Medical gaslighting - when healthcare providers dismiss, minimize, or invalidate your symptoms - can be an incredibly frustrating and even harmful experience. If you’ve ever been told, “It’s all in your head,” or “You’re just stressed,”despite knowing something is wrong with your body, you’re not alone. Many people, especially those with chronic illnesses, invisible conditions, or marginalized identities, face medical...
When most people think about chronic illness, they focus on the physical symptoms—the pain, the fatigue, the mobility challenges. But for those living with chronic conditions, the emotional and mental toll can be just as exhausting, if not more. The emotional labor of chronic illness is rarely acknowledged, yet it plays a significant role in daily life. One way to...
Our alumni therapist Elaine Walker is forming a new psychotherapy group for twinless twins. Elaine shares: Twinless twins or womb survivors are people who lost their twin or sibling in utero or shortly thereafter. Womb twins can experience grief, survival guilt, a connection to the unknown and curiosity about how this experience may impact them as well as other...
When we think of grief, we often associate it with the loss of a loved one. But grief isn’t limited to death—it can also arise from the loss of a life we imagined for ourselves. For those living with chronic illness, this type of grief is deeply personal, yet often invisible to others. It’s the quiet mourning of missed opportunities,...
Growing up in a household with alcohol or substance abuse can leave deep emotional imprints. As an Adult Child of an Alcoholic (ACoA), you may carry patterns that once helped you survive but now create challenges in your relationships, career, and self-esteem. Recognizing these traits is the first step. Navigating them with self-compassion is how healing begins. Browse our...
When you’re stuck in a cycle of compulsive behavior—whether it’s endless scrolling, substance use, overworking, or people-pleasing—it’s easy to label the problem as addiction. But what if addiction is only part of the story? Compulsive behaviors often have complex roots, including burnout, trauma, and underlying mental health struggles. In a city like San Francisco, where high-pressure careers collide with a...
Breathing exercises are everywhere. From mindfulness apps to therapy sessions, from yoga classes to well-meaning friends, the advice to “just take a deep breath” is often offered as a universal remedy for stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. And for many people, it helps. But what if it doesn’t? What if being told to focus on your breath actually makes you feel...
San Francisco has long been a city of contrasts—tech innovation alongside counterculture movements, fast-paced nightlife alongside serene wellness retreats. It’s no surprise that in this dynamic environment, attitudes toward substance use, sobriety, and recovery are equally diverse. For many, San Francisco offers opportunities for self-exploration and healing. For others, the same scene can contribute to patterns of overuse or dependency....
When most people hear the word addiction, they think of substance use—alcohol, drugs, nicotine, or even prescription medications. But addiction doesn’t always involve chemicals. Some behaviors, such as gambling, gaming, social media use, shopping, and even sex, can create compulsive patterns that feel just as powerful and difficult to break. Behavioral addictions, also known as process addictions, occur when a...
You don’t need to completely unplug from technology to have a healthier relationship with it. But in a world where screens are integrated into almost everything—work, socializing, entertainment, even relaxation—it’s easy to lose track of how much time you’re actually spending online. For many, the goal isn’t to quit technology altogether, but to be more intentional with how and when...