You Don’t Have to Be in Crisis to Start Therapy
The Waiting Game Most People PlayOver the course of my career as a clinical psychologist, I have noticed a pattern that cuts across almost every type of patient I see: most people wait far longer than they should to start therapy.They wait until the anxiety becomes...
Why Talking About Trauma Doesn’t Always Help — And What Does
The Myth That Talking It Out Is EnoughIn more than 30 years as a clinical psychologist specializing in trauma therapy, one of the most common things I hear from new patients is some version of this: \"I\'ve talked about it so many times. Why doesn\'t it get...
Clinical Observations on the Role of Microdosing in Psychotherapy
IntroductionOver the past several years, psychedelics have moved from the fringes of alternative culture into serious scientific inquiry. As a clinical psychologist working primarily within a cognitive-behavioral framework, my goal has always been straightforward: to...
Overwhelmed by Politics? How to Protect Your Mental Health in an Election Year
When Politics Entered the Therapy RoomIn 2016, I noticed something new emerging in my clinical practice: politics began showing up in therapy sessions. It wasn’t simply about election outcomes—it was about how those outcomes exposed deep value differences between...
PTSD and Veteran Care: Lessons from 15 Years of Clinical Practice
Veterans and Mental Health: A Changing LandscapeFor more than 15 years, I’ve worked closely with combat veterans across the Greater St. Louis area, rural Southern Illinois, and rural Southern Missouri. During that time, I’ve witnessed significant shifts in both the...
A Novel Take on Anxiety: Give Yourself More Control
Rethinking the Word “Anxiety”As a psychologist specializing in anxiety therapy for more than 30 years, I often remind patients that the words we use to talk to ourselves matter. Take the word “anxiety.”Clinically, anxiety refers to a group of psychological and...