You follow the self-care advice. You breathe deep. You move your body. You reach for tools that promise calm. Yet the tension returns like a tide that never fully recedes. I’m Dr. Connor McClenahan, and in my years of sitting with people in Pasadena who face this exact struggle, I’ve
You’ve just spent 3 hours re-reading the same brief. Yet something still feels “off.” You can’t shake the nagging fear that one missed detail could ruin everything. You look at the clock and you panic: you can’t afford to keep re-working this detail. You’re worried one small mistake could lead
Finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming. With so many choices in Pasadena — from private practices in Old Town to larger clinics downtown and even online options — it’s not always easy to know where to start. Therapy is a deeply personal investment of time, energy, and money. Choosing
“How long will these panic attack episodes last? When will peace return?” It can be overwhelming to have panic attacks. They’re unexpected, scary, and can impact your social and work life dramatically. Part of the concern is not knowing why the panic attacks happen or what is needed to heal
Misattunement occurs when a caregiver, partner, or important figure in someone’s life fails to recognize, respond to, or accurately interpret emotional needs. While occasional misattunement is normal and often repairable, repeated or unresolved misattunement in childhood or adult relationships can create lasting effects on emotional regulation, attachment, and self-worth. At
Dissociative disorders are mental health conditions where a person’s thoughts, memories, identity, and sense of reality become disconnected. While occasional dissociation is common—for example, daydreaming or losing track of time—dissociative disorders are more severe, persistent, and disruptive to daily life. At Here Counseling, we help clients understand these conditions, recognize
You’re exhausted, but when bedtime rolls around, they just can’t let go. Instead of drifting off, you linger in the wee hours, scrolling through your phones or binge-watching shows that don’t even hold your interest. It’s not that you don’t know better—you do. You feel the pull to sleep, to
Picture your teen pacing the kitchen the night before school starts, clutching their stomach and snapping at small questions, their usual spark dimmed by worry. As summer ends and routines resume in Pasadena, anxiety surges, overwhelming many adolescents with restlessness or tears. Back-to-school transitions stir deep fears in teens, from
Conflict with someone you care about leaves you overwhelmed. You shut down and can’t find any words. Or you raise your voice louder than you wanted to. Whatever the reaction, you feel out of control—and afterward, you’re left wondering: what just happened? It can feel inevitable—like you always hit a
Sometimes, you can’t seem to make a decision for yourself. It’s easy, instead, to wonder about the rippling effects your choice will have on others. You lie awake at night with racing thoughts, you do a bunch of research, you might even ask ChatGPT, but you wish you could make