TYVON FOSTER, LCSW

What Happens When You Feel You Don't Matter In short, when someone feels or believes they do not matter, they act like it. These actions can be observed in how a person relates to others, their perception and judgment of themselves, whether or not they feel they are likable or lovable, the kind of treatment they accept, if they like themselves, prioritizing others' needs over themselves, and the list goes on. When we believe that we don't matter, we may assume that others vie

Meet Sam Sam had an upcoming presentation at work. For Sam, however, this just wasn't any presentation. This presentation was considered "high stakes" since a chief officer was present in the room. In Sam's view, his presentation had a lot of weight to it because he believed that his performance could grant him a promotion at work. To Sam, the promotion was significant not only because of the prestige but because of the financial security it'll offer for him to provide for hi

Why Anger feels uncontrollable Anger is often experienced as an intense emotion, making a person feel the need to take action right here, right now. For this reason, I often describe anger as an action emotion. Like the term suggests, anger motivates us to react immediately; usually to resolve a perceived problem, reduce or eliminate a perceived threat (physical or emotional), meet an unmet need, or address a value that was violated. In some sense, anger plays the role of an

Meet Ethan Ethan, by all things considered, is a highly successful professional in his field. He's charismatic, thoughtful, extraverted, a good listener, and just an all-around likeable person. Many people seem to take well to him when they meet. Ethan is also helpful and compassionate. He strongly dislikes seeing others struggle. Sometimes he feels responsible for helping them when he can. However, Ethan also has a hard time saying no at times. He feels that by saying no, ot

What is Negative Self-Talk? The academic definition is any critical, pessimistic, or self-defeating inner dialogue you have with yourself. Put simply, Negative Self-Talk consists of statements you make about yourself that suggest you are not good enough, worthy enough, or deserving. Negative Self-Talk often sounds like the following: "I'm not good enough" "I'm stupid" "I'm a bad person/It's my fault this is happening" "I'm always in the wrong/I can never get it right" "I'm no

Life Feels Meaningless. Now What? Have you ever found yourself thinking: What's the point of all this? I'm wasting my potential. I don't feel fulfilled or enjoy anything. Is this all there is? If so, you're not alone. Many people struggle with a sense of meaninglessness at some point in their lives. Sometimes it shows up during periods of depression or anxiety. Other times it shows up after achieving goals that you may have thought were supposed to bring happiness. You might