The Rational Heart

How to Use Cognitive Tools Compassionately I f you've ever tried to “think more positively” and ended up feeling worse, you’re not alone. A lot of people come into therapy telling me some version of: “I feel like I’m just gaslighting myself. I’m trying to reframe my thoughts, but it feels like I’m minimizing what happened or telling myself it’s not a big deal.” And honestly? That concern is valid. There is a way that “reframing” can turn into self-gaslighting: - “It wasn’t th

A grounding guide from You Have the Right to Your Feelings We all have moments where our emotions surprise us -- sometimes showing us "inconvenient" times. Maybe jealousy hits during a friend's big moment.. Maybe anxiety arrives on a calm Sunday afternoon... Maybe anger floods in before you even know why. If this sounds familiar, you're in good company. Here's the truth I remind my clients of all the time: Your feelings are never the problem. It's what we do with them tat sha

We spend so much of our lives trying to control, fix, or talk ourselves out of feelings -- as if certain emotions make us "too much," too sensitive," or "not resilient enough." But here's the truth I want you to hold close: You have the right to your feelings. All of them. Your feelings are not problems to solve. They're signals -- honest data about what matters to you. Wen we start to see emotions this way, we can listen without being ruled by them. We stop fighting our inte