The Most Common Mental Health Challenges in Each Year of College
College brings new challenges every year—from homesickness and making friends as a freshman to career uncertainty as a senior. As a therapist who works often with UVM students, I've seen how the stressors evolve throughout college and how therapy can help students build confidence, manage anxiety, and navigate each stage with greater resilience. Learn about the most common mental health challenges students face during each year of college and discover that they don't have to face them alone.
Should a male see a female therapist?
Wondering whether a male should see a female therapist? Learn why many men choose female therapists, the unique benefits they experience, and how the right therapeutic relationship can help you build stronger relationships, greater self-awareness, and emotional resilience.
Therapy vs. Toughing It Out: How to Know When It's Time for Professional Support
A licensed clinical social worker explores “toughing out” a problem vs. seeking therapy for it including misconceptions of toughness, what happens in therapy, stress vs. distress, and when therapy can be helpful.
Is Online Therapy as Effective as In-Person Therapy?
Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy? The answer may surprise you. In many cases, online therapy isn't a compromise—it's the reason people are able to access therapy at all. In this post, I share my real-world experience helping college students, busy professionals, and adults navigating anxiety, depression, life transitions, and relationship stress discover that virtual therapy can be just as personal, connected, and effective as meeting in an office.
Am I the Only One: Am I the Only One? Common Thoughts College Students Have About Friendships, Loneliness, and the Future
Do you feel like everyone else has close friends and their future figured out? Learn why so many college students quietly struggle with loneliness, friendship, and career uncertainty—and why you're far from the only one.
Sitting With the Unknown: A College Student’s Guide to Coping With Uncertainty
Feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty in college? Learn practical strategies to cope with anxiety about your major, career, friendships, and the future so you can move forward with greater confidence and resilience.
High-Functioning Anxiety in College: You Look Fine but Feel REALLY Overwhelmed
You’re getting good grades, attending classes, socializing and people describe you as “on top of things. But, inside you feel constantly tense, overthink everything, and maybe are starting to feel blue. If this resonates, you are experiencing high-functioning anxiety in college. Anxiety has long been the most common mental health diagnosis for college students, and recent external factors like a troubling economy, wars, the rise of AI, and environmental concerns create even more distress.
How Much Does Therapy Cost? A Licensed Therapist Explains
As Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Florida, with a physical office in Red Bank, NJ, explores the need for transparency around therapy costs. Understanding what therapy costs—and what you’re actually paying for—can help you make an informed, confident decision about your mental health.
Bad Name, Effective Treatment: What is The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders?
Forget disorder-specific fixes: the Unified Protocol offers a single, research-backed roadmap for anyone whose emotions feel “too much,” from panic and anger to PTSD. Discover the core skills—and why they help teens and adults reach long-term goals faster.
Men At Work in Therapy
Society tells men to hide their feelings—but bottling them up can fuel anxiety, depression, and isolation. In this post, trauma-trained therapist Dayna Stein, LCSW explains why specialized therapy for men matters and how her solution-focused approach helps clients get unstuck.
9 Misunderstandings People Often Have About Therapy
From “therapy is too expensive” to “my friends are enough,” TV tropes and stigma fuel plenty of myths. In this post, Red Bank therapist Dayna Stein unpacks nine misunderstandings and shows why professional, evidence-based help can be a smart, short-term investment in your wellbeing.
Hypnosis: Forget What You've Seen on Screen
Movies show mind control, but real hypnosis is a brief, evidence-based tool that puts you in charge. Red Bank clinician Dayna Stein explains who can be hypnotized, how it feels, and why even skeptics can benefit.
How Mental Health Care Pros Beat Anxiety
From middle-of-the-night ruminations to everyday jitters, five clinicians reveal the simple habits—like Calm’s Sleep Stories, guitar breaks, and mindful self-compassion—that keep their own anxiety in check.
What Local Therapists are Reading
Spring’s been rainy, so the therapists of Red Bank Psychology turned pages instead of pedals. Here are six moving picks—from Irvin Yalom’s musings on mortality to Lori Gottlieb’s behind-the-couch memoir—that will carry you (and your clients) well into summer.
How to Know When It's Time to Let Go of Someone You Love
Is your partnership stuck on struggle-mode? From needs going unmet to family disapproval, Dayna Stein, LCSW, highlights eight warning signs that it may be healthier to walk away—and why the fear of being alone is often short-lived.
So, Your Kid Needs a Neuropsychological Evaluation for ADHD: 5 Frequently Asked Questions
School flagged your child for ADHD testing? Get clarity fast. This post breaks down what happens during a neuropsychological assessment, why six hours of iPad-based tasks matter, who administers them, and how the 12-page report turns data into actionable school accommodations.
Why Do I Need a Psychological Examination for a Spinal Cord Stimulator Surgery?
A spinal cord stimulator can ease chronic pain—but first comes a routine psych exam. Learn how the evaluation works, why anxiety or depression won’t disqualify you, and what extra support a psychologist can add to your pain-management plan.
Five Ways to Escape Falling Prey to the Anger Trap
Anger is a sneaky trap that keeps you chained to what hurts. Learn five evidence-backed ways—from minding your body’s stress signals to quietly choosing forgiveness—to defuse the heat, reclaim control, and show up calmer, healthier, and stronger in every relationship.