Mood Smoothie Mental Health Resources

02/08/2026

The fear of looking dumb leads to self-limiting anxiety, while embracing your foibles can lead to unexpected rewards. Here are some tips for how to deal with fearing blunders.

Here is the link to the full post: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202601/dealing-with-the-fear-of-looking-dumb

12/07/2025

My latest post is about how to help a spouse cope with being laid off. Drawing upon personal experiences and professional expertise, I discuss how job loss affects the entire family and tips for taking a team approach to healing.

Here is the link to the post:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202512/helping-a-spouse-cope-with-being-laid-off

10/24/2025

In this post, I discuss the ways we think about deservingness, and how this affects our well-being and relationships. I offer tips for reframing extreme thinking surrounding deservingness in a way that enhances compassion and flexibility.

Here is the link to the full post:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202510/the-4-faces-of-deservingness

07/18/2025

This post explores how to cope with existential dread when it is exacerbating your fears.

Here is the link to the full post:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202507/phobia-in-the-age-of-existential-dread

04/06/2025

As a highly sensitive person, I’ve found it helpful to honor the strengths emotion sensitivity brings to the table. However, I’ve also realized that it’s important to practice tolerating insensitivity. Even highly sensitive people can show insensitivity in certain circumstances. This post provides an understanding of where emotion insensitivity comes from and how to effectively manage your response to it.

Here is the link to the full post:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202504/understanding-differences-in-emotion-sensitivity

12/28/2024

Being publicly shamed can trigger distress, even when the shaming is unjustified.

It's important to cope with unjustified shame without attacking your identity or self-worth. This post offers insights and tools to help.

Here is the link to the full post:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202412/coping-with-unjustified-public-shaming

11/11/2024

Memory makes life meaningful, productive, and enjoyable. But worrying too much about forgetfulness can harm self-esteem and relationships. This post explores skills for forgiving forgetfulness, which can lead to greater contentment and connection.

Here is the link to the full post:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202411/forgiving-forgetfulness

07/23/2024

While there are gifts that come with being a slower thinker, slow mental processing can still lead to feeling misunderstood. This post provides tips for navigating slow mental processing when it affects emotions and relationships.

For the full post, copy and paste this link into your browser:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/alone-together/202407/dealing-with-slow-processing

06/28/2024

I’ve realized how much the thought “It was all for nothing!” contributes to emotional distress. It’s a belief that makes minor hassles turn into major problems. In this post, I discuss suggestions I have found helpful for coping with All for Nothing Angst.

Here's the link for the full post:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/alone-together/202406/all-for-nothing-angst

06/04/2024

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202406/rise-the-value-of-believing-in-someone

In this post, I reflect on the impact that people who believe in you can have on your personal and professional growth. Social scientists refer to believing that others believe in you as Relation-Inferred Self-Efficacy, and studies support its positive effects. While these relationships have often come about serendipitously, I suggest things you can do to make them more likely to happen.

To read the full post, click on the link above.

04/21/2024

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202404/understanding-justice-sensitivity

Justice sensitivity is a quality that can motivate prosocial behavior, but in some cases, it can fuel resentment and obsessiveness. Here is how to channel it effectively.

03/28/2024

When we foster connections, we allow people to feel seen.

This post discusses how to make an impact when others reach out to us, even when we think we can't help.

Everyone can help others make connections in the community. They can make these efforts even more meaningful by tapping into their creativity, curiosity, and compassion.

Fostering connections is an impactful way of helping when you think you can’t.