March is Self-Harm Awareness Month, a time dedicated to shedding light on the often hidden struggle of self-injury.  Many individuals, especially young adults and college students, use self-harm as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions, yet stigma and misunderstanding often keep them suffering in silence.  College is often portrayed as an exciting time of self-discovery, newfound independence, and personal growth. However, beneath the surface of academic pressures, social expectations, and the struggle to find one’s place, many students battle emotional pain that is not always visible. For some, this pain manifests through self-injury—an often misunderstood and stigmatized coping mechanism.  Self-injury, also known as self-harm or nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), refers to the deliberate act of harming one’s own body without suicidal intent. Common forms include cutting, burning, hitting, or scratching oneself.  For some of us, life stressors and transitions can fe...

  Disordered eating is more than just a physical issue—it’s deeply tied to mental health. For many, struggles with food and body image are symptoms of underlying emotional pain, anxiety, or trauma. When left unaddressed, disordered eating can perpetuate a cycle that impacts not just physical well-being but also mental and emotional health. While society tends to focus on extreme cases of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia, disordered eating can manifest in more subtle, insidious ways. It can look like skipping meals to "make up" for a night out, obsessively tracking calories, feeling guilty about certain foods, or using food as a way to cope with stress. These behaviors are often dismissed as “normal” or “just part of being health-conscious,” but they can have serious physical and emotional consequences. Disordered eating refers to a wide range of irregular eating behaviors that may not meet the criteria for a clinical eating disorder. These behaviors often ste...

  The college years are often seen as a transformative time, full of growth, discovery, and opportunities. It's the time to chase your dreams, explore passions and interests, and lay the groundwork for your future.  But for many of us, it's also the time that crushing pressure and self-doubt sinks in...and this is fueled usually by unrealistic expectations of what it means to succeed.  It starts innocently: a desire to do well. Maybe it’s maintaining a high GPA, excelling in organizations or extracurriculars, or being the "perfect" student, friend, partner, or roommate. But over time, this drive can turn into a toxic cycle where no achievement feels like enough. You ace an exam, but you’re already worrying about the next one. You land an internship, but you wonder if it’s impressive enough compared to your peers. This mindset leaves little room for celebration or self-compassion. Perfection is unattainable because it’s subjective. What one person considers “perfect,”...

Have you ever noticed that you complete tasks or study better having someone else in the room?  This is actually a real strategy called Body Doubling ! So what exactly is Body Doubling, you might ask?  Well, Body Doubling involves working on tasks in the presence of another person, who is also focused on their own work. This could be a friend, classmate, or even a virtual partner. The idea is that having someone nearby creates a sense of accountability and helps you stay motivated and on track. While body doubling has been a popular tool for individuals with ADHD, it can be helpful for anyone needing a productivity boost, especially during high-stakes times like finals week. This strategy works, because at its core, body doubling taps into co-regulation—the natural human tendency to feel motivated and focused when someone else is doing the same thing nearby. Here’s how it works: Accountability :  Knowing someone else is present can encourage you to stick to your p...

How many times have you been told to “Man up!” or “boys/men don’t cry”? When we really think about these commonly used phrases and zoom out at the bigger picture, we see a real problem with using this type of language. The problem being a society where being a “man” is correlated with toughness, resilience, lacking of emotions, being un-phased by things, and an example of "strength".  Because of this, a huge stigma has developed for men to inadvertently build walls around emotional expression and vulnerability and feeling as though they are unable to genuinely tap into that part of themselves.  The truth is, men feel just as deeply as anyone else, but the societal expectation to remain tough and unshaken often silences those emotions. But what’s the toll from this mentality? The pressure to appear strong and unemotional has real consequences. Studies show that men are less likely than women to seek help for mental health challenges, even though they are equally suscepti...

When we usually hear about manipulation or gaslighting, odds are it’s coming from the perspective of noticing when someone else is engaging in these tactics against you...but…what if, YOU   are the one engaging in these psychological tactics against others, intentionally or unintentionally? Both of these tactics are often associated with intentional, malicious behavior meant to control or harm someone. However, it’s possible to engage in these tactics without being fully aware of it. People may manipulate or gaslight unconsciously, driven by personal insecurities, past experiences, or even habits learned in childhood. Good news is that by taking the time to learn, reflect, and understand how these behaviors can arise unintentionally is the first step toward addressing them and fostering healthier, more honest relationships.   Before we dive into the reasons that can spur use of these psychological tactics, let’s quickly define these terms: Manipulation - when someone ...