I followed my mother around the mall, transforming hanging lights into spaceships and marble tiles into the surfaces of planets. Shiny reflections were laser beams to be avoided and hurdled. Zoom zoom, the mannequin Martians will be defeated! JOSEPH ALLEN TANNER!!!!! A … Continue reading
Category Archives: adults
Proudly compassionate, people-pleasing, and miserable. (A story of rescuing one’s self for a change.)
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I watched neglected puppies whimper to the voice of Sarah McLaughlin, and I broke into tears. The tiny mutts were helpless and lonely and I felt it as if I was the one left to huddle in a cold crate. … Continue reading
Not enough. A borderline love story.
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I hugged my naked knees to the cave of my chest and noticed my heart still twitching in the sand beside me. I watched myself crawl out of a hole and grab ahold of the flesh with my biggest, reddest claw. Blood; observed in the trance between alive … Continue reading
How to assemble a Christmas tree (if you too are mechanically inept)
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Welcome back to the only mental health and family blog that repeatedly reminds you that you aren’t the only one who struggles and also offers you unusual ways to manage those struggles. In this post, I present to you a … Continue reading
Yes, failure IS an option (unless you live in a bubble.)
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Failure? Say what? You mean like the time my sister got the dance company solo instead of me? The time I poured my soul into a DECA competetive event, only to receive a 63%? The time I showed up for … Continue reading
It’s okay if you’re not feeling grateful.
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In recent months I’ve noticed that gratitude has been gaining traction as the next “big thing” in pop psychology. Neuroscience even shows that a little intentional appreciation generally has measurable positive effects on emotional well-being. But. This trend toward casually … Continue reading
My conversations with killers (while pregnant)
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I spent most of 2007 and 2008 working as a psychologist-intern at two Chicago-area maximum security prisons. I was also pregnant. The smells of sweat and urine and feces made me throw up only once the whole time, and later the prison … Continue reading
Want some good relationship advice? Couples therapists dish.
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I recently asked 7 couples therapists to weigh-in with their answers to some important relationship questions. If you are married or in a long-term-monogamous (LTM) relationship, take a couple minutes to read what the experts have to say. Better yet, read it … Continue reading
Yo. 15 scientifically proven ways to make stress your biatch
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Today is national stress awareness day, yo. And I know just what you’re thinking: How DOES a hard-working mofo such as myself go about diminishing the detrimental emotional and physical effects of stress? Well, allow me to help you and … Continue reading
Shame: The toxic feeling behind addiction, yelling, and participating in fundraisers even though you don’t want to.
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In my line of work, I am privileged to catch glimpses of humanity’s vulnerability: “I don’t initiate sex because it would destroy me if she said no.” “I fear my own rage when my child makes me angry,” “I’m still thinking about … Continue reading
ON THE YELLOW COUCH 