Substance use is often seen as the problem itself—something to fix, stop, or eliminate. But for many people, substance use is not the beginning of their story; it’s what comes after. It’s the bandage they reach for when the pain becomes unbearable. It’s an attempt to quiet the noise of trauma, loneliness, rejection, or despair. To truly address substance use, we must look beneath it—to the unhealed wounds it tries to numb. The Need to Numb When someone turns to alcohol, drugs

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month - a time to shed light not only on physical violence but also on the invisible wounds of...

Healing often requires conversations that we never had the chance to have. Words left unspoken, pain left unprocessed, and needs left...

Have you ever felt pulled in two opposite directions emotionally even though the “right” emotion to feel is supposed to be happiness?...

When you hear the word “storytelling,” you might think of fairy tales, fables, or ghost stories around a campfire. When we think of...

Content trigger warning: discussion of suicide, suicide attempt, self-harm, and involuntary hospitalization. If you are in the U.S. and...

The inclusion of the Gender Dysphoria diagnosis within the DSM-V is a controversial topic in the spheres of psychological practice and...

Grief doesn’t follow a calendar. It doesn’t care if it’s been three months or three years. It arrives like a tide—sometimes quiet and...

As a therapist, I often meet people who are struggling, not just with anxiety, depression, or relationship issues—but with something even...

Not too long ago, a Bangladeshi mom I work with said something that stuck with me: “When my daughter told me she was in therapy, I didn’t...

In the age of social media, mental health providers are all over Instagram and TikTok giving “advice” and suggestions on navigating life....

There’s something profoundly meditative about standing on the edge of a cliff, watching the ocean stretch endlessly into the horizon. I...

The Mind Wanders There’s a moment in meditation that happens to everyone, no matter how experienced they are. You sit down, close your...

Be Strong? Or Be Honest? Rethinking Resilience in a World That Silences Pain We live in a world that worships strength and stoicism....

New York City — the land of opportunity, ambition, overpriced cocktails, and, of course, a dating pool as vast and varied as a Friday...

As an armchair Buddhist, I’ve always found the concept of Dukkha to be grounding, especially when I feel my presence getting swept away...

Whether it is my client who has been waiting for his green card for the past seven years, the client who recently got naturalized, the...

I have a feeling I’m not alone in sensing that the world feels heavy these days. The news cycle is relentless. Often, it’s a steady...

Managing Social Media Burnout In today's hyper-connected world, social media is a powerful tool for communication, activism, education,...

What is DEI? Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) refers to principles and practices that aim to foster more inclusive, just, and...