Many therapy clients come to us never having been in therapy before. These new clients are usually excited to begin but also feel intimidated, uncertain, and unknowing of what to expect. Understandably, starting therapy can bring up a complex mixture of emotions! One question we frequently get from clients new to therapy is “What should I talk about in therapy?”

The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. In fact, humans need quality, connected relationships to be healthy and have prolonged lives…Communication is only one of many important relationship skills, not THE most important relationship skill. I want to outline a number of other vital, relationship skills that often get overlooked when we’re primarily thinking that the key to successful relationships is communication. Read on for seven additional relationship skills to help you improve the quality of your relationships.

After a long day all I really want to do is listen to music. It is an unmatched, easily-accessible form of self care that helps me to both move towards and away from my feelings.

One question we hear a lot is “Am I too sensitive in my relationship?”…We’ve often been told we’re too sensitive which leads to feeling ashamed, lots of self-judgment, and relationship insecurities. My hope is that this article will help you better understand the strengths and challenges of being sensitive in your relationships and provide some tips for how to manage the difficult moments when you’re feeling alllll the feels.

I often notice folks worrying that work isn’t something we should be spending time on in the therapy room. “I should just be grateful that I have a job,” or “Work isn’t really that important to me,” or “Everyone hates work, it is what it is”…But just like relationships, big life transitions, and any of life’s challenges, work has a huge impact on mental health, so let’s talk about it.

Research shows that individuals with a secure attachment style tend to have greater emotional well-being and more intimacy and trust in their relationships. But what about those who have struggled with attachment trauma and insecure attachment in their past? This is where earned secure attachment comes into play. By understanding the context that has shaped your attachment style, you can work towards developing a secure foundation for your relationships moving forward.

Your soul does not need habits. Your soul needs play and imagination and pleasure!

Enter in what I hope to persuade you into reading more of: smut. You may have heard of smut because it’s a growing category of popularity in the Bookstagram and #BookTok areas of the internet.

Sessions can be more affordable, but the level of savings is not proportional to the rate cut for providers. So when you pay for therapy, although you’re paying less, your money is going toward the company BetterHelp—its advertising, parent company investors, and overall profit, not toward paying your therapist. This will undoubtedly impact the therapeutic relationship, which is “at least as vital to a positive outcome as using the right treatment method” according to the American Psychological Association.

I think that the pathway to creating loving men is through showing men the love, care, and open embrace of all parts of their humanity. It’s important to remember that nothing about masculinity is inherently toxic. Masculinity can be beautiful, generative, and nurturing when it isn’t strangled by sexist ideals.