You've probably done the math. A therapy session in California or Washington state runs $150 to $350 or more, depending on the therapist's specialization and experience. Multiply that by four sessions a month and suddenly you're looking at a number that might make your stomach drop. And if you're child of immigrants, there's a good chance you also have a voice in your head, maybe one that sounds a lot like a parent, asking whether this is really necessary.

But when you brought it up at home, the response wasn't warmth, interest or understanding; it was dismissal. "You don't need therapy. You just need to do better."  Maybe your vulnerable statement was even ignored. Either way the heaviness of a parent's disappointment might make you feel that seeking out extra support is wrong.

Brainspotting is one of those approaches that sounds stranger than it is (the name probably doesn’t help) and works better than you might expect. It's also frequently lumped together with EMDR because both involve eye positioning, which leads to a lot of confusion about what makes them different and when one might be more useful than the other.

You've probably heard of talk therapy. Maybe you've even tried it. You sit with a therapist, you talk about what's going on, you gain some insight, you leave feeling a little lighter (or sometimes a little heavier, but in a way that feels necessary and important).

And then someone mentions EMDR and you think: wait, is that the one with the eye movements? Is that the one I’ve seen blowing up on Tik Tok or on my favorite reality show? Is that... hypnosis? Is that for people with serious trauma, or is it for anxiety too?

When life feels overwhelming and your to-do list seems never-ending, what's the first thing people tell you? "Just breathe." And while it might feel dismissive in the moment, there's actually profound wisdom in that advice. Our breath is one of the most powerful tools we have for managing stress and anxiety, and it's been recognized as such for thousands of years.

A colleague of mine was describing a helpful healing practices she was doing as “a little woo woo,” casting her eyes down as if awaiting a verbal blow of judgment from me. Instead she seemed surprised and a little cautious when I offered curiosity instead “Oh, that sounds really cool, could you tell me more about that?”. I don’t need to specify what practice she was talking about, because maybe it was meditation, somatic therapy, energy work, intuition, or anything that didn’t fit neatly into a Western, evidence-based box. We’ve all heard someone use the phrase “woo woo” in a way that invokes judgment and shame around a potentially helpful practice.

Welcome back to my Holistic Health Interviewing Series! Today, I’m interviewing Dr. Meghan Jain and Dr. Francine Park, owners of Ocean Bay Psychiatry based out of Southern California. They are a mental health clinic providing psychiatric care to children, adolescents, and adults. They are double board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as general psychiatry. We are here to talk about how psychiatrists and therapists can work together to provide integrative support of mental health.

When you’re burned out, it can feel like your energy never quite comes back. It doesn’t seem to matter how much you “rest”, take time off, or try to relax. You may be still appear to be functioning and fulfilling your daily duties, but everything feels a little harder than it used to. There’s a name for this experience: allostatic load.

I’ve struggle for words about what the world feels like to me right now. I realized that it brings me a lot of comfort to know that I don’t need to come up with new words, opinions, or ideas on how to broach the turmoil I feel and see around me. I hope that this list of books can offer you some guidance and support through difficult times. I hope they offer you hope and peace when you need it, and challenge and growth when you also need that.

You’re going to bed. You’re even getting the recommended number of hours. And yet, you wake up feeling foggy, heavy, or already behind.

That’s because it’s not really about sleep, it’s about your lack of restorative rest. Sleep and rest aren’t the same thing and it’s important to understand the difference and how to get both.

Rooted in thousands of years of Chinese culture, Lunar New Year (LNY) marks a collective pause between what has been and what is becoming. Unlike the urgency often felt leading up to January 1st, Lunar New Year invites reflection, restoration, and intentional movement forward.

“Why can’t I sleep?" “How can I fall asleep faster?” These are two of the top mental health-related google searches of this year. And it’s no wonder, because we’re living in a world that rarely lets our nervous systems fully relax. Even when we’re technically resting, we’re often still taking in information, others’ emotion, and stimulation.

For many people, the issue isn’t that they don’t want to sleep or don’t know the basics of sleep hygiene. It’s that our bodies are getting all kind of mixed signals about when and how they are supposed to power down.

Aesthetics like poetcore, wilderkind, cottagecore, and mystic outlandes are a part of Pinterest’s Trend Predictions and they say a lot more about us than just trending aesthetics and popular themes. These trends are showing a great cultural shift about what people are craving within the context of our current state of our world: slowness, meaning, grounding, and relief from constant performance for others’ gaze.

Polyvagal theory gives modern language to that ancient knowing. It helps explain how anxiety lives in the body, why talk alone doesn’t always help, and how small, embodied shifts can change how safe you feel day to day. Let’s dive into learning about the vagus nerve and how it can actually apply to your daily life to support anxiety and overwhelm.

The best part about cozy hobbies is that it’s not about mastering a skills (although you often do improve) or monetizing your interests. They’re about engaging with ourselves in ways that feel grounding, soothing, and human. And from a mental health perspective, they’re one of the keys to rejuvenating our spirits and beating burnout.

As we move into 2026, many people are feeling drawn toward the idea of “going analog.” This interest a response to the exhaustion that comes from living in a world where screens touch nearly every part of our lives. Technology can be incredibly helpful, offering access to care, flexibility, creativity, and connection. At the same time, when digital engagement becomes constant and unavoidable, it can quietly contribute to burnout, anxiety, and a sense of disconnection.

The question most people are really asking isn’t “Should I quit technology?” but rather, “How do I use it in a way that actually supports my mental health?”

Today, I’m interviewing Dr. Leo Mountain, a naturopathic doctor who specializes in gut health, nervous system support, men’s health, hormone imbalances, LGBTQ & trans-affirming care, and other complex illnesses. Dr. Mountain supports patients online in California and in-person in San Diego. We are here to talk about how nutrition and craniosacral therapy can support holistic health.

For many people, the New Year carries a sense of possibility; think fresh starts, big dreams, new habits. But on the flip side, this idea that we need to create major change in our lives can provoke anxiety and internalized pressure. Instead of excitement, you might feel guilt, or dread every time someone asks “Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions?”. The idea of setting ambitious goals might bring up feelings of failure, not hope.