Reflections
Short pieces on the moments that tend to stay with you.
Anxiety
Overthinking, rumination, worry, and the mind that will not stand down.
8:19
The message still says delivered. You open it again anyway.
The longer version
You rewrite a simple no until it sounds acceptable, before anyone has answered.
Why do I overthink every conversation?
Why conversations replay for hours after they end, and what overthinking may be trying to do for you.
Why can’t I relax even when nothing is wrong?
When your body stays on alert despite a calm day, and why relaxation can feel unsafe or unfamiliar.
ADHD
Executive functioning, masking, emotional regulation, and the gap between knowing and doing.
The driveway
Groceries in the back, porch light on. You stay in the car a little longer.
ADHD burnout
Why ADHD burnout happens, masking, executive overload, and the crash that follows pushing too hard for too long.
ADHD and emotional regulation
Why emotions can feel big, fast, or hard to recover from with ADHD, and what support can look like.
Why simple tasks feel impossible
The gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it, and why “simple” tasks are not simple for every brain.
Trauma
Hypervigilance, trust after harm, and patterns that linger after difficult experiences.
When the past shows up in the present
How old experiences can shape current reactions, hypervigilance, shutdown, and feeling on edge without a clear reason.
Hypervigilance in daily life
Always scanning, bracing, or waiting for the other shoe to drop, when staying alert becomes exhausting.
Trauma Therapy
Trauma does not always look like a single dramatic event. It can show up as bracing before you know why, difficulty trusting your own memory, or feeling on edge in settings that look safe from the outside.
Relationships
Attachment, conflict, abandonment fears, and staying connected to yourself.
8:19
The message still says delivered. You open it again anyway.
Fear of abandonment
Why distance or uncertainty can feel threatening, and how abandonment fears show up in adult relationships.
Why do I pull away from people I love?
Why closeness can trigger withdrawal, and what pulling away may be protecting you from.
Healthy conflict
What healthier conflict can look like when disagreement has felt dangerous, pointless, or overwhelming.
Self-Esteem
Self-criticism, people-pleasing, imposter feelings, and trusting your own judgment.
The longer version
You rewrite a simple no until it sounds acceptable, before anyone has answered.
Imposter syndrome
Why success can still feel undeserved, and how imposter feelings show up at work and in relationships.
Chronic self-criticism
When the inner voice stays harsh, and self-criticism feels like the only way to stay motivated or safe.
Difficulty receiving praise
Why compliments feel uncomfortable, deflecting, minimizing, or distrusting positive feedback from others.
Burnout
Emotional exhaustion, overfunctioning, and looking fine while running on empty.
The driveway
Groceries in the back, porch light on. You stay in the car a little longer.
Signs you are burned out
Common signs of burnout, exhaustion, cynicism, brain fog, irritability, and feeling detached from work or relationships.
Burnout from always holding it together
When being the reliable one, the calm one, or the capable one leaves you depleted behind the scenes.
Recovering from burnout
What burnout recovery can look like, rest, boundaries, grief, and rebuilding at a sustainable pace.
Life Transitions
Breakups, career shifts, moves, and the uncertainty of starting over.
Quarter-life crisis
When your twenties or thirties feel disorienting, and why uncertainty at this stage is more common than it looks.
Starting over
What starting over can feel like after loss, burnout, breakup, or a major life change, and how to move without rushing.
Career uncertainty
When work no longer fits, or never did, and career decisions feel heavier than they “should.”
Breakups
Emotional patterns that surface after a breakup, replay, self-blame, relief, grief, and the urge to move on too fast.
PMDD
Premenstrual mood changes, sensitivity, and the cycle of feeling like yourself, then not.
PMDD vs regular PMS
When premenstrual changes feel severe, persistent, and disruptive, and how PMDD differs from typical PMS.
Emotional sensitivity before your period
When small things feel unbearable in the days before your period, rejection sensitivity, tearfulness, and self-criticism.
PMDD Therapy
PMDD can feel like two versions of the same month, capable and steady for part of the cycle, then suddenly overwhelmed, self-critical, or unable to manage ordinary stress.
Therapy Explained
How therapy works here, what sessions feel like, and practical questions answered.
What to expect in therapy
A plain-language guide to first sessions, pacing, virtual appointments, and how therapy works here.
Start here
What therapy is actually like before you reach out, first sessions, common questions, and how to begin.
How I work in therapy
What sessions feel like, how we pace the work, and what to expect in the first few appointments.
Therapy FAQ
Insurance, sessions, virtual therapy in California, and what the first appointment is like.