Emily Ruiz, MA

You see them; your worst enemy. There is one thing about disliking someone, but you absolutely loathe this person. They make you struggle to get out of bed because you know you have to face them. It feels like they wipe away all the energy you have to give. You can’t focus because they seem to be everywhere. They are even staring right back at you in your mirror.

You are in one of the most important business meetings of your career. Your bosses are questioning your work ethic. For some reason, you can not focus to save your life even though you truly want to. You may look out the window because you saw a bird pass by or daydream that you wish you were flying versus being in an uncomfortable meeting. When you look back to your manager, you realize your boss asked you a question, they look upset, and now you don't know what to do.

You wake up startled, dripping with sweat. You touch your neck, and your heart is beating wildly. It feels like your body is vibrating from the strength of your heartbeats. You change quickly into clothes and fumble, trying to find your car keys to get to the hospital.

After the global pandemic, everyone has felt a level of Zoom fatigue. Classes, meetings, and social gatherings were all on Zoom for hours at a time. It would almost feel like Groundhog day because each morning while staying in pajamas or at least the bottoms, people would open up their computers to see themselves with faint remembrance and then “connect” with others. While initially fun and exciting as the new video-chat service, it soon became the bane of everyone’s existence.

You have the exact same day planned. You have your luke-warm at best office coffee stirring within in the communal office space. As you reach for the refrigerator door, with a small glimmer of hope to enjoy your yogurt, it is shot as you discover someone from your group practice has eaten it.

Think of your diary like a best friend that you can tell your secrets but never worry about back-stabbing or one of your secrets going out into the world. Your diary is a safe haven where you can be exactly who you want to be and get to know yourself more through the process of writing each day.

We like to think we know our best friends and lovers, but how well do we actually know them? Typically, there is not a topic of discussion that begins with questions like "If you could choose one of my personality traits to be universal among everyone, what trait would that be?" You talk about the mundane and sometimes surface-level conversation reserving the "how well do you know me" questions for courting or beginning a friendship.

There is no wonder that therapy is considered a social science, as it is the art of relating to someone and how we delve through our problems. Initially, when asked to think about therapy, we might envision a Rorschach painting where you determine your psychosis through ink blobs or something akin to a power imbalance between you and your therapist. Carl Rogers flipped this idea of therapy on its head when he created Client-Centered Therapy.

When you think of narcissism, an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend typically comes to mind. They knew how to charm and delight you, but then things changed at a moment's notice. They became harsher, critical, and abusive to make you feel smaller and worthless. The term "narcissist" is a term that has become popularized through the use of social media and other forms to gain more attention. Narcissism has become an informal term to describe someone so horrible that there HAS to be something wrong w...