In my practice, I often work with clients struggling with cocaine addiction, and one of the most striking things I see is how long a substance use problem can remain hidden. Cocaine addiction does not always look like someone who has completely lost control of their life. Many of my clients continue to work, parent, maintain relationships, and meet their responsibilities while privately struggling with cocaine use. Often, the people closest to them notice that something has c

Mental Food Battle The battle with food often happens in the mind long before it becomes visible to others. A distorted eating pattern can create a constant internal dialogue about food, weight, exercise, and body image. You may look healthy on the outside while feeling exhausted by the thoughts happening internally. Here are five common signs of the mental battle behind distorted eating: 1. Constantly Thinking About Food Your mind may feel consumed by what you ate, what you

Last week was our family’s last official week of summer. My middle child started preschool at the end of the week, and watching him walk into this new season of life made me pause and realize just how much he has grown over the last couple of years. Watching my children grow has a way of making time feel both incredibly slow and unbelievably fast. There are days when the fatigue, responsibilities, and constant demands of parenting can make it difficult to notice how beautiful

Imagine it's a Monday afternoon. You've spent the day on the golf course. The drinks started at lunch and continued throughout the afternoon. As you pull into your driveway, your young children are inside waiting for you. They are excited to tell you about their day at school, show you the picture they colored, or share the funny story that happened at recess. But before you walk through the front door, you reach for another drink. One open container becomes two. One is techn

Lately, I've realized I've been living with my lens zoomed in. Every day has felt like a series of demands to meet, decisions to make, problems to solve, and responsibilities to carry. When our perspective narrows this way, it's easy to become consumed by what isn't working, what still needs attention, or what feels uncertain. Why do I feel so weighed down? As I reflected, I realized something that is true for many of us. Much of what was contributing to my stress was made up

Recently, I have found myself reflecting on a pattern I have observed throughout my years as a clinical therapist. Some of the individuals who appear to have everything together are often carrying the heaviest emotional burdens. They show up to work every day. They attend class. They care for their children. They meet deadlines. They volunteer. They smile when someone asks, "How are you?" However, deep down they quietly admit, "I don't know how much longer I can keep doing th

Recently, I read the book, Never Enough by Jennifer Wallace, and it caused me to think about where our self worth and self esteem come from. As a parent, I deeply resonated with being intentionally zoomed in on the achievements and opportunities that are designed to help kids become successful. This book explores what happens when our sense of worth becomes attached to achievement, performance, and external validation. It suggests that many children and adults alike grow up b

Have you ever felt like someone's behavior toward you changed overnight? One day you were valued, and the next you were criticized, ignored, or treated as though you never mattered. While everyone experiences conflict differently, individuals with significant narcissistic or borderline personality traits may react to disappointment, rejection, or perceived betrayal in ways that feel confusing and emotionally intense. It is important to remember that having a few of these beha

In addiction, one of the most consistent patterns is not just the behavior itself, but the way a guilty conscience begins to construct alibis. Over time, the person is not only managing the addiction, but also managing how they appear to everyone around them. What starts as small explanations slowly turns into a constant need to justify time, money, mood, and movement. The Guilty Mind and the Need to Explain Everything A guilty conscience does not stay quiet for long. Even be

I have always loved books and podcasts that ask deep questions and ponder the big questions in life. Recently, I read Arthur Brooks' book The Meaning of Your Life, and it caused me to pause and examine my own life very deeply. Like many people, I spend much of my time focused on responsibilities, goals, deadlines, and the endless demands of daily life. But Brooks asks a simple yet profound question: What if success is not the same thing as meaning? That question lingered wit

One of the most common symptoms of alcohol addiction is secrecy. People hide how much they drink. They minimize consequences. They tell themselves they have things under control. Often, the deception is not just directed toward others—it is directed toward themselves. This is why many therapists encourage a concept known as aggressive transparency during addiction recovery. Aggressive transparency means choosing radical honesty about drinking behaviors, triggers, cravings, se

What Is Real Human Connection? In a world where conversations can easily drift toward criticism, judgment, and gossip, many people mistake these interactions for genuine connection. Shared judgment can create a quick sense of alignment and belonging. In the moment, this can feel like closeness. But this is not authentic connection. It is temporary bonding built on exclusion rather than trust. True human connection is inclusive, not divisive. However, if gossip is not true co

Choosing Dignity, Boundaries, and Truth in the Face of Quiet Cruelty There is a particular kind of pain that comes not from strangers, but from people who once sat close enough to know your vulnerabilities. It is the pain of realizing someone has taken pieces of your story, twisted them into something smaller and uglier, and handed that version of you to others. Not the full truth. Not the nuanced truth. Just enough truth wrapped in resentment to make the wound believable. Mo

Valuing Connecting Most of us think that we need to stand out to be recognized. Academia, coaches, music teachers, etc… all teach us the art of perfection. I recently read an article that was written by Google’s former in house therapist, Katherine Schafler. In this article she talks about how most people connect to your ordinary things about you. She listened to people talk about their lives and the important people that are in their lives. “Here are some t hings she NEVER

The Tool of Confusion in Abusive Dynamics Have you ever felt like someone in your life had to get their way? Like they felt entitled to control or dominate you? I recently listened to Eli Harwood, an attachment therapist, describe something deeply insightful: one of the primary tools abusive individuals and systems use is confusion . Confusion makes the truth murky. It destabilizes reality. It shifts the focus away from harmful behavior and onto something else entirely. When

There has been a growing conversation around how people learn, process information, and interact with the world around them. In my work as a clinical supervisor, I’m often asked about specific traits that are commonly associated with neurodiversity—particularly those that can impact relationships and social interactions. For clients who are seeking deeper understanding of their behaviors and experiences, I always recommend pursuing an evaluation with a psychologist who specia

Fear When we read the word fear , most of us can immediately think of a time when we felt it. Fear is an innate human response to a perceived threat. At some point in our lives, we will all experience this powerful emotion. Some of us may try to mask it, others may numb it, and some may feel completely overwhelmed by it. In this blog, we will explore the body’s response to fear and discuss ways to move through it in a healthy way. Symptoms of Fear Sweating Increased heart rat

Creating emotionally intelligent securely attached children “Mom, can I have another cookie?” This is a phrase regularly repeated in my home. Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the answer is no. When I first became a parent, I quickly realized that my natural personality was going to be stretched. I tend to be relaxed and easygoing. I assumed my children would naturally fall into consistent feeding and sleeping rhythms. I soon discovered that wasn’t the case. What I learn

Healing the Whole Person At Core Restorative, we believe in healing the whole person —not just addressing symptoms as they show up in your life today. True healing happens at a core level, and Psychodynamic Therapy is one way to explore and nurture that deeper change. Let’s take a closer look at the three key mechanisms of change in this approach. Three fundamental mechanisms that produce change 1. Insight – Understanding Your Story- Insight is all about looking closely at yo

How Psychodynamic Therapy Works and What Clients Can Expect What is Psychodynamic Therapy? Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy that explores how unconscious patterns, past relationships, and early life experiences shape the way we think, feel, and behave today. Instead of focusing only on surface-level symptoms, it looks beneath them to understand the deeper emotional roots of our struggles. At Core Restorative, we use this type of therapy in order to create heali