Happy During the Holidays- Dr. Nathalie R. Henaine, PsyD
Holidays seem to bring out the intensity of whatever our beliefs and attachments to family are. It starts to tingle unconsciously in October, after the September hustle and bustle has settled and Halloween rolls closer. Once late October and early November are here,...
Friendships and Familyships- Dr. Nathalie R. Henaine, PsyD
In America, we have no real sense of what the word “friend” means in our everyday vernacular. I noticed that we have this interesting cultural piece where “friend” represents everyone from the person who has seen and supported me when I was in shambles to my partner's...
The Myself in Holidays- Dr. Nathalie R. Henaine, PsyD
I could always be counted on to pick up Christmas and New Years' shifts in college. The holidays didn’t hold the same joy that it seemed to for my coworkers so it felt like the most logical decision. It was either this or… As I sat in the quiet office, rocking back...
Celebrating Bereavement- Dr. Nathalie R. Henaine, PsyD
I read a post on Facebook that described bereavement as the inability to give all the love and feelings we have towards a person who is no longer physically with us. Bereavement brings up a host of feelings, ranging from relief, guilt, shame, rage, surprise,...
The Process of Self-care – Dr. Nathalie R. Henaine, PsyD
I don't see myself as a perfectionist, because I don't do things perfectly. (See: the irony of perfectionism) However, I would be lying if I didn't say that the pursuit of becoming perfect occupied a lot of my emotional time. The pursuit gave me the hope and the...
The Cultural Legacy Behind A Name- Dr. Nathalie R. Henaine, PsyD
Names often hold the hope, the promises, and the memories of the people who raised us. A sort of silent wish cast into the future, not unlike a coin that is tossed into a bubbling fountain. Sometimes we know of these wishes - a command that invokes respect and power,...
On Suicidal Ideation and Human Connection- Dr. Nathalie R. Henaine, PsyD
Content warning: Suicidal fantasy and ideation Creating is a core part of how I've made sense of life and my interactions with its intensity. As a child, I scribbled vibrant illustrations and stories about the monsters under my bed. During adolescence, I sang sad...
The Making of a Martyr – Part I Navigating THE Struggle of Motherhood
It’s 5:30 am. The sound of my soft, gentle alarm going off is intermingled with the screams of my almost 4 year old daughter who is telling me she already pooped herself (she’s sick) and would like to finish her BM in the toilet, which, of course, she doesn’t want to...
Brock Turner is Not the Problem
Chapped, rough lips covering my entire mouth. Hungry, wet tongue slamming into the back of my throat. My chest heaving, gasping for air that is hard to find. A cold hand forcing it's way up my shirt. Awkward, hard fingers frantically pulling at my bra to grope at...
THIS is The Way You Should Be Parenting
That sounds ridiculous right?? That there's one way to do something so insanely complicated?? The idea that there actually are right answers?? And yet, we read those kinds of posts and articles all the time and hear it just as frequently. This is the same...but...