From the Therapy Room

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW He came into my office looking unsettled. “I didn’t go to my cousin’s Bar Mitzvah last night,” he said. “And I don’t know… is there something wrong with me that I didn’t even want to go?” The way he asked the question told me he already thought the answer was yes and he was hoping I’d explain what exactly was wrong with him and how he could fix it. So I asked him, “Why do you think you should have gone?” He thought about it and said, “It would’ve been ni

He walked into my office looking discombobulated. “I couldn’t sleep last night,” he admitted, barely sitting before the words tumbled out. “I’m really not sure if I can do this anymore.” “This” was his marriage. He had only been married a short time, and it had been a rollercoaster. Some days were tender and hopeful. Other days were cold, distant, and tense—leaving him wondering if it was all a mistake. But this time, something specific had pushed him over the edge. The night

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW He walked into my office like he usually does — calm, quiet, polite. Nothing urgent to discuss. Nothing pressing on his mind. “So,” I asked, “what would you like to gain from today’s session?” He looked at me blankly. “I don’t know. I didn’t really think about it.” That part always fascinates me. Therapy isn’t mandatory. People take time out of their day, spend money, rearrange their schedules… and yet, for some, sometimes they come in with no clue what

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW *He walked into my office with shoulders slumped, shirt slightly untucked and his eyes downcast. Normally, he came in much more composed. Today, he barely sat down before quietly saying, “I hope you don’t mind, but I might end up crying.” That was new. “I don’t know what to do,” he continued hesitantly. “I feel so lost.” And then the tears came. His wife had recently given birth to their first child. It should have been a joyful time. And in some ways, i

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW He walked into my office with a familiar look—tense shoulders, furrowed brow, and that blend of frustration and exhaustion I’d come to recognize. "I can’t stop thinking about the car I recently bought,” he said. Two weeks earlier, he had purchased a used Toyota Camry after a long and stressful search. The car was in decent condition, fairly priced, and had been in one minor accident. On paper, it was a reasonable decision. Still, there’s always some risk

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW Shortly after Sukkos, my client walked into session looking exhausted — the kind of tired that isn’t about sleep. “The zman started two days ago,” he said, sinking into the chair. “And I already feel like I’m falling apart.” He told me what happened. He’d gone to the chavrusa tumult relaxed, confident. He thought everything was in place — same chavrusas, same schedule. He just wanted to schmooze with the boys and ease into the new zman. Then he ran into

He sat across from me, shoulders heavy. “This past zman did not work out at all. I constantly woke up late, I didn’t learn. I was on my phone all day. My Rosh Yeshiva wasn’t happy with me; he'd probably be happier if I didn't come back. I’ve been thinking maybe Yeshiva isn’t for me. Maybe I should just go to work.” I asked, “And if you go to work, what would you like to do?” He looked caught by surprise, thought for a moment and then laughed bitterly. “I don’t know. There’s n

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW He sat down across from me, his eyes softer than usual, shoulders not as weighed down. But I could tell he wasn’t sure what to make of it. “I tried that letting-go thing we discussed in last session,” he said, almost sheepishly. “And… it kind of worked...but I'm very confused.” In previous sessions, we had spoken about how anxious thoughts are like holding onto a hot coal. The longer you grip it, the worse the burn. Relief only comes when you release it.

He sat across from me, looking distraught, his story spilling out before I even asked a question. Over Yom Tov, he and his family were visiting his in-laws in a large out-of-town community. The kind of neighborhood where all the children play freely, running from one house to another. His kids loved it — they already had friends there from past visits on previous Yomim Tovim. But this time, something went wrong. His three-year-old daughter didn’t come home. At first, everyone

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW It’s easy to build walls of silence or deflect with clever words. But real growth begins when a husband and wife...

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW He walked into my office calmer than usual. For weeks, we had been working on the headaches that plagued him every...

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW He sat across from me, shoulders slumped, eyes down. I could feel the heaviness before he even spoke. I was...

By Yaacov Weiss, LCSW *He sat across from me looking worn out. Not tired in the physical sense, but rather in the emotional sense. “I...

When Dovid first walked into my office, he looked like any other young professional. Polished, polite, and pleasant. But beneath his...