Caring for Your Mental Health During a Demanding Season The holidays are often portrayed as joyful, cozy, and full of connection—but for many people, this season brings stress, grief, family tension, financial pressure, and emotional exhaustion. Expectations can feel higher, boundaries can feel thinner, and old patterns often resurface when families gather. If the holidays feel hard, that doesn’t mean you’re doing them wrong—it means you’re human. Supporting mental health dur

Erotic transference is one of the most misunderstood—and often most feared—phenomena in psychotherapy. When sexual or romantic feelings emerge toward a therapist, clients may feel confused, ashamed, or worried that something has gone wrong. Therapists, too, can feel anxious about how to respond appropriately. Yet from a therapeutic perspective, erotic transference is neither unusual nor pathological. When handled ethically and skillfully, it can become a powerful doorway into

Play is the natural language of children—and for many, it is far easier to communicate through action than words. LEGO® Therapy  is a structured, evidence-informed play therapy approach that uses collaborative LEGO building to support emotional regulation, social skills, problem-solving, and connection. Originally developed for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), LEGO Therapy is now widely used with children experiencing anxiety, ADHD, trauma, social difficulties, a

Therapy does not fail because therapists care too much. It fails when caring turns into over-validation, safety-seeking, and emotional sedation . Many clinicians are exquisitely attuned, endlessly empathic, and deeply affirming—and yet their clients remain stuck for years. At some point, the work stops being therapy and becomes a well-intentioned holding pattern. This is a wake-up call: growth requires risk , and so does good therapy. When Validation Becomes Avoidance Validat

When adults struggle, they often turn to words to explain their emotions. Children, however, communicate differently. Long before they can articulate complex feelings, children express their inner world through play . Play therapy harnesses this natural language of childhood to help children process emotions, navigate challenges, and build resilience in a developmentally appropriate way. What Is Play Therapy? Play therapy is an evidence-based therapeutic approach that uses pl

Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a powerful and compassionate framework for understanding and healing codependency. Rather than viewing codependency as a flaw or character weakness, IFS sees it as a collection of protective parts doing their best to keep the person safe and connected. Codependency  often shows up as chronic self-sacrifice, people-pleasing, anxiety about others’ emotions, and difficulty setting boundaries. On the surface, it looks like someone who is “too

Introduction: Love That Lasts—By Design, Not Luck Healthy relationships don’t simply happen by chance. They are cultivated intentionally through understanding, trust, and shared growth. However, even strong couples can lose their connection amid the stresses of modern life. The Gottman Method  offers a structured, research-based pathway to restore communication, deepen intimacy, and create lasting emotional resilience between partners. At InSight Therapy , we integrate the Go

What Is a Genogram? A genogram is like a family tree with depth. Beyond recording biological relationships, it captures emotional bonds, patterns of behavior, health conditions, and significant life events. Symbols and lines show marriages, divorces, estrangements, mental health diagnoses, addictions, and more. With just one glance, both therapist and patient can see how generational patterns and unresolved legacies shape the present. Genograms as Tools for History Taking Dur

Ketamine Therapy: Breaking Through Mental Health Barriers In recent years, ketamine therapy has moved from the fringes of psychiatric care to the center of cutting-edge mental health conversations. Once known primarily as an anesthetic, ketamine now offers hope for people struggling with depression, PTSD, and other mental health challenges—especially when traditional treatments have fallen short. Understanding Traditional Treatments Traditional antidepressants, such as SSRIs,

Adventure therapy is an innovative approach that combines outdoor activities with therapeutic techniques to improve mental health. It...

In traditional therapy training, therapists are often told to be a “blank slate.” They should maintain a calm, neutral, and emotionally reserved demeanor. The idea behind this approach is to keep the focus on the client and avoid interfering with the therapeutic process. This concept has roots in Freud's work; he argued that the therapist serves as a blank slate onto which the patient can project, displace, or transfer their feelings. While this model has its merits, the trut

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy developed by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro in the...

Growing up with a mother who has Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)  can leave invisible scars—emotional confusion, fear of...

Blending IFS and EMDR for Deep Trauma Recovery In recent years, many therapists have begun to combine different evidence-based modalities...

A summary of Internal Family Systems and its core concepts

Mindful Eating: Reconnecting with Food and Body In a fast-paced world filled with multitasking, distractions, and rushed meals, it’s easy...