by Andrew Kravig, LMFT.
If you’re an adult living with ADHD, you’ve probably spent years being told to “just focus! Be more organized,” or “try harder!” Over time, those messages can become internalized, leaving you feeling frustrated, ashamed, or exhausted. This little guide isn’t about fixing you, because you’re not broken. It’s about understanding how your brain works and building systems that can actually support it. It might feel like a small start, but it’s a start!
by Andrew Kravig, LMFT.
I find myself in quite a quandary these days, working as a psychotherapist during the age of the Tr*mp regime. I spend my days thinking about how to hold people together, the nature of healing, what it means to live authentically, and how to find an individual’s sense of meaning and direction. All of this while I (and the entire world along with me) am constantly on the verge of falling apart. Lives are being shattered, homes are being destroyed, the very notion of my existence is being censored. War, famine, greed. Straight-up fucking genocide…
by Wanda Diep, LCSW.
Let's talk about anxiety, stress and overwhelm. Sometimes, at the start of a session, a client will mention that they’ve been feeling upset, overwhelmed, and simply exhausted. And they're extra frustrated because they have no idea why they are feeling this way. It’s one thing to feel overwhelmed by the stress you have, and it can feel additionally frustrating to not know why.
And yes, it’s clear that there are a lot of reasons to feel stressed, even outside of our own bubble. Although our wellbeing is connected to others’, it can feel like your own stress is competing with the stresses of the world (and losing). Even taking those things into consideration, it’s not always clear what’s bugging us.
by Tiffany Hooton, LMFT.
In a previous post (which you can find here), we discussed some common reactions a person might experience when their significant other first comes out to them as trans or gender questioning as well as ways to begin unpacking some of those more complicated tangles of emotions. This, however, only scratches the surface when it comes to navigating transition in relationships.
by Andrew Kravig, LMFT.
How are you enjoying the new calendar year so far? Itt has been a bit wild, hasn’t it? If you’re anything like me, it’s been filled with too much doom scrolling, almost enough protesting in the streets, buckets of cortisol racing through my system, a handful of warm moments with friends, and nowhere near enough rest. And god knows what we need right now is some good rest. If your community demographics look anything like mine, it has probably been a very scary start to 2026. It’s hard to figure out where to fit something like rest or relaxation into my schedule… I mean, how do you nap when it feels like the world is burning?
by Tiffany Hooton, LMFT.
In a previous post (which you can find here), we discussed some common reactions a person might experience when their significant other first comes out to them as trans or gender questioning as well as ways to begin unpacking some of those more complicated tangles of emotions. This, however, only scratches the surface when it comes to navigating transition in relationships.
by Tiffany Hooton, LMFT.
Imagine you’re standing in a parking lot, just about to head into work, when you check your phone. There’s a message from your partner: They think they might be trans. They know a text isn’t ideal. That it might feel impersonal, but the words get stuck in their throat whenever they try to muster the courage to say something. Just writing that sentence took everything.
How might you feel in that situation? How do you imagine you would respond?
by Sara Stanizai, LMFT
All relationships are inter-cultural.
We all carry our own personal, familial, cultural, national, spiritual, and other contexts with us as we try to connect with each other.
Some of these differences are more recognizable than others. While these relationships are often rich in love and learning, they can also present unique challenges that require open communication, empathy, and a keen understanding of power dynamics.
As a licensed marriage and family therapist and a student of Relational Life Therapy, I often draw upon the principles of RLT to help couples navigate these complexities.
Hear me out.
Let’s say you have a broken blender at home. Every time you try to make a smoothie, it tips off the counter and splashes your fruit purée all over the kitchen floor. Sometimes you can salvage some of the smoothie, but most of the time, it just leaves you hungry, flinching, and trying to block out the loud whirring, while covered in a mess of mangled fruit and yogurt. You end up feeling like you’ll never get that refreshing sip you came for!
Abusive relationships are similar in that they leave us with reflexive jumpiness, feelings of mistrust, emptiness, and hopelessness. Although instead of fearing fruit purée, we end up fearing people. Sometimes people we love deeply.
But your relationships don’t have to feel like a broken blender. Finding those healthy relationships may not always be as easy as driving to the store and picking up a new appliance, but there are steps you can take and principles you can follow to avoid the traumatic mess of unhealthy relationships. Here are some pointers to help you identify and avoid toxic relationships and the damage they leave behind.
I was asked to contribute to an article at Dame inspired by the Netflix original show, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On.
I had heard of the show, but didn’t binge watch it until AFTER I contributed to this article. (My opinion didn’t really change after I finally did watch it, though.)
Essentially, I explained that boundaries are limits that we hold ourselves to. Ultimatums are expectations we put on others. And while boundaries preserve relationships, ultimatums threaten them.
The first week or two was OK. It was fun staying in sweatpants. You enjoyed some comfort food. Made a group project out of being sure you had supplies for the time being.
Now you’re getting on each others' nerves a little bit. The cabin fever is setting in, and you're learning more than you thought possible about your partner.
These are stressful times, to be sure. A quarantine of undetermined length can certainly wear on even the strongest relationships. There’s a sentence I didn’t predict I would write. But here we are.
Here are some suggestions for how to maintain a calm and comforting environment with your partner. Bonus: These tips will remain helpful for when we emerge from this pandemic more grateful and appreciative of all our connections. xoxo
No relationship is perfect, as no single person is perfect.. But how can you tell if you’re making things better - or making things worse?
Whether your relationship is a few months old or a few decades old, there is never a wrong time to consider your relationship’s health.
No matter what specifically you’re disagreeing about, these are signs that point to strength or weak spots in your relationship.
Couples counseling can benefit any couple, of any age, at any time. But doing therapeutic work with the LGBTQ+ community is different. And I believe it should be.
The representation of couples counseling in mainstream media has focused heavily on cisgender, heterosexual, and monogamous couples. But what about the rest of us? The lack of representation shouldn’t dissuade you from getting the help your relationship needs.
When you think about the type of couples that go to therapy, you’re likely conjuring up an image of partners trying to work through adultery, or those who have even more serious problems. But that’s not always the case.
While it is true that you definitely should go to a therapist if you are having trouble with your partner, the real answer to “should my partner and I go to couple’s therapy?” is always yes. Read on to find out how therapy can benefit even the happiest couples.
Couples sometimes panic when they start having the same disagreement over and over again. They're worried it's a sign of a fundamental mismatch in their relationship. They may avoid the disagreement to avoid potentially ending the relationship. But that makes things worse!
I spoke with Jamie Kravitz at Elite Daily a few weeks ago about how to tell if your partner respects you. I believe that almost any relationship can be improved, and a disagreement (even a frustrating, recurring one) doesn't necessarily mean the end.
Most couples are unhappy for an average of 6 years before deciding to try therapy together. Whatever the reason (stigma associated with counseling, not wanting to admit they are "that couple," prioritizing work over their relationship, etc.), by the time they decide to try therapy, they aren't sure what happens next. Here's a little of what you can expect:
Convenient to Long Beach and Seal Beach at:
4510 E Pacific Coast Hwy, #540, Long Beach, CA 90804
contact@prospecttherapy.com | (562) 704-4736
