Therapist Thoughts

Because the holidays aren’t always merry and bright…  Beyond the mistletoe, classic movies, enticing treats, ornate decorations and overhaul of lofty expectations for happiness, altruism and gratitude, lies the not so jingle worthy reality that holidays can also be hectic, stressful, overindulgent, lonely and expensive. When our friends, families, partners, kids and coworkers can bombard us with unattractive small talk, uncomfortable political discussions, the overconsumption

I have spent the last couple years  formally mentoring graduate interns as they complete their Master degree in Social Work, the same degree I earned before my career as a mental health therapist. However, the older I get and the more I delve deeper into my practice of Social Work, psychotherapy and blogging, the more comfortable I become being in the position of learner . I used to think that with time and experience comes expertise, but now after much time and much experien

Mistah  SHEFFIELD!  If you instantly recognize this phrase or the townhome pictured above, then you too also must have spent some time loving the hit 90’s series, The Nanny . I can still distinctly remember how exciting this show was in my household. We would all gather around and watch, and my sister and I were allowed those nights to stay up past 9pm. Of course we were both so young and so the majority of the jokes went right over our heads but the gist of Fran’s character

My trip to NYC.  Arthur and I are headed to New York soon for a wedding and I can’t be more excited. I can’t wait to see the changing leaves, run through central park and hopefully experience some legitimate Fall weather. I of course have a list of places to eat and things to do but I think I am just most excited to experience the energy of New York City. It’s such a different lifestyle and pace than Los Angeles and reminds me of a much bigger and quicker Chicago.  2. So many

Birthdays  have always been pretty special to me, ever since I was a little girl who religiously had several back to back celebrations at a place rightfully called “Let’s Dress Up” – I think you get the gist – and realized being born in August meant cookie dough ice cream cakes were more than appropriate when you live in the midwest. Every year so far has continued in the same vein. I’ve never really put too much pressure on how I celebrate and usually have a pretty easy time

Celebrate: I have a birthday, a friend in town and will be throwing a small little party to celebrate myself and few work friends who recently got licensed as therapists. As you know I love to celebrate, whether it’s just dinner with a friend I don’t see often, a birthday or a full on party. For the little get together I am hosting, I’m going to try out a little garden party theme, so hopefully some florals, a fizzy punch and some fresh fruit. Past that I will need to consul

Having  a sister  guaranteed many things in life; lots of copying, toy sharing and fighting over who got to play Mary-Kate Olsen first. For the record it was always me but seeing how things turned out I am more than happy to give you the privilege now Becky.   But the other fairly common tradition of sisterhood often assures you a spot as maid of honor and of course for me there was no question that my only sister Becky would get the job. Given that she’s had years of practic

I just said goodbye to the apartment I have been living in for 7 years. My entire time so far in Los Angeles has been here, in the only place I have ever called home in the city of angels. And now, I am moving in with my fiance in not so far away Santa Monica and I must say, it’s been quite the send off. Obviously there are many good things about this move. The most important is starting a new chapter with Arthur and his adorable little frenchie, Pierre. Second, Santa Monica

Brentwood, my love!  I am going to miss you oh so much! Okay, so don’t stress, I am only moving next door to Santa Monica, but still, I am going to miss so many things about living in this quiet little enclave, tucked discreetly into the expansive city of Los Angeles. First and foremost, this has been my home for seven years, the first place I lived after moving to Los Angeles. I came right after graduating college with my best friend from high school, Emma, who wanted to wor

I’m getting married! If you follow me on Instagram then I am sure you have already heard the news, but since I just got back our engagement photos I thought this would be a nice time to share a little bit more about how everything happened and some very preliminary  wedding ideas. Or if you just want to check out the lovely photos Kellie did, here are some of my absolute favorites! She did such a wonderful job and I was so excited to see them. Fortunately we got lucky with th

The news of two incredibly talented people’s recent passing due to suicide really struck a cord with me. Not because I knew them or because I’m in awe that people unfortunately die from suicide, but rather because as a therapist it’s something I come across so often. I suppose the shock came because I’ve isolated my work and clients so much from the rest of the world, as if they are not really part of it. Sounds crazy, right? I don’t mean this in a negative way but I think I

1. Find  a good ice cream alternative,  perhaps one that my fiancé can make for me. I am always on the hunt for something healthier, without dairy or soy milk, that tastes delicious. So far my favorite find has been Pressed Juicery Freeze  which is delicious but limited in the amount of flavors and locations where you can get it. The best store bought alternative I have found is the cashew milk snickerdoodle flavor from So Delicious . But aside from buying, I am hoping to try

See :   The Gospel According to Andre , full disclosure, I have already seen it and it was FANTASTIC.  I had always known a good amount about Andrè Leon Talley as a fashion icon and major player at Vogue but I never quite understood the depth of what he represented and did for not only the culture of the fashion industry but the culture of America. I really encourage any person too see it, even if you’re not that interested in fashion but rather just interested in seeing the

So I PASSED MY EXAM!  Make your therapy appointments now because I can finally practice independently, just kidding ! Passing this exam means I’m officially able to practice as a therapist, which I’ve been doing for about four years now, but under a supervisor’s license. Now that I have passed this exam, I will be able to have my own practice and operate a bit more independently. If anyone else has had goals that require a licensing exam, I have so much empathy for you. I’m

It’s March and I must admit, the months between the holidays and May have never been my best. Nothing terrible has happened during that time, it’s just nothing too special has ever happened and I have noticed over the years that it’s the time when I am not as creative, excited or motivated. So I am not really sure what I am going to do about it just yet but here I am, writing down the things that excite me right now. Enjoy! 1. My reality television obsession , continues with

I always tend to follow either the sunrise or my 6am alarm clock, whichever happens to come first. I am a morning person and so having a productive morning is always important to me. I either start my day working out, typically with a run in my neighborhood or Soulcycle class. If I don’t work out then I just start working. Some of the best days tend to start with me arriving super early to the office when barely anyone’s around or at my beautiful desk at home. 8AM  I usually

1. Valentine’s /Galentine’s Day… Some may disagree but I thoroughly enjoy this holiday and always have – boyfriend or no boyfriend. And with the rise in popularity for a Galentine’s Day celebration, this card company and florist driven holiday has become more inclusive for anyone who celebrates love. Last year my friends and I had an adorable and delicious Galentine’s Day party at home and I must say it wasn’t too different from any other girls night in, but oh you know how I

This is a new series  I have been meaning to add for a long time now to Gisele Chic. I thought it would be fun to share a mini snapshot of my plans for the weekend, let me know what you think! And as always reccomendations are uber welcome! Enjoy! SEE: The new film Phantom Thread staring Daniel Day-Lewis about a 1950’s post war dressmaker and set in London of course. The appeal of this film for me needs no explanation because obviously I’m drawn into any film about fashion,

I must admit  that I write this post with some apprehension, as the word  feminist  has a history of being misrepresented and having different interpretations for different people. However, I think  Emma Watson said it clearly  – she said “feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes” and she denounced the idea that feminism equaled male hatred. She

This West Village Apartment  by  Fernando Santangelo   is everything I ever dreamed of in a New York apartment and it’s no wonder that his work was featured in  Architectural Digest  last month. I absolutely love the subtle blue, perfectly fit for a sophisticated yet soothing place to live in the city. This shade could put me to sleep in two seconds just as much as it could inspire numerous cocktail parties that go deep into the night. I just love the use of shelving for book