Mary McGregor LCSW

10/10/2025

A self is a personal mythos — a story through which we sieve the complexity and condradictions of lived experience for coherence. The cruelest price of success — that affirmation of the…

09/12/2025

I worked with AI to explore myself and want share insights from the experience. It can be an interesting tool to add to your therapy work.

https://www.mcgregortherapy.com/post/using-ai-for-self-work-reflections-on-journaling-therapy-and-the-lived-selfd

A psychotherapist explores the insights she gained by reflecting on her journal entries with AI.Over the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with something both deeply personal and professionally intriguing: I uploaded several years of my private journal entries into AI and asked it to reflect...

08/21/2025

I am now offering EMDR intensives for people seeking a focused, short term approach. This is a great option for people who want to tackle recurring symptoms or themes in their lives.

Is an EMDR intensive right for me?

08/18/2025

Many people confuse interdependence with codependence. It’s important that partners understand the difference.

Codependence is one-directional. It may rely on two people, but it is not functionally a “two-person system.” All of the time, energy, and resources are directed towards one partner. The needs of the other partner are not treated with equal importance.

In contrast, interdependence is a mutually beneficial two-person system. Both partners enjoy the ability to rely on one another, while also taking each other as their burden. No one partner’s needs take precedence over the other.

Rather than one partner being the priority, the relationship itself is the priority.

05/20/2025

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14720417/amp/Cassie-used-Prince-Harry-favorite-trauma-therapy.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawKYsIBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFYRFVuTXVLMm8xYmRIeUdWAR7bNEdmmDJGvq8xibu1EmNLHXyRejJZOhFMGWEAqVfNCsjsvnAVEcQcwLRn7Q_aem_BbwX1Fu-7z5K_AHt94UL9Q

EMDR Therapy Works!

Cassie Ventura told Sean 'Diddy' Combs' s*x trafficking trial that she received mental health care at the Willow House treatment facility in 2023.

05/15/2025

At the link, absolutely wonderful read on creativity and the courage to be yourself: https://www.themarginalian.org/2017/09/25/e-e-cummings-advice/

05/13/2025

https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/09/06/general-theory-of-love-separation/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKQIw9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFLMVBETHdxVUNvT2E2OUhKAR7W3LhlGSh1uwVUC0qGux5ojB9FjmFWg2ZYhx9qajjtF2rIonWevFK2NYeOiQ_aem_k49vOAN3eDnI6uoU2PBeJA

“A relationship is a physiologic process, as real and as potent as any pill or surgical procedure.”

04/09/2025

Conflict avoidance is perfectly understandable as a defense, but in reality, it doesn’t work.

The brain is wired to detect threats in an instant. You may think you’re covering your true feelings, but the slightest change in behavior, tone of voice, and micromovements in your face can alert your partner to the problem.

When you don’t address the problem, your partner will be forced to fill in the blanks. With the brain’s negativity bias, it’s likely your partner will assume something worse than whatever is actually going on.

Additionally, your needs won’t be met if you don’t address them. Over time, that will affect how you feel and behave around your partner.

All of this is detrimental to your relationship, which means it’s bad for both of you.

Acknowledge that conflict avoidance does the opposite of protecting from harm, and address issues as soon as possible.

02/27/2025

In fact, we become more free when we commit to a secure-functioning relationship. Commitment frees up resources that would otherwise be spent on stressing over the security of your relationship. You will have more energy to focus on personal development and growth both inside and outside of your relationship.

02/11/2025

https://neurosciencenews.com/novelty-prediction-neuroscience-28409/

A new study shows that the cerebral cortex acts as a "memory machine," constantly detecting novel stimuli to refine its predictions of the future.

02/04/2025

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/magazine/therapy-marriage-couples-counseling.html

It took a superstar couples therapist to help me see beyond my anger.

02/04/2025

Have Patience