A growing number of people are using AI tools to support their mental health. Some individuals are going as far as to use AI as a therapist. In the age of both rapid developments in AI and a deepening mental health crisis, it is easy to see why we would turn to AI tools to cope with mental health distress– they are accessible, easy, and provide quick answers. All of these factors make AI seem like the perfect choice for mental health care but I want to consider benefits to therapy with a human provider that are foundational for effective care. 

We see the word “Trauma” thrown around a lot in culture today. It shows up in your social media feed, favorite books, and on the websites of most therapists you have perused so far when looking for “trauma-informed care near me.” While the use of the word ‘trauma” in our everyday vernacular is great for destigmatizing aspects of mental health, over use of the term also means that many of us don’t actually know what it means or how it applies to us and therapy treatment.

Working with C-PTSD requires a therapist who is in tune with the impacts of chronic trauma, understands how to approach care from a trauma-informed lens, and is willing to take it slow with the client at a pace that feels safe. This is exactly what therapy with me looks like. I work with many C-PTSD survivors through relational and psychodynamic therapy to manage symptoms, process experiences, and find new meaning and growth in their lives.

In practice, this may look like the therapist observing to you that a feeling you have with others shows up for them in the therapy space too. For instance– perhaps you and your therapist are talking about how you struggle to connect with others. Your therapist may say “have you ever felt trouble connecting with me, here in therapy?”

Infertility grief is a nuanced form of grief that affects many different individuals. I want to  talk about two ways that infertility grief is unique: Disenfranchised Grief and Ambiguous Loss.

Developmentally, confusion in this period is so normal. But, it doesn’t make it any less comfortable. In therapy, we can work together to understand your unique challenges post-grad and sit in that discomfort and uncertainty together.