to Find My Biological Parents?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My biological parents gave me up for adoption when I was born. ... Read more »

• Help! I Can't Stop Worrying About Getting Sick
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I'm a 27-year-old dental student with no serious Read more »

• My Dad Was Sexually Abused as a Child. Should I Talk to Him About It?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My mom and dad divorced when I was 14. I'm in my forties now. Neither of my parents is in the best of health, and I don't know how much time ... Read more »

• Help! I Don't Know How to Say No to My Adult Children
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, First, let me say I don't think I'm a great parent, but I do try to be one. I know the way I parent is different than how a lot of people are ... Read more »

• I Hate My Parents—and I Hate Myself Because of It
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I'll just say it: I hate my parents with every fiber of my being. I'm pretty sure they hate me, too. My dad beat me almost every day when I was ... Read more »

• Therapy Isn't Helping. Is My Therapist Stringing Me Along?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I am hoping you can give me an honest answer here. I have been seeing a therapist for nearly three years now and I just don't feel like it's ... Read more »

• Help! How Do I Get My Husband to Court Me Again?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I have been married to my husband for 12 years and I love him with all my heart. I would never dream of leaving him, so I want to get that out ... Read more »

• Help! My Friend Expects Me to Solve All His Problems
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I have a close friend who comes to me with all his problems, and sometimes I don’t know how to help. Some small issues I can give advice on ... Read more »

• Help! My Partner Is Terrible at Communicating
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, We've been together about a year and a half, and from the beginning we established a mutual dedication to open communication and sharing as ... Read more »

• My Sister Is Sabotaging My Relationship with My Daughter
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Please help me. I have one sibling, my sister, who has been my closest friend for most of my life. She is two years older than me and newly Read more »

• How Can I Stop Grinding My Teeth? Is It Due to Anxiety?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, For years now, I've had a problem with grinding my teeth, and it only seems to be getting worse. I think it might be hereditary because my mom ... Read more »

• Will a Therapist Tell My Parents About Self-Harm?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I am under 18 and live with my dad and stepmom. I've been cutting for almost ... Read more »

• Help! I'm Afraid of Everything!
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I'm afraid of everything. I seriously mean everything. Spiders, clowns, heights, germs, dying, dogs, small spaces, large crowds, ... Read more »

• How Do I Convince a Parent to Go to Therapy?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My mom is nearing 70. She was widowed four years ago, and ever since then she seems to have given up on life. She barely leaves her house, ... Read more »

• Help! I'm Worried About My Child's Aggressive Play
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My 5-year-old is a generally happy and sweet kid, but I have been noticing ... Read more »

• Help! I'm a Natural Flirt, but It's Hurting My Partner
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My husband and I have been together for five years and have a great marriage that includes a very satisfying and active sex life. I've never Read more »

• Do I Need to Give My Kids an Allowance?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My oldest child is 7, and many of his friends receive an allowance from their parents for doing chores around the house. I never gave the idea ... Read more »

• How Do I Overcome the Shame of Sex?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I grew up in a fairly religious household where sex was rarely discussed (and when it was, it was talked about for the purposes of conception). ... Read more »

• Help! My Family Doesn't Approve of My Relationship
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I've been seeing this wonderful girl for over three years now, and my parents still have not warmed up to her. She and I are a perfect fit, ... Read more »

• My Partner Is an Addict. Should I Leave?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, First of all, my partner does not hit, abuse, or commit any acts of Read more »

• Help! I Think My Husband Is Gay
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, You have to help me—I feel like I'm living a terrible nightmare! I am not ... Read more »

• What Can I Do About My Terrible Road Rage?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I figured it was time to write in with this question since I just got out of my car shaking with Read more »

• Am I Crazy for Talking to Myself All the Time?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Apparently, I am the only person in my life who has remained unaware that I have a huge problem with talking to myself and narrating my own ... Read more »

• Do I Need to Be More Social?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I'm reaching out partly at the insistence of a few friends, who all seem to be worried about me and my antisocial habits. I guess the problem, ... Read more »

• Why Are My Dreams So Stressful?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Sleep is supposed to be restful, right? ... Read more »

• My Parents Are Awful Racists! What Can I Do?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I recently attended a family reunion (full disclosure: this was in the deep south) and was horrified to discover how closed-minded and bigoted ... Read more »

• Is It Selfish to Bring a Child into an Unstable World?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I grew up in a large, loving family, and thought for most of my life that I'd have a few kids of my own. I do ache for a family all my own, ... Read more »

• War Changed My Husband; Should I Feel Guilty for Leaving?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Three months ago, my husband returned from his second deployment to the Middle East. I was excited to see him and resume our life together, but ... Read more »

• Am I Horrible for Not Crying at My Father's Funeral?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I recently attended my father's funeral, which was a very large gathering with family, friends, and people in the community. He touched many ... Read more »

• Why Do I Hate Myself?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I grew up in a fairly loving, supportive environment, and I don't understand why I'm so filled with Read more »

• How Am I Supposed to Stop Being Crazy?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, So I know "crazy" isn't an acceptable term these days, but it's a term I genuinely identify with, since I don't know what's wrong with me and ... Read more »

• Help! My Husband Wants to Go Back to School, Not Work
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, I'm a wife, mother of two, and have a great career in the legal field. I've been supporting my husband since we got married three years ago ... Read more »

• Help! My Sister Lies, Steals, and Takes Advantage of Our Mom
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, My sister has taken advantage of our mother for years. Beginning in her teenage years, she has lied, stolen money, Read more »

• How Do I Stop My Son from Picking the Military Over College?
  

  Dear GoodTherapy.org, Our son, who turned 18 last month, is about to graduate from high school. He's a great kid, an Eagle Scout, and a straight-A student (3.96 ... Read more »

• We're Living a Lie: I'm 'Out' as Gay, but My Partner Isn't
  

  I hear your frustration coming through loud and clear and it is totally understandable. You've been out to everyone for over two decades and feel deeply liberated by it. You know ... Read more »

• Help! I Feel Like My Therapist Judges Me
  

  Thank you for your letter and for reaching out for support in this difficult situation. You are right; therapy is supposed to be a ... Read more »

• Why Am I So Paranoid and Skeptical About Everything?
  

  Thank you very much for writing to me specifically, even though you don’t trust me. I think it takes great courage to reach out and ... Read more »

• Is It Normal to Have Intrusive, Disturbing Thoughts?
  

  Thank you very much for reaching out. It takes courage to write and ask questions about experiences you’re not sure are ... Read more »

• Why Can't I Bond with My Kids After My Husband Died?
  

  I am so sorry for your loss. You are understandably grieving. You’ve lost your partner unexpectedly, and if that weren’t ... Read more »

• I Was Sexually Abused by My Stepfather. Do I Have PTSD?
  

  I imagine it took a lot of courage to share this deeply painful experience with a doctor and to write in and ... Read more »

• What Kind of Counseling Should I Seek for My Adult Child?
  

  First, thanks for writing. Second, I’m sorry to hear about your travails; I can only imagine the exhausting and frightening roller-coaster you have been riding. Finally, this may or may not ... Read more »

• Help! Long After My Breakup, I Still Need Closure
  

  It sounds like you are still in a great deal of pain after the loss of this relationship. I hear ... Read more »

• My Husband Left Me! Let Him Go or Fight for Our Marriage?
  

  I can only imagine the range of emotions you are experiencing after a blindside like this. Based on the information you provided, the ... Read more »

• When Is It OK to End a One-Sided Friendship?
  

  You know what they say: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” I guess in this case, your part is the friend part and she’s the “in need” part. You say she calls on you when she needs help, ... Read more »

• Help! My Therapist Suddenly Retired and I Feel Abandoned
  

  I am so very sorry that this is how the relationship with your therapist has ended. You mention feeling angry, hurt, ... Read more »

• Help! I Resent My Mother for Shortchanging Me in Her Will
  

  There is no question that inheritance bequests can create significant tension and strife in families. Often, one ... Read more »

• Help! I Can't Seem to Forgive Myself for How I Treated My Ex
  

  Your very sad story is touching. You’re worried that you’ve wasted four years of your life and clearly miss the man who was your partner, and you long for the good times you spent together. ... Read more »

• If Sex Doesn't Involve Kink or BDSM, I'm Not Interested
  

  Thank you for your question, which took bravery on your part, I’m sure. I think I get the “I’m a little afraid of your answer” part, as I’m sensing some Read more »

• Help! Every Sound I Hear Makes Me Anxious and Irritable
  

  I find myself filled with compassion for you. It sounds like so many of the common, everyday sounds of life are ... Read more »

• Should I Tell My Therapist I Have a Crush on Him?
  

  Thank you for reaching out with this honest question. I commend you for having the courage to admit this is happening and to Read more »

• Why Would a Man My Age Have a Rapidly Declining Sex Drive?
  

  Thanks for your honest letter. This is not at all unusual, what you’re going through, for men especially. In a way, ... Read more »

• How Can We Convince My Sister to Dump Her Loser Boyfriend?
  

  I hear your love and concern for your sister. There is nothing more painful than watching someone you love make choices you believe are ... Read more »

• Help! Is It Time for Some 'Tough Love' with Our Teenage Son?
  

  Thank you for your question, which sounds like just about every parent’s nightmare—one that’s more common than you might think. For me, the key to the answer is in your last two questions. ... Read more »

• Bah Humbug! Am I a Bad Person for Hating the Holidays?
  

  You are not alone—not everybody loves the holidays, and plenty of people hate them. Thanksgiving is only round one. Not long after, you get socked with a real haymaker, the endgame (literally, ... Read more »

• Help! My Girlfriend Keeps Making Her Pets My Problem
  

  Before I try to answer your question, I have to come clean. When my husband Mark and I first met 30 years ago I lived with a 7-year-old boy, two snakes, two cats, a dog, a bunch of tropical fish, two ... Read more »

• Why Do I 'Troll' People on the Internet and How Can I Stop?
  

  Thank you for reaching out with this powerful question. There are a number of reasons you may be engaging in this behavior, and I hope this response helps you to uncover some of what motivates it so ... Read more »

• Help! My Only Friends Are Homophobic and Don't Know I'm Gay
  

  Real friends are supportive of one another. You may think that the buddies you hang out with are the ones you need, but I think ... Read more »

• Help! I Feel Like I Don't Deserve My Husband and He'll Leave
  

  I think you have quite a bit of insight about your problem: your childhood experiences and past relationships have ... Read more »

• A Child Smeared Poop in Our Home; Should I Tell Her Parents?
  

  How upsetting to make such a discovery! It is unusual, developmentally, for an 8-year-old to smear feces on the wall, though I would hesitate to jump to the conclusion of Read more »

• Help! My Husband Refuses to Unfriend a Woman He Flirted With
  

  Thank you for your letter. I am sure that it hurt your feelings, to say the least, when your husband laughed at your request to remove the woman from his Facebook friends list. I also think that, ... Read more »

• Help! My Husband Yells at Me When I Mention Our Lack of Sex
  

  Thank you for your message and for having the courage to reach out. I’m sorry to hear that your Read more »