Why You Feel Anxious Even When Life Is Going Well
If life is going well, why does anxiety still show up? Learn why persistent anxiety is common among high-functioning individuals and how therapy can help uncover what’s beneath it.
Authenticity and Becoming
Authenticity, from the perspective of existential analysis, is not something a person creates through self-construction, but something discovered through an honest dialogue with one’s inner experience and the realities of one’s life. It emerges when a person’s actions are grounded in inner consent—when one can genuinely affirm, “This is truly mine.” Yet this capacity is often obscured by adaptations formed in response to expectations, fear, or the need for belonging. Existential analysis holds that authenticity develops as one pauses and listens inwardly, sensing whether one’s way of living resonates with one’s own essence. As Viktor Frankl emphasized, human beings are not fulfilled by pursuing comfort or approval, but by responding truthfully to the concrete meanings and demands presented by life itself; authenticity, therefore, is not a fixed state, but an ongoing existential task—the continual courage to live in alignment with what one inwardly recognizes as true.
What is Mine?
What are healthy boundaries, and why are they essential for mental health? Within existential analysis, a therapeutic approach developed by Viktor Frankl and expanded by Alfried Längle, boundaries are not walls—they are the foundation of authentic living. Healthy boundaries help you distinguish what is yours to feel, carry, and take responsibility for, and what is not. Without clear personal boundaries, people may experience anxiety, people-pleasing, emotional exhaustion, and loss of identity. Strong boundaries, however, support emotional wellbeing, self-respect, and meaningful relationships. They allow you to stay connected to others without losing yourself. In therapy, learning how to set boundaries is a key step toward reducing overwhelm, improving self-esteem, and living with greater clarity, freedom, and purpose. Boundaries are not about shutting the world out—they are about protecting your ability to fully be yourself within it.
Silence - A Poem
This poem is political. The personal is political, and the realities of current events are impactful across the spectrum and need to be spoken about. Space needs to be held, action taken, policy changed. To speak out is a privilege that must not be taken for granted.
Seen - A Poem
What does it mean to be seen,
held so fully and without fear
of the other bending or breaking
to trust the shoulders on which you rest
are not so frail as to shatter precious things
Even Therapists Need a Place to Land
Many people do not go to therapy because something is wrong. Instead, the go because something truly matters to them so deeply that they prioritize change in their life. All of us, even the most put together, need a place where it is simply okay to fall apart, to be a mess, to be deeply and unashamedly human.