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My Dad Was Sexually Abused as a Child. Should I Talk to Him About It? June 2, 2017 . 4 Comments
Dear GoodTherapy.org, My mom and dad divorced when I was 14. I’m in my forties now. Neither of my parents is in the best of health, and I don’t know how much time left I have ... Read More
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How Sexual Violence Affects College-Age Women with Disabilities May 25, 2017 . 3 Comments
Sexual violence is a common experience among college women with mental health or behavioral disabilities, a study published in the Journal of Women’s Health concludes. The study’s authors ... Read More
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I Hate My Parents—and I Hate Myself Because of It May 5, 2017 . 50 Comments
Dear GoodTherapy.org, I’ll just say it: I hate my parents with every fiber of my being. I’m pretty sure they hate me, too. My dad beat me almost every day when I was little, ... Read More
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What You Can Do to Raise Awareness of Child Abuse April 3, 2017 . 6 Comments
My therapy practice is in Fairfax County, one of the wealthiest counties, with some of the best schools, in the nation. It is diverse and densely populated with well-educated residents ... Read More
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Learning to Trust Again After Gaslighting March 6, 2017 . 38 Comments
Gaslighting is in the news these days. In simple terms, to gaslight is to treat another person in a way that makes them doubt their own perceptions. We can see this behavior on a large ... Read More
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Shame and Silence: Recognizing Spiritual Abuse February 1, 2017 . 20 Comments
Spiritual abuse, a type of abuse that results from a spiritual leader, system, or indoctrinated individual’s attempts to control and/or manipulate another individual, can be difficult ... Read More
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Why Is Emotional Abuse So Difficult to Recognize? January 27, 2017 . 17 Comments
Emotional abuse can be every bit as devastating to individuals and relationships as physical and sexual abuse. And the pain of experiencing emotional abuse can be heightened when you feel ... Read More
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How to Heal from the Narcissistic Abuse of a Parent November 16, 2016 . 26 Comments
To recover from the emotional abuse caused by a parent with narcissistic tendencies, you must repair your reality—a reality that has been skewed and damaged by your experience of parenting. ... Read More
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Stopping Abuse Starts with Supporting Everyone Involved October 20, 2016 . 17 Comments
Once, a long time ago, I was on a crowded subway train, my nose stuck in a book to help me endure the crowds, the smells, and the noise. I had just started my job as a social worker, one ... Read More
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Is It Domestic Violence If I Am Not Being Hit? October 13, 2016 . 11 Comments
Many people struggle to understand how our culture defines domestic violence. Some believe that to constitute domestic violence, a person must be beaten or violently struck in some way. ... Read More
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Snapshot of a Memory: EMDR in Practice September 14, 2016 . 9 Comments
Editor’s Note: This article contains description of childhood abuse, which may be triggering for some readers. “I have an image in my mind I can’t seem to get rid of,” I tell Dr. ... Read More
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Escape from the Fog: How Therapy Changed My Life September 12, 2016 . 12 Comments
It took a long time before I finally decided to see a psychotherapist—and for reasons that are probably very common: I wasn’t sure I had “issues” that warranted help. With nothing ... Read More