ADHD Rejection Sensitivity: When Feedback Feels Personal
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC ADHD rejection sensitivity describes difficulty with actual or perceived rejection, criticism, or disapproval in someone who has ADHD. The related term rejection sensitive dysphoria, or RSD, is not an officially recognized diagnosis, and research on it is still developing. Read explanation of RSD. Counseling can address the patterns surrounding […]
Real Event OCD: When a Past Mistake Becomes Impossible to Let Go
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC Real Event OCD can develop when something that actually happened becomes the focus of persistent doubt, guilt, or shame. Instead of helping you learn from the experience, your mind repeatedly reviews what happened, questions what it means about you, and searches for certainty that never lasts. The goal of […]
Depression and Anger: Why Depression Can Make You Feel Irritable
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC Depression and anger can occur together, even when someone does not appear sad. Emotional exhaustion, disconnection, unmet needs, and reduced capacity for everyday stress can make frustration feel sharper and harder to express calmly. Recognizing this connection does not excuse hurtful behavior, but it can help you respond with […]
Childhood Trauma in Adults: When Past Experiences Shape Present Reactions
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC Childhood trauma in adults can affect how people experience trust, conflict, closeness, and stress long after the original experiences have ended. These effects vary, and identifying with a description does not establish a diagnosis or prove that a particular event occurred. Counseling can help you explore present difficulties, understand […]
Anxiety Triggers: Why Everyday Situations Can Set Off Worry
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC Anxiety triggers are situations, thoughts, memories, sensations, or accumulated pressures that signal possible danger to your nervous system, even when you are not facing an immediate threat. Learning to recognize what happens before, during, and after anxiety rises can help you respond with greater awareness instead of automatically avoiding, […]
PTSD Nightmares: Why Trauma Can Continue During Sleep
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC PTSD nightmares can make a past threat feel present again during sleep, even when you wake in a familiar room and know intellectually that the event is over. The dream may replay recognizable details, use an entirely different setting, or leave behind the same fear, helplessness, shame, or urgency […]
Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder: Understanding Mood Episodes Over Time
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC Rapid cycling bipolar disorder describes a pattern in which a person experiences four or more distinct mood episodes within 12 months. It does not simply mean experiencing several emotions in one day or reacting strongly to a stressful event. Recognizing this pattern requires looking at episode duration, sleep, energy, […]
Anxiety at Night: Why Worry Can Feel Louder When the Day Slows Down
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC Anxiety at night can become more noticeable when daytime responsibilities stop competing for your attention. Unfinished concerns, physical tension, uncertainty about tomorrow, and pressure to fall asleep may then feel harder to set aside. The goal is not to force your mind to become completely quiet before you can […]
BPD Self-Sabotage: When Protection Creates the Outcome You Fear
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC “BPD self-sabotage” is an informal phrase people use when fear, emotional urgency, or assumptions about rejection lead to actions that interfere with relationships, goals, or personal stability. The behavior is usually not a deliberate attempt to ruin something good—it may be an immediate effort to feel safer, regain control, […]
Emotional Flashbacks: When the Present Feels Like the Past
By AJ Huynh Director | LPC Emotional flashbacks are sudden, intense emotional states that appear connected to earlier frightening, neglectful, humiliating, or unsafe experiences. Unlike a vivid visual flashback, an emotional flashback may arrive without a clear image or story, leaving you feeling afraid, ashamed, powerless, rejected, or trapped without immediately understanding why. The reaction […]