Meeting Trevor đ§ïž I met Trevor on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. He arrived early, perched anxiously on the edge of the waiting room chair, scrolling through his phone with such intensity it seemed he was searching for answers between the […]
In the Therapy Room - Monica Dean
In the Therapy Room: Vulnerability Hangovers and the Art of Emotional Disclosure
đ When the Sharing Dam Breaks Brooke sat across from me, a successful marketing director who looked like she hadn’t slept in days. “I can’t believe I did it,” she said, twisting the tissue in her hands. “We had this […]
Families - Identity - In the Therapy Room - Monica Dean
In the Therapy Room: When Your Voice Falls on Deaf Ears
đ The Ghost of Conversations Past Emily was thirty-two when she first sat in my office, shoulders hunched as if carrying an invisible weight. She’d spent thirty minutes explaining her parents’ dismissive patterns before finally looking up and saying, “I […]
Monica Dean
The Invisible Labor I’ve Witnessed in Hundreds of Women’s Lives
I was driving home from a session with a client last night and couldn’t help but notice a pattern I’ve seen hundreds of times before. This womanâsuccessful, bright, in her fortiesâwas describing how she’d spent the weekend reorganizing her entire […]
Monica Dean
When I See Everything As A Threat
I was down the Anchor last Tuesday when Sharon popped in looking proper upset. Her fella, Mark, won’t have her parents round because he thinks they’re snooping on him. Been going on for months, she said. The kicker? Her mum […]
Monica Dean
My Family, My Boundaries: Choosing Courage Over Obligation on My Wedding Day
Saturday evening, 7:14 pm. I watch Emily pace my office, gesturing with both hands as if conducting an invisible orchestra of wedding-related anxiety. “I mean, it’s my wedding, right?” she asks for the third time. “I get to decide who’s […]
Monica Dean
Why My Boyfriend Keeps Me Waiting (And What It Really Means)
đȘ The Invisible Prison of Anxious Attachment When someone expects you to sit in a backroom while they work â despite you living two minutes away â what they’re really saying isn’t “I love your company.” It’s “I need to […]
Dating - Marriage - Monica Dean - Relationships
When My Love Language Doesn’t Speak Your Alphabet
Been pondering something lately while chatting with women at my favorite corner cafĂ© in Chorlton. â It’s fascinating how differently we interpret affection based on our upbringing. Last week, I sat with two friends â both bright, accomplished women about […]
Monica Dean - Relationships
When I Fight About Moving, It’s Not Actually About the Location
Yesterday, I watched a couple at the coffee shop having what they thought was a whisper-fight about moving to Portland. He insisted it would solve everything. She clutched her latte like it contained her hometown’s entire social support network. Neither […]
Families - Monica Dean
Why I’ve Learned to Stop Calling Self-Care Selfish
The other day in my counselling office, a woman walked in looking absolutely shattered. She’d just found out her fiancĂ© had been cheating with her best friend, and two weeks later, his adult son was getting married. The sonâwho she’d […]