family Archives - Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

Going to therapy does not make you ungrateful by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

September 18, 2020 by Robyn

For some people, going to therapy clashes with the concern of not wanting to come off as “ungrateful.” The experience You might be newly realizing, or perhaps have known for a long time, that you are experiencing distress. The experiences of overwhelm, burnout, or fatigue can accumulate over time to the point where it just hits you all of a sudden. Or, maybe you’ve been trying to suppress or contain what you’ve been feeling for a while, and now it’s become too much to bear. These scenarios ...read more

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: anxiety, asian american counseling, asian american therapy, asian counseling, asian therapy, bipolar disorder, counseling, depression, family, getting counseling, getting therapy, managing stress, mental health, overwhelmed, sadness, stress, talk therapy, talktherapy, therapy, therapy in irvine, therapy in orange county

How loved ones can be helpful in recognizing bipolar disorder by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

June 15, 2020 by Robyn

Loved ones of individuals living with mental illness are valuable because they have experiences with the individual, observations of the individual, and information about the individual that have been gathered over time. If the individual is living with bipolar disorder, this information can be crucial in ensuring that the individual receives the proper diagnosis. Why does it matter? As therapists, we diagnose an individual based upon the information we receive. For bipolar disorder, one ...read more

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: bipolar disorder, family, getting counseling, hypomania, mania, mental illness, mood swing, sleep problems, social rhythm therapy, stress, support, talk therapy, talktherapy, therapy, therapy in irvine, therapy in orange county

(IG Live) How one experience paved the way towards becoming an Asian American therapist

May 29, 2020 by Robyn

I share my journey growing up in Asian American and Pacific Islander families, the stigmas attached to mental health, and how one experience paved the way towards becoming an Asian American therapist. (This video was filmed during an Instagram Live from my professional Instagram Page). Fast forward to 1:50 minutes in when I begin discussing this topic. https://youtu.be/1nBWsM1RZhM ...read more

Filed Under: Blog, Vlog Tagged With: anxiety, asian american, asian american counseling, asian american therapy, asian pacific heritage month, bipolar disorder, counseling, depression, family, getting counseling, getting therapy, mental health, mental health awareness month, mental illness, multicultural counseling, multicultural therapy, talk therapy, talktherapy, therapy, therapy in irvine, therapy in orange county

5 Ways to Tackle Stress During a Pandemic by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

May 7, 2020 by Robyn

Readjusting Your Benchmarks During times of major change, the goals you set for yourself may be readjusted or replaced with what takes precedence given the circumstance. In an ideal world, a person would achieve any goal they set for themselves; but even then, they might not achieve everything. If the same goals are set and expected of oneself during a pandemic, you are invalidating yourself and the hardship that you’re experiencing. Instead, reflect on what you would like to achieve while ...read more

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Depression and Isolation During a Pandemic by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

March 30, 2020 by Robyn

While in a depressive episode, the symptoms can make it difficult for an individual to connect with, or reach out to, others. The individual may also feel alone, isolated, worthless, and hopeless. It takes a lot of strength and motivation to muster up the will to go against what depression wants. Now, there’s an added challenge: the pandemic has led to precautions, such as a safe at home order, which means that in-person events have been eliminated, coffee shops and restaurants are closed ...read more

Filed Under: Blog, Coping Skills Tagged With: anxiety, bipolar disorder, coping skills, counseling, depression, depressive episode, difficult emotions, emotional support, family, feeling down, getting counseling, getting help, getting therapy, helping depressed friend, isolation, managing stress, mental illness, mood swing, negative thoughts, overwhelmed, pandemic 2020, reaching out, social distancing, staying at home, stigma, stress, support, talk therapy, therapy in irvine, therapy in orange county

Coming Home Too Soon by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

March 19, 2020 by Robyn

Some college students are being sent home as a precaution to help manage the Coronavirus (COVID-19). This was an abrupt change and can lead college students to be beside themselves with unknowns about their future, experiencing difficult emotions and thoughts, and confronting new and old stressors. Going off to college is a pivotal point in an individual’s life because it’s a segway into the future, which can open the door to many opportunities, and for some, it’s a ticket to leaving a home ...read more

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: anxiety, bipolar disorder, california online counseling, california online therapy, cbt, coping skills, counseling, depression, family, feeling down, getting counseling, getting help, getting therapy, hypomania, managing stress, mania, mental health, mental illness, mood swing, online counseling, online therapy, overwhelmed, social rhythm therapy, therapy in irvine, therapy in orange county

Home for the Holidays: Seeing Family After You’ve Moved Out by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

December 13, 2019 by Robyn

For individuals who experienced difficulties with their immediate family members or grew up in a stressful household, moving out or away from the family may feel like a new beginning or be a source of relief. Moved Out or Away During the time that the individual lived apart from their family, they may have noticed that: Removing themselves from the living environment led to less stress overall Creating a new way of life has led to a sense of “calm” Feeling proud of being able to ...read more

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The Asian American Catch 22: Depression and Feeling Like It’s Not as Bad as What Your Parents Went Through by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

December 6, 2019 by Robyn

Asian Americans who live with depression and other mental illnesses may feel the need to diminish their own symptoms or feel in conflict about the validity of their mental illness when thinking about the struggle and hardship that their parents and elders went through. There are many different struggles and hardships that their parents and elders could have experienced, such as leaving their family and immigrating to the United States or working consistently to make ends meet for the family in ...read more

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Depression: It’s Not Just an Emotion by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

December 3, 2019 by Robyn

One Piece of The Bigger Picture For individuals who experience depression, one component is the emotion; depression can be expressed as hopelessness or worthlessness, and in some cases feeling numb. It’s important to keep in mind that the emotion is only one part of it. The Bigger Picture Equally important is how the depression is expressed and what it’s impacting. As discussed in my video Am I Sad or Depressed, the emotion that’s experienced on the inside comes out in different ...read more

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: coping skills, counseling, depression, family, feeling down, getting counseling, getting help, getting therapy, help, holiday blues, mental health, mental illness, reaching out, sadness, stigma, support, talk therapy, talktherapy, therapy, therapy in irvine, therapy in orange county

Dreading Holiday Family Gatherings by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

November 18, 2019 by Robyn

For some individuals, the thought about the upcoming family holiday gathering brings up the following: Reluctance to attend or stay for very long Dread about different situations and scenarios that could arise Fear or worry about being around, or having to converse, with certain individuals Worry about what to say What leads to it? There are many reasons why an individual would experience distress about the upcoming family gathering, whether it’s due to strained relationships ...read more

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: anxiety, bipolar disorder, christmas party, christmas stress, coping skills, depression, family, family stress, familystress, getting counseling, getting help, getting therapy, hypomania, managing stress, mania, mental health, mental illness, mood swing, overwhelmed, sadness, stigma, stress, support, talk therapy, talktherapy, thanksgiving party, thanksgiving stress, therapy, therapy in irvine, therapy in orange county