Signs of Co-Dependency and How Therapy Can Help

By: Norell McCaw, PsyD

*Becky came to see me as a patient to address feelings of unhappiness in many of her relationships. In the beginning of treatment, she would often choose to use the session time to talk about her brother’s impulsive decisions, her partner’s alcohol abuse, or her son-in-law’s [...]

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    Grieving the Loss of a Pet and When to Seek Mental Health Therapy

Grieving the Loss of a Pet and When to Seek Mental Health Therapy

By Norell McCaw, PsyD

 

Losing a pet can be one of the hardest, most painful life experiences. For many of us, our pets are our family. They play a very special, unique role in our lives. They can be a consistent source of comfort, joy, and unconditional love. I talk [...]

Preparing for an Evaluation

By: Kirstin Filizetti, PhD
Preparing for an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) evaluation or a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) evaluation
As part of our practice in San Diego, we provide ADHD and/or Learning Disability evaluations. These types of evaluations are often sought after by adults who are curious if they meet [...]

The Misunderstood Emotion of Anger

By Norell McCaw, PsyD

I find myself providing education to many patients about the function of emotions.  Many people are insightful about the fact that emotions are what connect us to others.  Without emotions, our relationships would be unsatisfying, to say the least.  Can you imagine having a therapist who [...]

Passive Aggressive Behavior

By: Sarah Zucker, Psy.D.

Being on the receiving end of passive aggressive behavior can make a normally patient partner, friend, coworker, or family member lose their cool. Even the most self-aware among us can act passively aggressively every once in a while, although we’d usually rather not admit it (GUILTY!). [...]

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    Comprehensive Assessment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Comprehensive Assessment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

By: Kirstin Filizetti, Ph.D.

As part of my practice, I receive phone calls and inquiries about comprehensive ADHD evaluations for children and adults. Most often, people ask why a comprehensive approach is important when diagnosing ADHD. Often times, symptoms of ADHD such as inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity may result from life [...]

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    Recognizing the signs of a Sexual Addiction and When to Seek Treatment

Recognizing the signs of a Sexual Addiction and When to Seek Treatment

By Norell McCaw, PsyD

The Sexual Addiction Controversy-Does Sexual Addiction actually exist?

The term addiction stems from the Latin word “addicere” meaning “bound to” or “enslaved by”. The term sexual addiction is controversial. No universally accepted definition or criteria for sexual addiction exists within the mental health or medical community, [...]

Holiday Stress

It is that time again-“the most wonderful time of the year” (or so they say)! The holidays are supposed to be a time of enjoying family, seeing friends, enjoying good food, and creating lasting memories. But lets face it—the holidays can also be VERY stressful! Not only is stress [...]

Understanding Teens’ Emotions

By: Sarah Zucker, PsyD.

Cutting is a form of self-harm that some teens use as a coping skill. It is often done out of desperation, when nothing else seems to work. Parents frequently have a very difficult time understanding why their child would choose to injure themselves, and parents play [...]

Inside Out

By: Sarah Zucker, PsyD.

Pixar, known for their heartfelt and funny movies which tap into themes most Americans can relate to, has apparently outdone itself this time. And we’re so excited because their new movie, Inside Out, is about emotions! If critics are to be believed, this move captures the [...]