I am not sure why I never wrote about this before, but I guess it was very traumatic for me. I have 3 beautiful, healthy kids thank God. I was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) when I was six weeks pregnant with each of my pregnancies. At that point, I was vomiting 15-20 times a day, lost twenty plus pounds, and was extremely dehydrated and malnourished. I couldn’t stand for longer than a minute and had lost nearly all my strength. My hair fell out, my vision was bl

The existence of love, safety, trust, and respect, in a relationship is often hurt by moments you might dismiss as petty disagreements. The things that destroy the foundation of a healthy marriage can often disguise themselves as unimportant. Many dangerous things neither appear nor feel dangerous as they’re happening. They’re not bombs and gunshots. They’re paper cuts. And that is the danger. When we don’t recognize something as threatening, then we’re not careful. These tin

Over the years, in my practice, I’ve noticed that when I ask couples if they have a good working definition of emotional safety, it is often hard for them to respond. However, when I ask couples if they can describe what the opposite of emotional safety in a close relationship might look like, the responses flow freely. Below are some of the most common responses to the question about what a lack of emotional safety looks like: When you feel like your partner doesn’t respect

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, the paradigm of tenderness and passion and one of my favorites. I think that most romantic relationships begin with a phase of intense, highly pleasurable bonding based on the mutual fantasy that you and the other person are ideally matched and perfectly suited for each other, soul mates. Intense spells of passion are as effective at blocking pain as cocaine and other illicit drugs. “Love on the brain” is the same feeling. When you’re in love, you ex

Wrapping ones’ mind around the Metaverse is probably like trying to understand the internet back in 1981. The Metaverse is a shift in how we interact with technology. My husband patiently tried to explain the Metaverse to me last night after the news of Microsoft $68 billion deal, and he is still not sure exactly what it is. I didn’t quite understand why Microsoft would dump so much money into a gaming company. Que my 14-year-old son. F-O-U-R-T-E-E-N!! He explained that Micr

It is a well-known fact among therapists that men are less likely than women to seek the support of a therapist. In my own experience in coaching couples and individuals, it is usually the wife that calls me to set up the first couple session, and most individual clients are women. However, once the work of coaching is complete, male clients usually make it clear that they benefited from the process. I can say that I have benefited immensely from therapy in different periods

Live session hosted by Coptic Voice. Topics include therapy, COVID-19, and Women. We’re continuing our series with the incredible Silvia Farag, founder of the Christian Center for Counseling and Coptic Women Fellowship (copticwomenfellowship.com). An excellent and informative conversation. Click here to watch the recording.

By Silvia Farag, MSW, LSW, PsyD Candidate Today is the third post in a five-part series I’m sharing on sexual abuse. I’m honored to have an expert clinician in the field share her knowledge and experience on the topic of child sexual abuse for several posts in this series. I’m also honored that she’s a friend and my sister in Christ. You can read her first post in the series, Talking to My Children About Child Sexual Abuse, here, and her second post in the series, Parents Pre

By Silvia Farag, MSW, LSW, PsyD Candidate It’s hard to accept, but child sexual abuse happens in every community. Prosecuting these crimes means that kids have to disclose the details of what happened to them, and it’s easier for them to do so when their caregivers can read the signs and are prepared to listen and intervene. Parents have a huge role in this. In my last post I talked about what led me to talk to my own children about sexuality and child sexual abuse, with exam

By Silvia Farag, MSW, LSW, PsyD Candidate I left my lofty corporate job to begin a career in Social Work. I took a position with the state in Child Protective Services and was learning on the job. What a way to start a career in Social Work. I am pretty certain that not having children of my own quelled the pain of some of the most horrific allegations of abuse and neglect I encountered. I was able to push through the most difficult days of investigating child abuse with the