Shame is an insidious sensation of feeling flawed and inadequate. Shame based beliefs constantly whisper in our ears “you are not enough, therefore, you are unworthy of love and connection.” Toxic shame can negatively impact many aspects of our lives, including our...
Elena Bahar, LMFT
How to Cope with Perinatal/Postpartum Anxiety
While having a newborn baby can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience, it also can pose challenges for both parents, specifically the one who gave birth! Adjusting to life postpartum can feel quite vulnerable, lonely, and overwhelming. At least 1 in 5...
Relationship Attachment Styles & Communication Patterns
We are all born with an innate psychological need and desire for forming attachments and enduring bonds with our primary caregivers. When we are children, quite literally, our survival and healthy development depend upon it. Our attachment style develops during early...
Mind & Body Practices for Sexual Trauma Healing
Sexual trauma is a horrendous experience that may debilitate a person’s sense of safety and trust in themselves, in their body, in their relationships, and their sexuality. Sexual trauma is any event in which a person experiences non-consensual sexual contact or...
How to Cope When Your Partner is Emotionally Unavailable
Lack of emotional support in a relationship can leave you feeling lonely, rejected, dismissed, and at times invisible. Dealing with emotionally unavailable romantic partnerships can feel like a never ending battle to win your partner’s affection which can leave you...
Mental Health + Holidays: A Survival Guide
While the holidays may be a time of love, joy and celebration for some, that is certainly not the full story for many folks. Holidays are often portrayed through social media and movies as “the happiest time of the year” where everyone is joyous and seems to be having...
What is Polyamory & is it Right for Your Relationship?
While committing to a monogamous relationship might sound fulfilling and be the appropriate option for a lot of people, the idea of “till death do us apart” seems daunting and unattainable to others. Some people need more than one sexual and/or romantic partner to...
Understanding Our Emotions Through Internal Family Systems
Understanding our emotions can be quite a complicated process for many of us. Having a history of trauma also makes identifying and regulating emotions very difficult and may cause you to feel strong and painful emotions in response to certain triggers, or feel very...
The Power of Vulnerability in Relationships
In a culture where we are praised for being a perfectionist and an overachiever, it might feel counterintuitive to be open and honest about our struggles and display he power of vulnerability, especially when we are unsure of how it will be received. We are socialized...