Blog

Can Families Come Back From Estrangement? What Reconciliation Actually Requires Mosaic Psychological Services, LLC | Approx. 2,150 words | 11-minute read What Reconciliation Is, and What It Is Not Reconciliation is one of the most misunderstood words in family psychology. People use it to mean “things going back to normal.” It does not mean that. Reconciliation is the restoration of relationship after real rupture. It does not require that the harm never happened. It...

When the Chatbot Becomes the Relationship: What AI Companions Are Doing to Intimacy Mosaic Psychological Services, LLC | Approx. 1,950 words | 9-minute read What Today’s AI Companions Actually Do Character.AI, Replika, and a rapidly expanding set of competitors are platforms that let users build or select a simulated partner, then interact with that partner through text, voice, and in some cases image. The companions can be configured to be romantic, sexual, flirtatious,...

After Discovery: What the First Thirty Days Look Like for Spouses Mosaic Psychological Services, LLC | Approx. 2,200 words | 11-minute read You Are Not Crazy for Feeling This Way If you have recently discovered that your spouse is involved in sexual behavior outside your marriage, that he has been using pornography compulsively, that there are other women, other screens, other hidden worlds you did not know existed, you are in acute distress. The symptoms may include some or all...

“No Contact” and “Main Character Syndrome”: The New Vocabulary of Adult Estrangement Mosaic Psychological Services, LLC | Approx. 2,100 words | 10-minute read Where These Terms Came From and Why They Spread “No contact” and “main character syndrome” are now part of the cultural vocabulary, and most people who use them have never opened a clinical textbook. The terms come from social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram, and from the therapy-adjacent content...

Is It Addiction or a Habit? Seven Questions That Help You Tell the Difference Mosaic Psychological Services, LLC | Approx. 1,700 words | 8-minute read Why the Distinction Matters More Than You Think Not every bad habit is an addiction. Not every addiction begins looking like one. The distinction matters because each calls for a different response. The word addiction has expanded in casual use. People describe themselves as addicted to their phone, their coffee, their favorite...

When Patients Use ChatGPT as a Therapist: What I’m Learning From Listening Mosaic Psychological Services, LLC | Approx. 1,600 words | 8-minute read What People Are Actually Asking AI Chatbots A growing number of patients arrive at my office having already talked to ChatGPT, Claude, or another AI chatbot about their problems. Sometimes they mention it casually. Sometimes they quote its advice to me. Sometimes they confess it a little sheepishly, as if using a chatbot for...

Choosing a Therapist: Five Questions Most People Don't Know to Ask Mosaic Psychological Services, LLC | Approx. 1,330 words | 6-minute read Why Credentials Tell You Less Than You Think When most people look for a therapist, they ask the obvious questions. Where did you train? What licenses do you hold? Are you in network with my insurance? These are reasonable starting points, and they screen out clinicians who should not be practicing. They do not, however, tell you whether this...

The Internet is full of endless information and when used responsibly it can be a wonderful resource. I don’t think there is a day that goes by that I do not “Google” a topic to research more information. I use the Internet to research papers, communicate with other people, shop as well as many other things. We are in the computer age and computers are everywhere with access to the Internet through laptops, tablets, and phones. Easy and prolific access to the internet can also be a...

Recently, I celebrated my 10-year wedding anniversary. What a busy and amazing journey this has been! There have been several big events along the way from changing jobs, moving states, and creating a family with the addition of now almost four children! To celebrate our decade milestone, my husband whisked me away for a quick getaway out of town, a trip without children, pets, or work! I can’t recall the last time we had such an opportunity to be alone with each other. I had a...

Emotional eating, binge eating, calorie counting, over-exercising, fasting to reduce food intake, overuse of laxatives…. These are all various forms of disordered eating. Many people assume that disordered eating involves starving one’s self or vomiting after eating, however; there is a broad spectrum of eating patterns that can be troublesome. Psychologists use terms like “Anorexia” and “Bulimia,” which can be misunderstood by the general population. An anorexic individual...

Does my child have ADHD? I hear this question from parents all the time in my office and from people I meet around town. I am also surprised at how often parents and teachers mistakenly misattribute the “symptoms” for ADHD when the source of the child’s learning or behavioral problems is something environmental either in the home or the learning environment. For example a child who is being bullied might have trouble paying attention in the same way that a child with ADHD misses...

Many of us have heard of autism, perhaps in conversation with family members, through media outlets, or from our pediatricians. Though the term seems to be more prevalent today, many parents may not be aware of what autism is, including early signs of the disorder. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 88 children will be diagnosed with autism by age 8 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 30, 2012). Given the prevalence...