Dr. Cortney S. Warren - Choose Honesty, LLC

04/21/2026

Is it a red flag when someone talks badly about their ex?

That's a tricky question to answer--but how someone talks about their ex reflects something about their experience.

The real question is this: Are they still emotionally activated when they talk about their ex, or are they reflecting with clarity and closure?

Pay attention not just to what they say, but how they say it. It tells you a lot about where they are emotionally and whether they’re truly ready for something new.

04/20/2026

“Fear of Missing Out” or FOMO isn’t really about missing an event—it’s about missing the opportunity for connection.

We feel FOMO most when we think we’re missing time with people who matter or moments that strengthen our sense of belonging. But trying to show up for everything can leave you drained and disconnected from your own life.

Be selective. Invest in relationships that truly matter. And take breaks from social media when it starts to distort reality.

Read more in my latest article on Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/naked-truth/202604/fomo-what-are-people-really-afraid-of-missing

Do you ever fear that you're missing out on something important when you turn down an invitation? Emerging research exploring FOMO suggests it's often missing bonding that's key.

04/14/2026

Are you stuck replaying something painful from your past?

You wake up thinking about it.
You search for answers.
You replay the moment again and again, trying to make sense of it.

This kind of rumination is incredibly common after difficult experiences. Your mind is trying to understand what happened. But when we stay trapped in that loop for too long, it can leave us feeling bitter, resentful, and emotionally stuck.

One tool that can help is radical honesty.

Face the event directly.
Allow yourself to feel what comes up.
Then pause and remind yourself of a powerful truth: it has already happened.

You can acknowledge the pain without allowing the past to control your present.

Healing often begins the moment we stop fighting reality and start choosing how we want to move forward.

04/13/2026

Most couples want a safe, trusting relationship. The strongest romantic relationships aren’t built on grand gestures. They’re built on small, consistent moments of curiosity, care, and emotional attunement.

This requires regular communication. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking:

“Do you want my opinion, or do you just want me to listen?”
“How can I support you today?”
“How do you think we’re doing lately?”

These questions create space for honesty, connection, and emotional safety—the foundation of lasting love.

I shared 8 powerful questions happy couples regularly ask each other in my latest for CNBC Make It.

🔗 Read the full article here:

Building a trusting relationship is the goal for most couples. Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. Cortney Warren shares eight things emotionally secure couples talk about to have a happy and successful relationship.

04/06/2026

Divorce can be one of the most painful chapters of a person's life. But it doesn’t define your future.

When a relationship ends, you don’t have to pretend that it never mattered. Your ex was important to you. The relationship did exist. And the grief that follows can be incredibly painful to live through.

That said, healing isn’t about “getting over it.”
It’s about living through it.

When you allow yourself to process the loss, reflect on the experience, and grow from it, you begin to step into a new version of yourself.

Every difficult transition carries the opportunity for transformation. Your next chapter can be healthier, more authentic, and exploratory in a unique way.

Choose to grow through it.

03/31/2026

Breakups can be incredibly destabilizing—and the internal experience of longing for an ex can sometimes look a lot like an addiction.

I recently joined Dr. Ryan Moyer on the Why Do We Do That? podcast to talk about why breakups hurt so much, what makes some people more vulnerable to love addiction, and practical CBT strategies to help you heal and move forward after a serious relationship ends.

If you’re struggling to let go, this conversation is for you. Listen to the episode here:

Podcast Episode · Why Do We Do That? · March 30 · 54m

03/25/2026

If you could say anything to your ex, what would it be? What would you ask?

After a breakup, it’s common to crave answers. To want one more conversation. One more chance to explain your side. To finally feel understood and to understand them.

But here’s the hard truth: closure doesn’t always come from the other person.

Sometimes, you have to create it for yourself.

Try this: write a letter you’ll never send.
Put it all on paper — the hurt, the anger, the confusion, the things you never got to say.

Not for them. For you.

Healing isn’t about getting the perfect response. It’s about releasing what’s been living inside your head.

You can keep the letter, tear it up, or let it go. What matters is that you gave your emotions a place to land.

03/18/2026

Wondering if it’s time for couples therapy?

Here’s a simple guideline: if your relationship feels stuck, tense, or caught in repetitive conflict, bringing in a professional can help.

You don’t have to be on the brink of a breakup to benefit.
In fact, seeking support earlier often leads to better outcomes.

A skilled therapist can offer neutral perspective, teach practical communication tools, and help you understand each other in new ways.

Healthy couples don’t wait for disaster, they invest in growth.

03/16/2026

Many women report using drugs in an effort to lose weight. For some, body image and weight concerns motivate problematic substance use and contribute to relapse concerns.

My colleagues and I (Anne R. Lindsay, Nichol Heleman, Najat Elgeberi) recently evaluated a 10-week program designed to support nutrition, body image, and health behaviors among women in substance use treatment. Participants showed meaningful improvements in healthy eating and physical activity, along with reductions in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating symptoms, and increases in intuitive eating.

These findings highlight the value of addressing nutrition and body image as part of comprehensive recovery care.

Read the full research here:

03/11/2026

Can thinking about something negative make you more anxious?

The short answer is yes.

One of the fastest ways to interrupt that cycle? Calm your body.

Try this:
Inhale deeply.
Take a small extra sip of air.
Then exhale slowly and fully.

When you soothe your nervous system, it becomes much easier to quiet your mind.

Your thoughts affect your body — but your body can also help steady your thoughts.

03/04/2026

Experiencing pain is part of being human.

Life is hard. In the toughest moments, it’s easy to focus on what you’re losing. What's going wrong. What's negative.

Yet, there is always a gift. Instead, pause and ask:

👉 What is this teaching me?
👉 How am I growing?
👉 What strength can I develop?

So often, the experiences that once devastated us become the ones we’re most grateful for in hindsight.

Growth rarely feels good in the moment, but it’s often hidden inside loss.

02/25/2026

Letting go of an ex doesn’t mean that you stop caring about them. It means you stop holding onto a relationship that no longer exists.

They may not feel the same way you do. AND, you don’t need them to be whole or healed.

💔 Love can be deeply felt but not enough for a relationship to work. Sometimes the most self-loving thing you can do is let them go.