“I Just Want the Pain to Stop”: What Suicidal Kids Are Really Trying to Say

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By Debra Cohen-Melamed, LCSW, CCTP, TF-CBT, CPDTP Suicide Prevention Awareness Month – September 2025 “I don’t actually want to die. I just don’t know how to keep living like this.” That’s what a 14-year-old client once whispered to me during session, and it’s something I’ve heard echoed in different ways from kids much younger than […]

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The Freeze Response – When Numbness Becomes a Way of Life (Trauma Responses, Part 3)

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A 4-Part Blog Series by Debra Cohen-Melamed, LCSW, CCTP, TF-CBT, CPDTP In Part 1, we explored how the Fight response turns fear into control. In Part 2, we unpacked how Flight keeps us moving to escape overwhelming emotions. But not all trauma responses are active. Some are invisible—misread as apathy, laziness, or indifference. As a

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Breaking the Myths: What BPD Really Is (and Isn’t)

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By Debra Cohen-Melamed, LCSW, CCTP, TF-CBT, CPDTP As a trauma therapist, I’ve seen so many clients burdened not only by the pain of BPD but by the extra wounds caused when they’re dismissed as “manipulative,” “attention-seeking,” “dramatic,” or “too much.” These myths don’t just hurt — they keep people from getting the care and understanding

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When We Drift Away from Ourselves: A Gentle Reflection on Losing Our Purpose

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By: Maria Guasone, RMHCI There are seasons in life when we look in the mirror and barely recognize the soul staring back. Not because we have failed, but because somewhere along the way, we started living a life that wasn’t quite ours. Let’s pause for a moment and explore the quiet ways we can lose

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The Quiet Struggle: What Brings Men to Therapy—And What Happens Next

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A psychologist’s reflection on shame, stress, and the surprising strength of vulnerability. Some men don’t come to therapy because things are falling apart. They come because keeping it all together is starting to crack something inside. They’re not sure what they’ll say, but they know they can’t keep holding it alone. Beneath the surface, there’s

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When Labels Lose Their Meaning: The Quiet Harm of Misusing Mental Health Terms

Leave a Comment / Mental Health, mental health awareness, Self-Diagnosing /

By: Debra Cohen-Melamed, LCSW Mental health is finally part of our everyday conversations—and in many ways, that’s progress. We see the terms on TikTok, in group chats, even on T-shirts. But as words like “bipolar,” “ADHD,” and “OCD” become part of pop culture shorthand, something important is getting lost: their meaning. What once were serious

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When Summer Isn’t So Sunny: Understanding Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder

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By: Michelle Hintz, PsyD As the weather warms up and daylight stretches longer, most people feel energized and ready for summer fun. But for some, the arrival of summer brings anxiety, irritability, and depression instead of relief. This lesser-known condition—Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder (Summer SAD)—affects a smaller percentage of people than its winter counterpart but

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Seasonal Affective Disorder: What to Do When the Winter Blues Linger

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By: Michelle Hintz, PsyD As the days grow longer and the temperatures begin to rise, many people feel a renewed sense of energy and motivation. For those who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), springtime is often a welcome relief from the fatigue, sadness, and sluggishness that accompany winter. But what happens if those symptoms don’t

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