Get tips & tools to help you get the life you want from our mental health blog.
Attention + Focus
Trauma
+ PTSD
Mood
+ Addiction
Personality
+ Identity
Media
+ News
Summary Critical Incident Stress Management has been one of the most widely implemented and most vigorously debated psychological interventions in emergency services for four decades. Nearly every...
Female First Responders: Gender, Identity, and Compounded Trauma Summary Female first responders occupy one of the most psychologically complex positions in contemporary emergency services. They are...
The Madman’s Face of the Professional God: Projection, Shame, and the Dissolution of Self in Wei Shujun's Only the River Flows: Projection, Shame, and the Dissolution of Self in Wei Shujun's Only...
Organizational Trauma-Informed Practice in Emergency Services: What Fire Departments, Police Agencies, and EMS Systems Can Do Summary Individual clinical care, however skillfully delivered, cannot...
Summary Of all the organizational interventions available for improving first responder psychological health, peer support programs occupy a uniquely powerful position. They leverage the most potent...
Understanding Resilience in the First Responder Context Summary Resilience training for first responders has become one of the most widely promoted and most inconsistently implemented components of...
Gottman Method and Emotion-Focused Therapy: A Power Couple For Couples Therapy Every couple runs into rough patches. Whether it's recurring arguments, growing emotional distance, or a sense that you...
How Can Gottman Method Couples Therapy Strengthen Your Relationship? Every couple faces moments where communication breaks down, and the sense of connection starts to fade. Maybe conversations keep...
The Importance of Having a Therapist Trained in Couples Therapy Not all therapists are specifically trained in couples therapy, yet many believe they can apply the same techniques they use with...
What Should I Look For In a Couples Therapist? Let's be honest: searching for a couples therapist is a little ironic. You're already dealing with stress in your relationship, and now you have to...
What Can Emotion-Focused Therapy Do For Me? Every relationship goes through rough patches. But for many couples, the struggle runs deeper than occasional disagreements. It feels like something has...
Substance use among first responders occupies a particularly fraught clinical and cultural space. It is common enough to be normalized within many emergency service organizations, serious enough to...
Balanced Mind is a psychotherapy and counseling center offering online therapy throughout New York. We specialize in Schema Therapy and EMDR Therapy. We work with insurance to provide our clients with both quality and accessible care.
How Can Neurodiverse Couples Counseling Help My Relationship? Every relationship has its ups and downs. Partners argue, misread each other, and sometimes struggle to feel truly heard. When one or both partners are neurodivergent, these everyday challenges can look a...
How Do I Find a Therapist for Non-Monogamous Couples In New York? Relationships come in many forms. Some couples choose monogamous relationships, while others explore open relationships, polyamory, or other non-traditional relationships. No matter the relationship...
Demystifying Bias in Couples Therapy One of the most common concerns I hear before meeting a new couple has nothing to do with communication, intimacy, or conflict. It's this: "I'm worried the therapist is going to take my partner's side." If you've ever felt that...
Understanding the Distinction Between PTSD and Complex PTSD The International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition (ICD-11) introduced two distinct but related diagnoses within trauma and stress-related disorders: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex...
Understanding the Unique Nature of First Responder Trauma Research on trauma treatment has traditionally focused on single-incident PTSD, where individuals experience one discrete traumatic event and develop posttraumatic stress disorder from that specific exposure...
When the Problem Isn't Effort: It's Wiring If you're an adult with ADHD, you've probably spent much of your life being told some version of the same story: that you're not trying hard enough, that you're disorganized because you don't care, that your difficulty...
Understanding Giftedness and Existential Depression in Adults Summary: This comprehensive guide explores how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy must be adapted for gifted adults experiencing existential depression. Unlike standard depression, existential depression...
Understanding Two Powerful Approaches to Change Summary: This article explores integration of cognitive restructuring from traditional CBT with schema mode work from Schema Therapy, addressing both surface thought patterns and deeper emotional structures....
Understanding Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors Summary: This comprehensive guide explores cognitive-behavioral treatment for body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), specifically dermatillomania (skin picking) and trichotillomania (hair pulling). These...
Understanding Olfactory Reference Syndrome Summary: This article provides comprehensive guidance for treating Olfactory Reference Syndrome (ORS), a condition where people become convinced they emit offensive body odor despite no actual odor being present....
Understanding Attachment Wounds and Why Standard CBT Falls Short Summary: This article explores how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy must be adapted to treat attachment wounds—profound psychological injuries from early relational experiences with caregivers. Unlike trauma...
Understanding Shame in Complex Trauma Summary: This comprehensive guide addresses the pervasive toxic shame that characterizes Complex PTSD—the deep, identity-level belief that one is fundamentally defective, bad, or unlovable. Unlike healthy shame that signals value...
Understanding the Power of Integration Summary: This comprehensive guide explores thoughtful integration of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, two well-researched modalities offering distinct strengths. CBT addresses...
Understanding Maladaptive Daydreaming: More Than Just Fantasy Summary: This article addresses maladaptive daydreaming, a largely hidden condition involving extensive, immersive fantasy activity that significantly impairs daily functioning. Unlike brief pleasant...
The Complex Intersection of Real Illness and Health Anxiety Summary: This article addresses the complex challenge of treating health anxiety in people with actual chronic health conditions like diabetes, MS, inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, or autoimmune...
Two Distinct Phenomena Often Confused Summary: This article clarifies a critical distinction often missed in trauma treatment: the difference between memory flashbacks and emotional flashbacks. Memory flashbacks involve vivid sensory re-experiencing of specific...
The Missing Component in Contemporary Evidence-Based Treatment I've been practicing trauma therapy for years, specializing in cognitive-behavioral therapy, EMDR, and Schema Therapy. Over time, I've noticed a consistent pattern among my clients that deserves attention....
Understanding Dissociation as Disconnection From Present Reality Summary This article provides an in-depth examination of dissociative symptoms—disconnection from self, body, reality, or memory—as trauma responses. It explains the spectrum of dissociation from...
Understanding the Fawn Response as Trauma Survival Strategy Summary This comprehensive article explores the fawn response—the fourth trauma response involving compulsive people-pleasing and self-abandonment. It explains how standard assertiveness training often fails...
CBT for Adult Children of Narcissistic Parents: Healing from Childhood Emotional Neglect and Manipulation Understanding the Legacy of Narcissistic Parenting Summary: In this comprehensive analysis, clinician Grace Higa provides an in-depth look at the psychological...
CBT Adaptations for Highly Sensitive Persons: Honoring Depth of Processing in Treatment Understanding High Sensitivity: A Trait, Not a Disorder Summary: In this article, clinician Grace Higa explores how to adapt Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to honor the unique...
Addressing Cognitive Rigidity in Trauma Survivors: Moving From Black-and-White to Flexible Thinking Understanding Cognitive Rigidity as Trauma Response Summary: In this detailed exploration, clinician Grace Higa examines cognitive rigidity, a common but often...
Finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming, especially when you're looking for someone who truly understands both your identity as an LGBTQ+ individual and your specific trauma healing needs. If you're considering Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing...
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has become one of the most effective evidence-based treatments for trauma and PTSD. For Black individuals seeking this specialized therapy, finding a therapist who combines EMDR expertise with cultural competency...
One of the most common concerns about ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is addiction potential. Here's what the research shows about ketamine addiction risks in therapeutic contexts. Understanding Addiction vs. Dependence Addiction involves compulsive use despite...
Common misconceptions about Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy can create barriers that prevent people from accessing potentially life-changing treatment. These myths often stem from outdated information, confusion about recreational versus medical use, media...
Older adults considering Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy face unique medical, psychological, and social considerations that require specialized attention and individualized treatment planning. While age alone should not disqualify someone from potentially beneficial...
Healthcare professionals face unprecedented levels of stress, trauma exposure, and emotional demands that can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and a range of mental health challenges that traditional treatments may not adequately address. The...
Artists, writers, musicians, performers, and other creative professionals face unique considerations when pursuing Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, often grappling with concerns about how mental health treatment might affect their artistic abilities, creative...
Postpartum depression affects up to 20% of new mothers, representing one of the most common complications of childbirth and a significant public health concern. When traditional treatments prove insufficient, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy offers new hope for mothers...
Veterans face unique and complex challenges with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that often differ significantly from civilian trauma experiences. The combination of combat exposure, military culture, moral injury, and the challenges of transitioning to civilian life...
Completing your initial Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy series marks a significant milestone in your mental health journey, but it's really just the beginning of a lifelong process of integrating insights and maintaining the improvements you've worked so hard to...
Understanding ketamine's side effects helps you distinguish between normal treatment responses and situations requiring medical attention. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) produces a range of effects that are part of its therapeutic mechanism, but knowing what to...
