In order to know which direction to go in, you have to know where you want to end up. There is a very wise anecdote from the childhood story Alice In Wonderland. Alice is lost and is at a fork in the road, there she sees Cheshire Cat. The exchange goes as follows: Alice asks the cat which way she should go. He responds by asking her where she is trying to get to. Alice says, “oh it doesn’t really matter.” And then Cheshire Cat says, “well then it doesn’t matter which way you

Every behavior serves a purpose or function. As human beings with free choice, we act purposefully and to fill a need whether or not we are fully aware of it. Understanding the function of a behavior will help us understand the reason behind the action and how we can handle unhelpful behaviors in ourselves and those around us. Most functions of behavior fall into four categories, with the acronym EATS: Function #1 - E scape Sometimes things feel so overwhelming that we just

You might not have known this, but going to therapy is like getting involved in a relationship. Like all good relationships, you want to make sure it’s productive and healthy. Unlike all good relationships, though, therapy shouldn’t be a forever-thing. In therapy, a goal should be set and worked toward. To ensure you have a healthy, productive, and goal-driven therapeutic relationship, you should ask questions that help you clarify what you’re looking to get out of therapy.

It’s amazing how quickly the mind picks up habits. Some stick around because they’re helpful, and others stay simply because they’re familiar. Many people come into therapy feeling frustrated that they “know better” but still slip into the same reactions or thought loops. The truth is that the brain doesn’t change just because we want it to. It changes through repetition and practice. That’s where therapies like CBT and DBT come in. They give the brain a new roadmap. One of t

Lessons From My Visit to מרפאת תעצומות, the IDF’s New PTSD Unit Dr. Ben Langstein visiting the IDF’s New PTSD Unit Living in Israel has opened up some truly unique professional experiences for me as a therapist trained in military and civilian trauma care. Just recently, I was invited to speak to a new trauma unit within the Israeli army, מרפאת תעצומות (Mirpa’at Ta’Atzumot), loosely translated as “Clinic of Strength.” Yesterday, I was able to visit the clinic and see their wo