Blog
New Mental Health & Allied Professionals Meet-Up Circle Launches
We’re excited to share that our founder, Dr. Elizabeth Carr, has launched a new community initiative: the Mental Health and Allied Professionals Meet-Up Circle — an informal networking group for local licensed professionals who serve the mental health and well-being of individuals and families in metro Maryland. This new group was created to address a…
When We Demonize Nick, We Miss How His Choices Might Reflect What Most of Us Would Have Done
Popular stories often reveal more about us than we realize, especially when we debate how fictional characters should behave in the face of moral crisis. A recent example is Nick Blaine, a key character in The Handmaid’s Tale. In online discussions, some fans romanticize him as a stoic protector who risks everything for the woman…
Becoming A Constant Object: Actionable takeaways from a classic
This essay explores how to become a steady and predictable presence (a constant object) in our clients’ therapeutic lives. During our first decade or so of clinical work, it’s easy to feel like our words need to be perfect, our interventions insightful, and our techniques airtight. But one of the most powerful things we can…
Aunt Lydia’s Psy Ops
This might be Aunt Lydia’s most brutal moment yet. Not because of what she does physically, but because of how expertly she breaks June down—emotionally, morally, and psychologically using psychological operations (psy ops). Let’s unpack how she does it. (Season 2; Episode 11) Guilt Induction (Moral Injury) Aunt Lydia uses guilt as a weapon. By stating…
How Attachment Styles Shape Our Therapy Experience
By Dr. Elizabeth Carr, Kentlands Psychotherapy Have you ever wondered why opening up in therapy seems so easy for some and so complicated for others? Why do some people form a deep connection with their therapist quickly, while others struggle to trust or stay engaged? Often, these patterns aren’t random. They reflect something meaningful about…
Recognizing Disorganized Attachment in Adult Psychotherapy
Disorganized attachment develops when a person’s early caregiver is both a source of comfort and fear. As adults, this often manifests as deep ambivalence, emotional dysregulation, and a lack of coherent strategies for intimacy or independence in relationships. Clues from How Clients Talk About Outside Relationships Contradictory descriptions of abusive relationships: Clients may say things…
When Your Caregiver Is Also Your Captor
What Serena and June Teach Us About Attachment Trauma We don’t need to be trapped in a dystopia to feel trapped by someone we once depended on. In The Handmaid’s Tale, June and Serena’s relationship is often framed as a political or moral battleground. But beneath the drama of Gilead’s theocracy, there’s something more intimate…
Aunt Lydia’s Moral Reckoning
Can People Like Aunt Lydia Change? What Her Partial Awakening Tells Us About Selective Empathy and Its Path Toward Redemption As The Handmaid’s Tale draws to a close, few character arcs are as surprising, or as psychologically rich, as Aunt Lydia’s. What began as a portrait of righteous cruelty becomes a study in conflicted loyalty, inner reckoning,…
Handmaid’s Tale: Nick and June’s Trauma Bond
Was It Love or Survival? Understanding June and Nick’s Relationship in The Handmaid’s Tale When we watch The Handmaid’s Tale, “romantic love” may not be the first theme that comes to mind. Survival, control, trauma, and resistance take center stage. And yet, within the rigid brutality of Gilead, a relationship forms between June and Nick…
The Intoxicating Pull of Self-Righteousness in Professional Forums
w Its Dangers and Three Ways to Resist In professional communities—whether on a listserv, in a Facebook group, or during a heated Zoom call—it’s easy to get swept up in the moment. We feel strongly. We believe we’re right. And we hit “reply all.” But sometimes, in the heat of conviction, we climb, unintentionally and…
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