Domestic violence can be a touchy subject, however, given the recent pandemic and increase in domestic violence cases, it definitely warrants a spotlight. For starters, I would just like to advise that if you are in a domestic violence situation currently at home, please be cautious when reading this blog and clear your viewing history. […]

As I discussed in the practical blog on this topic, I have felt overwhelmed witnessing the death of George Floyd and all of the events surrounding it. I have felt an array of emotions–felt moved to promote change and support the oppressed and yet felt powerless as one person mostly holed up at home due […]

Over the past several weeks, I have seen more adult African-American men and women cry than I have in my whole life–on TV panels talking about race, on televised church discussing humanity and even on a professional Zoom meeting where the topic was race. Seeing such vulnerability has moved me to tears and broken my […]

Depression is one of the most commonly experienced challenges of the mind in the world. The World Health Organization reported that 264 million people around the world suffer with depression. The WHO’s statistics only include those who meet the diagnostic criteria for Depressive Disorders, and those who are reported. Imagine how many people suffer with […]

In the midst of a pandemic, many of us may have moments where we find ourselves stressed, overwhelmed, and irritable. For couples, this “new world” we live in has brought on a variety of additional stressors, far outside of the norm—balancing working from home, serving as teachers to children, juggling household chores and mealtimes, entertaining […]

Grief is one of those uncomfortable and difficult concepts that we all have felt in one way or another, yet we also tend to push away or avoid because it means we have to open ourselves up to vulnerability. As with every other uncomfortable emotion, it’s much easier to push under the rug and pretend […]

During the summer, I usually go to the pool often and try to connect with family members I do not get to see as much during the school year. My kids look forward to seeing certain sitters (home from college) and attending certain summer activities. And some years, I look forward to a little getaway […]

Pools, cookouts, trips, good books, more time outside…what words come to mind when you think of summer? Based on our upbringing and experiences we all have our own ideas and expectations about what different seasons should look like–where we should go, who we should be with and what we should be doing.

The HPA Axis stands for the Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. Don’t worry too much about the name, just know that your HPA axis is your bodies stress response’s central hub. Your hypothalamus, which regulates hormones and body temperature, is the first piece of this process. Let us say you are stressed by some event like […]

Now, more than ever, many of us are finding ourselves feeling in a funk, out of our element, and at struggling to have enough energy to push through the day. Life in self-quarantine has quickly brought on a whole new set of challenges for all of us, especially those already struggling with mental health concerns […]