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Articles
Veronica Lichtenstein has authored many articles on various mental health topics. She endeavors to help others not only through talk therapy but through her written resources.
Jul 15, 2026
You Can’t Rush the Timeline
One of my favorite expressions is: “You can’t rush the timeline.”
I say it so often that I have a pillow in my office with those words on it, a gift from my sister. It’s become more than a phrase I like. It’s a reminder I need, and one I often give to other people when they are desperate for answers before the answers are ready.
Jul 1, 2026
When Independence Goes Too Far -
Finding the Balance Between Codependence and Connection
July brings fireworks, barbecues, and celebrations of independence. In our culture, independence is often seen as the ultimate goal. We’re taught to stand on our own two feet, solve our own problems, and not rely too heavily on anyone else.
While independence is important, I’ve noticed something in both my personal life and my work as a therapist: sometimes independence can go too far.
Jun 17, 2026
When Listening Matters More Than Fixing
Last week, I wrote about something I see all the time in therapy—and something many of us do with the best intentions. When someone we care about comes to us with a problem, we immediately jump into fixing it.
We offer advice. We brainstorm solutions. We tell them what we would do.
After all, if someone we love is hurting, of course we want to help.
The problem is that sometimes people don’t need a solution right away. They need to feel heard.
Jun 3, 2026
Why "Fixing" Isn't Always Listening: A Father's Day Perspective on Real Connection
Father’s Day is just around the corner—a time we often celebrate dads with barbecues, ties, and "World's Best Dad" mugs. But this year, I want to offer something different: a skill that can transform not just fatherhood, but every relationship a man treasures. That skill is listening.
May 20, 2026
The Quiet Weight of "Should": Women, Self-Esteem, and Mental Health Awareness Month
May is a beautiful, complicated month. We celebrate mothers. We also honor Mental Health Awareness Month. And for many women—whether they're moms, stepmoms, grandmothers, foster moms, or caregivers who've never given birth—navigating personal needs while tending to everyone else can feel especially heavy this time of year.
May 6, 2026
The Graduation We Don't Talk About: Learning to Be Your Own Table for One
Spring is full of ceremonies. But the real transition isn't the one on stage—it's the quiet one after: the first time someone who's always had a built-in community suddenly doesn't.
No more dining hall with familiar faces. No more friends two doors down. Just a job search, an apartment, and the slow work of building a life from scratch.
That's not just true for recent graduates. It's true for anyone who's ever moved to a new city, gone through a breakup, retired, or realized that adult friendships don't just happen anymore.
Apr 15, 2026
When You Go Looking for a Bloom and Find the Roots Instead
A few weeks ago I wrote an article from the edge of a desert. I was about to head into Death Valley, hoping to see wildflowers bloom. I’d been thinking a lot about dreams, about how our unconscious mind is really on our side, and how trauma can push the truth of who we are underground—like a seed, just waiting for rain.
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