Leslie Lower, LCSW, LLC

10/20/2025

𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗦

In an argument, when evidence is presented in response to a specific claim, it is "moving the goalposts" when some other evidence is demanded instead.

We’re seeing this regularly now. When proof is demanded for atrocities we are witnessing, we are met with, “yeah, well prove that it wasn’t…” The goalposts keep moving so you’ll never be able score the point.

10/14/2025

This is a common tactic I’ve seen used a lot lately. Ibe seen many in recent weeks when talking about the government shutdown. Here is an example:

Original argument: "I think we should put more money into education and healthcare".

Straw man response: "So you hate our country and want to leave it defenseless by cutting military spending?".

Explanation: The response misrepresents the original argument by claiming it is an attack on military spending, which was never mentioned. The easier-to-attack claim of being "defenseless" is used to dismiss the actual point about increasing funding for education and healthcare.

09/22/2025

I know I haven’t posted in a while for various reasons, but mostly because I didn’t know what direction to go in. I’ve decided to focus on terminology that would be beneficial to know in this time of political and societal chaos.

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This weeks term is: The Paradox of Tolerance
This paradox was articulated by philosopher Karl Popper in The Open Society and Its Enemies (1945), where he argued that a truly tolerant society must retain the right to deny tolerance to those who promote intolerance. Popper believed that if intolerant ideologies are allowed unchecked expression, they could exploit open society values to erode or destroy tolerance itself through authoritarian or oppressive practices.

04/28/2025

03/11/2025

This is a topic that's come up quite frequently lately. Adult children of all ages feel like they're being gaslit.

01/22/2025

In preparation for uncertain times, I've decided to make regular donations to the ACLU. The ACLU is going to have some major battles to fight the next few years, and it's one of the few organizations that has the power, knowledge and courage to fight for human rights and social justice.

11/06/2024

I was going to post about radical acceptance this morning, but I just couldn't. I'm not there yet, and I don't know when or if I ever will be. Instead, I decided the most appropriate thing to post would be the Stages of Grief. Personally, I do not believe we go through these stages in order. We may bounce from one to another and back again, and that's okay. No one gets to tell you how, or how long, you should grieve. Right now I'm grieving many losses and I'm just going to sit in my feelings for a while.

10/28/2024

It's rapidly approaching that time of year when I see a sharp increase in SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression where the episodes of depression happen during the same season every year. It is estimated that over 10 million Americans suffer from SAD, with 90% of those individuals reporting symptoms in the fall/winter seasons. Women are 4x more likely to experience SAD than men, which supports the likelihood of a hormonal connection. I notice an increase in SAD cases when the time changes and the temperature drops resulting in people spending more time indoors as well as a drastic reduction in sunlight exposure. If you are struggling, ask your provider about strategies to combat SAD.

07/15/2024

Masking is the conscious or subconscious effort by autistic individuals to suppress their autistic traits and
behaviors to appear non-autistic.

06/26/2024

Mindfulness is something that we frequently talk about in therapy and can be very beneficial in regulating emotion.

06/11/2024

It's pride month, so it's only fitting that this weeks terminology is a breakdown of what LGBTQIA stands for!