Fear of intimacy is one of the most common reasons people come to therapy, but it rarely announces itself that way. Most people do not walk in and say, "I am afraid of closeness." They say, "I keep choosing the wrong person." Or, "Every time a relationship gets serious, somehow it doesn’t work out." Or, "I’ve never been in a long-term relationship. I want to, but I don’t know why it doesn’t happen for me."
Read MoreMore people are turning to AI chatbots for mental health support. Maybe you are someone who has had this experience? The reasons are easy to understand. AI can be a useful place to think out loud, draft a difficult message, or learn about a coping strategy.
Read MoreMuch of the suffering that brings people to therapy is due to relational stress. Difficulty trusting. Fear of vulnerability. Patterns of pursuing or withdrawing. A deep loneliness even when surrounded by people we love. If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone. We all unknowingly carry the imprint of our earliest relationships into our adult life, and that imprint has a name: our attachment style.
Read MoreMany of my psychotherapy clients are grappling with the highs and lows of finding intimacy through online dating. Many dive in hoping for the best, and after a few months resurface exhausted, depleted, and frustrated with their experience.
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