Ya’ll are TIRED. Seriously, when I ask people how they’re feeling, “tired” is the most common answer. And I GET it, I feel like despite all my own best efforts I still struggle to ever feel truly rested. (I’m sure my tendency to do some late night social media scrolling has nothing to do with it, right?)

There are a ton of reasons you might be feeling tired. Work demands, home demands, hormones, environmental toxins, poor sleep, and nutrition all play a role. However, one of the primary contributors to our collective fatigue isn’t totally your fault. We as a society are terrible at resting.

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with you all! I’ve teamed up with my best friend, Abi Owens, a talented functional nutritionist to the stars, to bring you our brand-new series: "Eat Your Way To Better Mental Health." 🥗🧠

We’ve both navigated our own health journeys—Abi with chronic fatigue and IBS, and myself with PCOS and insulin resistance. Together, we’ve learned so much about how food can significantly impact our mental well-being, and we’re excited to share these insights with you!

It’s my birthday this week and I’m feeling grateful for YOU and for the blessings of friends, family, and abundance in my life. And there’s one very special bit of news that just came out this week which feels like the best birthday present ever…

Last month I flew out to LA for a secret project that I’ve been dying to tell you about! (Hint: What do Julianne Hough, Gabrielle Union, and Jonathan Van Ness have in common? Keep reading to find out.)

When we think about breakups, we often picture the end of romantic relationships. But friend breakups? They can be just as, if not more, painful and unexpected. Unlike romantic relationships, we don’t often anticipate that a friendship will end. When a friendship does end, it can feel like a total shock. It’s a unique kind of pain, sometimes even worse than the end of a romantic relationship.

As we grow, our needs, values, and interests evolve. It’s natural for some friendships to not outlive these changes. This doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or your friend.

When I got fired from my first grown up job after grad school, I was so shocked I don’t think I even had a real reaction until weeks later. Here I was, well paid and young with a shiny new doctorate degree, thinking I was on top of the world and now collecting unemployment checks.

Life has a funny way of throwing us curveballs when we least expect them. Whether it's a devastating breakup, the sudden loss of a loved one, an unexpected illness, or a job loss,

Five years ago, I never imagined living abroad, let alone being close to citizenship in another country. Living in Lisbon, so much of my identity is tied to being American. It’s often the first thing I share when meeting someone new: “Hi, I’m Therese, I’m American, and I’ve been living in Lisbon for five years.”

This 4th of July, for the first time in years, I’m back in LA. I’ve been soaking up everything I love about being home, like eating breakfast burritos on the beach, walking along the boardwalk, and driving way too far to see friends.

In our third and final installment of “How I Resist the Urge to Tell People to Go F*ck Themselves,” we’re talking about how to handle a specific type of tough situation: tense discussions about world events.

Let’s face it, talking politics these days feels like navigating a minefield. It seems no matter what you say, you’re bound to upset someone. People have very little tolerance for disagreement, and we’ve all seen the rise of cancel culture where anyone with a differing opinion gets swiftly dismissed. It’s tough to be a person when it feels like others are just looking for a fight.

What’s the opposite of non-chalance? Is it chalance? Well whatever it is, it’s with THAT I want to share that I was recently in Condé Nast talking about items to help your mental health while traveling with depression.

As a travel-obsessed human I am quite beside myself as I have loved Condé Nast for years!

Ever have one of those days where someone just sets you OFF? Maybe they lied, cheated, or stole from you. Or perhaps they left a nasty comment on your social media, questioning your credibility and even your voice. Trust me, I’ve been there. But instead of snapping back, I’ve learned a few tricks to keep my cool and handle conflict like a pro. Thanks to my therapist training and some good old-fashioned empathy (like we talked about last week), I can navigate these situations with more self-control. Here's how I do it.

In the coming weeks, I’m sharing a mini-series with you called “How I Resist the Urge to Tell People to Go F*ck Themselves.” LOL. This not-entirely-serious-series was inspired by a conversation with a friend who was genuinely floored by how he saw me acting with empathy in a situation where he would have absolutely gone bananas. He asked, “How do you resist the urge to tell people to go f*ck themselves?”

Speaking of the power of supportive communities, let’s talk about something close to my heart—how to build community when you’re on the road. Traveling and moving to different cities has taught me just how important it is to build connections wherever you go.

Some of my best friends today are people I’ve met on my travels. Finding your tribe while on the road can be a bit of a challenge, but trust me, it’s totally doable and so rewarding. Here’s how you can find your tribe while exploring the world:

Why is it so hard to ask for help?

Moving this ginormous glass-topped wicker table definitely a 2-person job. Yet every time I thought about texting someone to ask for help, I cringed.

It would be selfish of me to take up so-and-so’s time with this. Everyone is busy right now. This would be such an inconvenience to ask of someone.

Around the time I hit puberty, it felt like overnight my hair went from predictably straight(ish) hair to frizzy poofy wavy hair that I had no idea how to care for. It didn’t help that no one in my family had similar hair to mine.

There were entire years of my life where I wore my hair pulled back in a dowdy bun or low ponytail because I had no clue what else to do. This was NOT sleek and sophisticated pageant contestant hair. I kid you not, this was full on Paul Revere.

Inspired by that article, and in honor of mental health month, today I’m sharing with you a list of of 11 of my favorite items I’ve purchased as a therapist to support my mental health… because therapists have to look after our own mental health just like everybody else.

We all know that the right tools and accessories can make all the difference in our mental health journey. I’m guessing at least a few of the items on this list may surprise you!

Everytime around this year I have a mild freak out: “How is it already May 7? Like whoa there 2024, can you please just chill? I am still working on the goals I set for myself in January! Wasn’t it only February like a week ago?!”

But then I remember that May is Mental Health Awareness Month AND Asian Heritage Month and I'm like, :::smirk::: this is SO my month! I mean It’s pretty much the superbowl if you’re Filipina AND a therapist, ha!

If you’re dealing with the “I can’t believe it’s already May” scaries, I feel your pain. Keep reading to learn how to cope with them better.

Have you ever felt lonely despite being in a crowded room? Or felt lonely in your romantic relationship even though you had a loyal and committed partner? There are times in my life when I’ve felt incredibly lonely - from the time I transferred schools in 4th grade, all the way to when I first moved to Lisbon.

Going remote and becoming a digital nomad was scary, but worth it. Like CRAZY worth it.

In 2015, therapists practicing remotely was practically unheard of. Some therapists thought it was sacrilege. Many thought I was crazy.

Then, when I started combining global travel with my remote therapy practice in 2018, it felt like a whole new world. Being a remote therapist without a physical office has changed my life for the better in so many ways:

Everyone gets lonely. And while it sucks, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You can feel this way even if you’ve done nothing wrong.

Loneliness is the experience of lack in relationships - of something missing that should be there. Perlman and Peplau define loneliness as “a mismatch between the quantity and quality of relationships we have, and those that we want.”