Every January, the same pattern repeats itself. We make promises to ourselves—This is the year I’ll finally get it together. We set New Year’s resolutions with the best of intentions, yet by February, and honestly sometimes sooner, many of them fade away. From a therapeutic perspective, real change begins with understanding, not motivation. Behaviors we want to change often serve a purpose, such as managing stress, avoiding discomfort, or feeling in control. Without addres

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, laughter, and connection —but for those of us who have walked through deep grief, they can also be some of the hardest days of the year. Over the course of my life, I’ve faced multiple profound losses: my brother, my dad, my step-dad, and my beloved son, Anthony, in addition to many others. Each loss has left a mark, and over the years, my grief wound has deepened in ways I never imagined. I’ve sometimes felt numb—as if the pai

The holidays are for joy, celebration, and spending time together, but for many of us, there’s a sneaky thief lurking around this time of year (hint: it’s not the Grinch!) . The real Grinch who tries to steal Christmas every year is usually holiday  stress . The financial pressure, the packed schedules, the family expectations, and that’s just the start of it. This ‘Grinch’ isn’t as obvious as the infamous green fuzzy monster. This one creeps up on us in the form of compa