The cab driver asks if I’ve had a good day. It’s Friday, 7 PM, and I’m finally heading home after back-to-back sessions. I catch my reflection in the window – designer glasses slightly askew, hair that started the day with […]
Breakups - In the Therapy Room - Marriage - Melanie Doss
In the Therapy Room: Emotional Labor and the Marriage That’s Already Divorced
The Weight of Invisible Exhaustion 😔 Brittany came into my office carrying the kind of exhaustion that doesn’t show up on your face—it shows up in the way you set down your bag, the way you exhale when you finally […]
Family Dynamics - In the Therapy Room - Lola Adams - Self Care
In the Therapy Room: Emotional Labor and the Invisible Tax on Women
I was sitting in my favorite espresso bar on the Upper East Side, nursing a double shot after an especially intense session when I heard it. A young woman’s desperate phone call to her mother—the exasperation, the silent seething, the […]
Authenticity - In the Therapy Room - Melanie Doss - Relationships
In the Therapy Room: Navigating Ambiguous Relationship Messages and Emotional Labor
What No One Tells You About Ambiguous Relationship Messages Tessa sat across from me with the kind of anxious energy that makes you want to physically hold someone’s nervous system for them. She was twenty-two, four months into a relationship […]
In the Therapy Room - Relationships - Sophia Rivera
In the Therapy Room: When Helping Someone Escape Becomes Its Own Trap
The Rescue That Backfired 💔 The first thing I noticed about Brooke was how she seemed to shrink in the therapy chair. She wasn’t physically small, but she had that particular way of holding herself—shoulders curved inward, hands fidgeting—that screams […]
Dating - Depression - Jas Mendola - Relationships
Therapy Confessions: Navigating Mismatched Emotional Frames in Relationships
I sat with Zephyrine G. and watched her stare out the window of my office, the afternoon light casting shadows across her face. She spoke softly about her girlfriend. She had passed her final chartered exams. There was no celebration. […]
Friendships - In the Therapy Room - Monica Dean
In the Therapy Room: Toxic Friendships and the Difficulty of Setting Boundaries
🌪️ When Friendships Feel Like Quicksand I remember Rachel vividly—a bright 28-year-old with kind eyes that couldn’t quite hide her exhaustion when she first walked into my consulting room. She sank into the armchair with a mix of relief and […]
Dating - In the Therapy Room - Melanie Doss - Relationships
In the Therapy Room: When Love Feels Like Labor
What No One Tells You About Emotional Labor 💀 Tristan sat across from me with that particular brand of exhaustion that comes from loving someone who feels like a second job. He looked like someone who’d been cast as the […]
Families - Melanie Doss
Therapy Confessions: Emotional Labor and the Holiday Dilemma
Family Thanksgiving: The Most Expensive Emotional Labor You’ll Ever Pay For 💸 Ashley came to me after three canceled appointments, sliding into my office with the energy of someone who’d rather be literally anywhere else. Hoodie pulled low, iced coffee […]
Friendships - Lola Adams - Self Care
Therapy Confessions: When Friendship Feels Like Free Labor
Manhattan in February has a way of exposing more than just your inadequate winter wardrobe. ❄️ There he was, slouched in my butter-soft leather armchair, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose – Kaeden, 34, investment analyst by day, emotional […]