Dr. Patricia Fox - Clinical Psychologist

09/09/2025

No, ChatGPT (or any other LLM) should NOT be your therapist.

Unlike mental health professionals, chatbots are designed to keep you engaged—not necessarily to support your well-being.

Learn more about why ChatGPT shouldn't be your therapist: https://at.apa.org/a51dd1

09/09/2025

This post appears to have some inaccuracies about Public Law 119-21, which Congressman Dan Meuser is calling the "Working Families Tax Cut":

# # # ✅ **Accurate Claims:**

**No Tax on Tips:** Employees and self-employed individuals may deduct qualified tips received in occupations listed by the IRS as customarily and regularly receiving tips, with a maximum annual deduction of $25,000. This effectively makes tips tax-free up to the stated limit.

**No Tax on Overtime:** Individuals who receive qualified overtime compensation may deduct the pay that exceeds their regular rate of pay (such as the "half" portion of "time-and-a-half" compensation) with a maximum annual deduction of $12,500 ($25,000 for joint filers).

# # # ❌ **Inaccurate or Misleading Claims:**

**"Enhanced Child Tax Credit: $2,500 per child, fully refundable":** The IRS documentation of Public Law 119-21 makes no mention of changes to the Child Tax Credit. This provision does not appear to be part of the actual law.

**"Relief for Seniors: 88% will no longer pay federal taxes on their Social Security":** The law does not eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits. Instead, individuals who are age 65 and older may claim an additional deduction of $6,000 ($12,000 total for married couples), which is different from eliminating Social Security taxes entirely.

**"$50 Billion for Rural Hospitals":** No such provision appears in the IRS documentation of the law.

# # # ❓ **Unverified/Exaggerated Claims:**

**"Up to $12,500 more per family in Pennsylvania":** While the law does provide various deductions, this specific calculation and Pennsylvania-specific amount is not substantiated in the official documentation.

**"80 million hourly workers will keep an extra $1,400 a year":** This specific number of workers and dollar amount is not supported by the official law text.

CONCLUSION: The document contains some accurate information about tip and overtime deductions that are actually in Public Law 119-21, but also includes several claims that are either not in the law (Child Tax Credit changes, Social Security tax elimination, rural hospital funding) or are inflated/unsubstantiated (specific dollar amounts and worker counts).

Bigger Paychecks. Lower Taxes. Greater Opportunity.

House Republicans and President Trump delivered the Working Family Tax Cuts—the most pro-worker, pro-family tax relief in American history.

✅ Bigger Paychecks: Up to $12,500 more per family in Pennsylvania.
✅ No Tax on Overtime: 80 million hourly workers will keep an extra $1,400 a year.
✅ No Tax on Tips: Up to $25,000 in tips per year completely tax-free.
✅ Relief for Seniors: 88% will no longer pay federal taxes on their Social Security.
✅ Enhanced Child Tax Credit: $2,500 per child, fully refundable.
✅ Stronger Small Businesses: The largest middle-class & small business tax cuts ever.
✅ $50 Billion for Rural Hospitals: Protecting access to care across America.

Every single Democrat voted against this historic tax cut—choosing higher taxes instead of relief for hardworking families.

We kept our promise: More money in your pocket, stronger communities, and a brighter future for American families. 🇺🇸

09/09/2025

Ensuring our kids have the support they need to succeed extends outside of the classroom, the cafeteria, or the gym.

That’s why we’ve expanded mental health resources in nearly 800 schools across Pennsylvania – because students' mental health is just as important as their physical health.

09/08/2025

Language matters. The rebranding of the tax cuts in One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA) is apparently "Working Family Tax Cuts."

From the Center on Budget & Policy:

~ a family earning less than $50,000 a year would get less than $300 in tax cuts in 2027.
~ a family earning more than 1 million would receive $90,000 in tax breaks.
~ finally, 10% of Americans at the bottom will lose about $1,200 a year.

Congressman Dan Meuser
Congressman Rob Bresnahan Jr.
Senator Dave McCormick

Coming up this morning at 10:30am on FOX56 WOLF TV–I’ll be joining Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Rep. Rob Bresnahan on the Volpe Report to talk about the Working Family Tax Cuts and their historic savings for the American people. 📺

09/08/2025

Today we're recognizing 988 Day—a reminder that support is always here. However you're feeling, overwhelmed, numb, or unsure, 988 is here 24/7—free and judgement-free.

Compassionate help. Anytime. Anywhere.

Learn more: https://988lifeline.org/

09/07/2025

Other names for "blue-collar workers" include manual laborers, industrial workers, working class, proletariat, working stiff, and lunch-bucket worker. These terms generally describe workers engaged in physical, manual, or industrial labor, often for hourly wages rather than a fixed salary.

Blue collar workers in Pennsylvania make a wide range, with average salaries around $41,597 to $41,600 per year ($20-$23/hour), but actual pay depends heavily on the specific job, skill level, location, and experience.

For instance, entry-level positions might start around $29,633, while senior roles and specialized trades like HVAC technicians can earn significantly more, with some jobs potentially paying over $125,000 annually.

In Pennsylvania, minimum wage earners are most likely to be women, people of color, younger workers (under 24), and those without a college degree. Many of these individuals work part-time, are unmarried, and are often employed by small businesses.

Additionally, some workers in specific industries, such as restaurant servers and personal care providers, are more likely to earn minimum or sub-minimum wages due to the concentration of such roles in their sectors, according to the Keystone Research Center.

This bill may not make it out of Committee and if it does, it will be several years before poorly paid Pennsylvanians will see a boost in their paycheck.

Our region has always been powered by blue-collar workers. Raising the minimum wage honors that legacy by making sure every worker earns a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work and that the next generation can build a life right here at home.

09/07/2025

A rare lawmaker holding town halls.

Wouldn't it be great if our northeast Pennsylvania ( ) lawmakers did the same?

8th Congressional District - Congressman Rob Bresnahan Jr.
9th Congressional District - Congressman Dan Meuser
The senators representing Pennsylvania - Senator Dave McCormick and U.S. Senator John Fetterman

“Even as most congressional Republicans are avoiding their constituents, one has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to engaging with voters in the flesh: 61-year-old Mark Alford of Missouri,” Elaine Godfrey writes. https://theatln.tc/QnkqrSAj

The second-term lawmaker “represents a safe Republican district, and has voted along party lines 89 percent of the time, according to Heritage Action,” Godfrey continues. “But in a moment when so few Republicans are making an effort to hear from the people who sent them to Congress, Alford has set himself apart. His forums, four of which I attended [last] week, offer a useful window into voters’ opinions of the current administration, and a preview of the biggest fights to come in 2026.”

“Alford’s town halls are not exactly changing minds,” Godfrey continues. Still, he “managed to hold a week’s worth of public events without screening questions or attendees. He de-escalated conflicts, and responded to substantive criticism from his constituents.”

“I’m not necessarily after their vote in the town-hall tours,” he told Godfrey. “I’m after their respect.”

“On this modest goal, Alford appears to have found at least some success,” Godfrey writes. “His Republican colleagues don’t seem interested in achieving the same.”

📸: Arin Yoon for The Atlantic

09/06/2025

09/06/2025

“Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in America today,” Arthur C. Brooks writes. The key to conquering feelings of dread may be seeing it as part of “the great opportunity and adventure of life.” https://theatln.tc/Ka8yfHHe

In the 19th century, the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard identified anxiety as “an adventure which every man has to affront.” To most people, anxiety seems like something to eliminate if at all possible. But for some, “within healthy boundaries and when properly managed, anxiety is an integral part of life that can afford learning, raise performance, and even make life an adventure.”

Although anxiety can seem, at any level, like an “unmitigated evil,” Brooks writes, “anecdotal accounts also attest to some upside to feeling anxious: Even people who experience what is generally regarded as a debilitating level have noted that they derive some emotional benefits from their anxiety.” Some people have found that anxiety can raise one’s awareness of others, promote empathy, and bring one greater self-knowledge.

As for a Kierkegaardian adventure, research suggests that when people are given a task, and feel some level of anxiety but are not overwhelmed by it, their “flow” states reach their highest levels. “Perhaps you can relate to feeling fully alive when you’re working within your abilities but are just on the edge of them,” Brooks explains. The idea of adventure can also be philosophical: Researchers have found that although people do not wish to relive stressful events, they later tend to report various benefits from their exposure to anxiety. “They felt freed from limitations imposed by their past life,” Brook writes, and “had a clearer understanding of life’s meaning.”

A disorder such as anxiety that involves dysregulated and debilitating anxiety “should not be minimized,” Brooks writes. “But anxiety per se is not the enemy; it can even be a friend if understood and managed correctly.” The first step is to accept anxiety as a normal occurrence, not suppress it.

🎨: Jan Buchczik

09/06/2025

09/06/2025

Pediatric practices often break even or lose money on vaccines. Doctors say they administer vaccines in accordance with scientific data about what is good for patient health.

09/06/2025