Calling an emotion “good” or “bad” doesn’t give us a lot of information as to why someone is feeling this way, and it becomes especially hard to be helpful. Different coping strategies and support work for different emotions and so it’s important to be specific about emotions. We want to name them and include nuance.

Invalidation can be exquisitely painful to experience, especially when it’s ongoing or occurring in close relationships. Regardless of the other person’s intentions, invalidation can lead to people not feeling worthy of support, to doubt their own experiences, to feel alone, and to judge their own emotions and thoughts.

I recently attended a workshop on the topic of Matrescence held by Cayley Benjamin, a Motherhood Coach. She explains Matrescence as “the profound transformation – physical, psychological, social, economic and existential – that a mother experiences as they become a mom and journey through motherhood”

Silence in therapy can be just as rewarding for both the therapist and client. At first, silence in the therapy session seems unnatural, whether the conversation takes place virtually or in person. We are not accustomed to silence when speaking with people.

The constant checking my phone for the time gave me the illusion of having control and a way to cope with the uncertainty of the situation. But it wasn’t very effective except for making me more irked and impatient. We all know that a watched clock never goes faster.