One of the most painful parts of grief is not always the loss itself. Sometimes, it is the quiet belief that we are doing it all wrong. Many people grow up unconsciously expecting grief to look linear or similar: shock, sadness, tears, healing, closure. We hear phrases like “time heals,” “stay strong,” or “you need to move on,” and over time, many of us internalize the idea that mourning should follow a predictable path. But grief is rarely that organized. After recently losi

Destigmatizing Suicide and Suicidal Ideation If you or someone you know is dealing with thoughts of suicide, you can call or text 988. As a therapist-in-training, the thing that most scared me about starting to provide counseling to clients was having to discern whether or not a client is suicidal. I was taught how to ask questions and provided with checklists, but getting better at crisis response (in any context) requires real-world practice. I felt nervous every time I w

Some young men grow up without the guidance they deserve. No one showed them how to carry pain without becoming hardened by it. No one taught them how to trust themselves, how to feel safe being vulnerable, or how to love without fear. Instead, they were left alone to interpret the world while still trying to survive it. When a young man has to raise himself emotionally, he often learns to hide confusion behind silence, anger, humor, distance, or self-reliance. He may begin t

For as long as I have been seeing single clients looking for dates and/or relationships, I’ve noticed the struggle for those who exist in two spaces: “traditional” dating apps and casual hookup apps. While I believe we can meet anyone in any space and that does dictate the nature of the relationship, there is typically more immediacy on hookup apps like Grindr, Scruff, or Sniffies (the newest kid on the block). For simplicity in this blog, I’m going to refer to the aforementi