Collaborative Minds Blog
Education to empower your mental health journey.
5 Reasons Why Your Teen Might Benefit from a DBT Skills Group
Being a teenager today can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. For parents, it can be hard to know how to help, especially when your teen shuts down or seems “fine” one moment and overwhelmed the next. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a research-backed approach that helps teens better understand their emotions, cope with stress, and communicate more effectively.
How to Help Tween and Teen Girls Cope with Bullying
Bullying has changed a lot over the past decade. It no longer stops at the classroom door; texts, group chats, and social media can make it feel like there’s no escape. For tween and teen girls, being bullied can deeply impact self-esteem, friendships, and emotional health.
ADHD in Women & Adults: Signs You Missed & How Therapy Helps
For years, ADHD was seen as something that mostly affected hyperactive young boys. Research now shows that ADHD often looks very different in women and adults, and that because of this, many people don’t realize that they’ve been living with undiagnosed symptoms for years (sometimes even decades). If you’ve ever wondered why you feel constantly overwhelmed, forgetful, or exhausted from trying to keep everything “together,” you’re not alone.
10 Ways Gen Z Can Cope with Loneliness in a Digital World
Gen Z is the most connected generation in history, yet it’s also one of the loneliest. Between endless scrolling, pressure to present a “perfect” life online, and fewer opportunities for real-world connection, it’s easy to feel isolated. The good news? There are practical ways to build authentic connection and ease loneliness without ditching technology entirely. Here are 10 ways to start.
When The Holidays Feel Complicated: Balancing Food, Fasting, and Recovery
As the High Holidays approach each year, I often hear a familiar mix of emotions from the people I work with. There’s excitement about family gatherings, a deep sense of spiritual renewal, and pride in traditions passed down through generations. But for many of my Jewish clients (and, truthfully, for anyone who has wrestled with food or body image), the upcoming holidays and fast days also stir up something else: anxiety.
The Silent Struggle: Mental Health and the Spouse of a Doctor
When people imagine the life of a doctor’s spouse, they often picture comfort, status, and stability. What they don't see is the long nights spent alone, canceled plans, the weight of emotional labor, and the quiet erosion of one’s own needs and identity. As both a therapist and the wife of a physician, I’ve lived this paradox — and I know I’m not alone.
Supporting Maternal Mental Health with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Motherhood is a journey filled with profound joy, growth, and connection—but it can also bring intense emotional challenges. Many mothers experience feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, depression, or difficulty managing emotions as they navigate the complex demands of parenting and personal well-being.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: How to Care, Connect & Support
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It is a time to remember lives lost, support those struggling, and build communities founded on hope and healing. Suicide ranks as the second leading cause of death for teens and young adults, and over 20% of teens have seriously considered it in the past year. These numbers remind us that prevention matters and you can make a difference.
September Reflections: Navigating Changes, Connection, and Care
As we step into September, life begins to shift again. The air turns crisper, routines pick up speed, and for many families, the return to school marks a significant transition. At Collaborative Minds Psychotherapy, we recognize that September brings a mix of anticipation, stress, and emotional readjustment—for children, teens, adults, and families alike. This month, we’re highlighting a few themes that often show up in therapy at this time of year.
Back-to-School Anxiety: Preparing for a Smooth Transition
The shift from summer freedom to a structured school routine can bring excitement, and oftentimes it can also bring anxiety. As students and caregivers prepare for this change, it's normal to feel nervous. With thoughtful planning and supportive strategies, this transition can feel empowering rather than overwhelming.
Social Skills for Teens: Build Confidence & Connection
Navigating friendships and social situations during the teen years can be exciting—and sometimes challenging. Whether you're replaying awkward conversations in your head or wishing you felt more confident in front of a group, social skills are learnable, not fixed.
Mental Wellness for Parents: Supporting the Supporters
At Collaborative Minds Psychotherapy, we recognize that parents and caregivers are often the unsung heroes—nurturing others while putting their own needs last. But mental wellness isn’t a luxury for caregivers; it’s a necessity. When parents take care of their mental health, they model resilience, emotional regulation, and balance for their families.
Therapy Is for Everyone: You Don’t Have to Wait Until a Crisis to Get Help
Many people think therapy is only for those in crisis — when life feels unbearable, or something has reached a breaking point. But at Collaborative Minds Psychotherapy, we want to challenge that myth.
Dropping Anchor: A Quick Reset for Summer Overwhelm
Feeling flooded by summer chaos? Here’s a quick mental reset to pull you out of your racing thoughts and back into the present moment when everything feels like too much.
Learning to Fall: The Gift of Mistakes
Every parent knows the feeling: your child forgets their homework (again), gets cut from a team, or finds themselves in a conflict with a friend or teacher. The temptation to jump in and fix things is strong. We want to help them. We want to protect them. We want to prevent them from feeling pain. But the hard truth is, when we constantly shield our kids from mistakes, we also shield them from learning how to grow. As uncomfortable as it is, making mistakes is part of growing up. Whether they are five or fifteen, kids build resilience, confidence, and problem solving skills when they are allowed to stumble - and supported as they get back up.
The Summer Slump: Navigating Motivation and Mental Health During the Off-Season
Summer often feels like a break—a time to recharge, break routines, and bask in more free time. This shift can often bring an unexpected slump. You might find yourself lounging more than usual, struggling to start tasks, or feeling restless when unstructured days stretch endlessly. If this feels familiar, you’re not alone—and it’s not your fault.
Motherhood and Identity Loss: Finding Yourself Again
No one tells you that becoming a mother might mean losing sight of who you are. Alongside love and joy, there is often grief, confusion, and a deep questioning of identity. If you find yourself saying “I don’t know who I am anymore,” keep reading to learn tips for finding yourself from a maternal mental health therapist.
Are You a Chronic People-Pleaser? 7 Signs You’re Neglecting Your Needs
Do you always say “yes” when you really want to say “no”? Find yourself overextending for others but feeling burned out, resentful, or invisible? If so, you might be stuck in a cycle of chronic people-pleasing—and it could be costing you your mental health.
5 Therapist-Approved ADHD Hacks That Actually Work for Adults
Managing ADHD as an adult can feel like a constant game of catch-up—whether it's forgetting appointments, procrastinating on simple tasks, or struggling to finish what you start. The good news? With the right strategies, living with ADHD doesn’t have to mean chaos. Keep reading for 5 therapist-approved hacks that actually work for adults with ADHD.
Coping With the Unknown: Why Uncertainty Feels So Unbearable—and What You Can Do About It
Unanswered texts. Health scares. Waiting to hear back after a job interview. Life is full of unknowns and for many of us, that’s a major problem. Uncertainty has a way of hijacking our thoughts, keeping us up at night and pulling us into cycles of worry, checking or avoidance. But why is uncertainty so hard to tolerate? And how can we learn to live with it without spiraling?