While many young and middle-aged professionals alike are under the impression that they are either alone or at least more severely impaired by their struggles with imposter syndrome than their working peers, I can attest to the fact that this is rarely the case. Having worked directly with so many talented professionals over the years with a range of skills, personalities, social behaviors and career ambitions, I know that imposter syndrome is one of those nagging internal struggles that far too many of us feel discouraged by.

Many of us will have our first real conversations about the possibility of suffering from depression with our primary care doctors. And this article is by no means an attempt to stop you from doing that. However, I often find that clients who reach out to work with me are very interested in finding additional, or completely alternative, ways to to address their depression symptoms.

Fortunately, many individuals can benefit from a variety of other methods that aid in recovery from depression, so that reliance on medications is no longer necessary.

Fall is my favorite season of the year. I don’t know if this holds true for you, but I still feel the excited anticipation of the school year from way back in elementary school. Something about new school supplies and new teachers always seemed to spark a sense of possibility and fresh beginnings.

Of course, it has probably been many years since you have anxiously waited in line to walk into your new homeroom. But it is still very likely that you are at a point in your life where you desire the possibility of a new beginning.

Life is full of ups and downs, but sometimes the downs can be particularly tough to handle. If you're reading this, you may be someone who has faced a traumatic event, and you're dealing with the lingering effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). First and foremost, let me tell you that you're not alone, and there is hope for healing and recovery. One path towards that healing is through the practice of yoga.

In this article, we'll explore the many benefits of yoga for PTSD.

As a hard-working professional you are likely juggling the demands of modern life and a multitude of other responsibilities in your personal and professional life that are constantly calling for your attention. And if you are doing all this while grappling with the weight of depression, that only adds to the burden and overwhelm. You need an approach to therapy that can address the problems you are experiencing without taking forever to experience changes.

Thankfully, there's a solution…

If you are reading this article, there’s a good chance that you are longing to step into a more authentic way of living, one that isn’t ruled by fear, hesitation and the expectation that you will be hurt or rejected. Unfortunately, however badly we may want this, it is extremely challenging to do if we don’t shed the dead weight hanging onto us as a result of a painful past.

Imposter syndrome can be just one of those agonizing weight that holds you back from standing confidently in your achievements and…

In the wake of loss, couples like you can often find themselves flooded with a range of emotions, from shock and anger to confusion and isolation. The heavy weight of grief can strain even the strongest relationships. However, through the dedicated process of couples counseling, there's a way to navigate this challenging new experience and rebuild the connection that loss may have disrupted.

Couples retreats. Couples weekends. Couples workshops. A myriad of online courses and events. So many services are aimed at helping couples who are looking to relieve the pain in their relationship, and do it quickly.

And it makes so much sense! When you are struggling with pain in (what is supposed to be) your closest and most intimate relationship, it isn’t just a headache or something you can try to ignore. It is excruciating!

Couple caught in a cycle of arguments, fault-finding, score-keeping,…

Often, when I mention to others that I use yoga in my therapy practice with clients, I get a sort of awed response, as if I’m engaging in a mystical practice or running some kind of spa for over-privileged people. There seems to be this unfortunate impression that only very lucky, special people could have access to premium counseling services that would allow the addition of something “extra” like yoga or mindfulness.

But here’s the thing: yoga isn’t meant to be fancy, or inaccessible, or just

“She keeps bringing this up- she won’t let it go!”

“How much more do I have to do to protect his ego?!”

“What’s the point in talking about it. It never gets any better.”

“I can’t believe the way you’re talking to me! You must not love me if you can speak to me like that!”

“You never listen!”

I often hear this kind of hurt and frustration in couples’ voices by the time they get to me.

(Content warning: There is brief reference made to traumatic events in this article, and may be upsetting for some readers. )

There are few things that can challenge a couple’s relationship like a past tragedy or loss that has deeply scarred, one or both, partners. If you have had to make room in your relationship for the unwanted and unexpected ghost of you or your partner’s past, be sure to read on.

All of us who have experienced negative events as children and young adults have felt the echo of those hurts long after the event was over. While we may desire to escape all the painful effects that trauma and loss can dish out, we find that time proves, over and over again, that we cannot outrun the consequences of other people’s actions.

Living through losses like parental divorce, natural disasters or addicted caregivers can leave us holding the symptoms of the aftermath inside our very bodies. We did not ask…

All of us who have experienced negative events as children and young adults have felt the echo of those hurts long after the event was over. While we may desire to escape all the painful effects that trauma and loss can dish out, we find that time proves, over and over again, that we cannot outrun the consequences of other people’s actions.

Living through losses like parental divorce, natural disasters or addicted caregivers can leave us holding the symptoms of the aftermath inside our very bodies. We did not ask…

If you've experienced trauma in the past, then you've likely also felt the sting of imposter syndrome. Why is that? Trauma in early life can obviously pose quite the challenge to the growing self-esteem and sense of identity of the younger you. These effects to your core belief system can last for years, even decades.

For some of you, this shows up as a deeply held belief that you could never be successful. So when your outer world

One question I often get from clients who are looking for a therapist, or who have already decided to get started with me, is what they should expect at the end of an intensive. They are curious about how it will feel immediately after completing a 3-hour therapy session, or what changes are possible in the weeks and months that follow.

I love this question because it tells me that folks are being very thoughtful about their therapy services and the kind of counseling experience they want to create for themselves.

There’s something about having a moment of clarity and realizing exactly what is going wrong in your life that can create a sense of urgency on regards to your healing.

You may even start combing through Google and sending out mass messages to any therapist you can find online, in the hopes that you’ll find your way to someone’s chair in the near future.

But what if the search becomes longer, more drawn out and more confusing than you ever expected?

As some of you may know, I am in the first generation of my family to be born in the U.S. and therefore a second generation American. This makes so many of my accomplishments an automatic first on U.S. soil, even if many of these were mirrored by my parents, or those who came before them, in our home country of Ghana.

There is something about being the daughter of immigrants that places a tremendous amount

…we will consider exactly how to interview your potential next therapist and learn whether their type of therapy offering is a good match for what you need right now.

So let’s start right in on some options for interview questions. I’ll bullet point the questions themselves for quick reference, explain the rationale for asking them and give an example of an answer you might get. I’ll also highlight red flags in certain answers you may receive that could indicate that it is best to continue your search for a new therapist.

You may have heard some confusing references to CBT or DBT, or you might have a friend who raves about her time doing EMDR and how it completely changed her life (what do all those acronyms even mean??).

Perhaps you heard a celebrity sharing about an awakening they experienced with their hypnotist that

…women of color continue to be less supported than other groups, and can face more daunting odds to success, whether in their own business or in larger, well-established organizations. The access to high quality mentorship, legacy networking, venture capital, or the automatic privilege of assumed competence is either severely limited or entirely absent