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Note: This article contains triggering material about suicide. September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness, reducing stigma, encouraging conversations about mental health, and reminding people that help is available. But perhaps it should also serve as something more: a reminder of our responsibility to care for one another. We live in a world where people can appear connected while feeling profoundly alone. We see coworkers in meetings, excha

By: MC Reyes, Ph.D. Most people have experienced moments when their minds jumped to the worst possible conclusion. A friend doesn’t return a text message. A supervisor asks for a meeting. A family member sounds distant on the phone. Within seconds, the brain begins constructing a story that often has very little to do with reality. “They must be upset with me.” “I’m about to lose my job.” “Something terrible has happened.” This thinking pattern is known in psychology as catas

By: Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. Have you ever walked away from an argument completely convinced that you had made the right decision, only to question yourself an hour later? Perhaps you threatened to end a relationship, quit your job, cut someone out of your life, or send a text message that felt perfectly justified in the heat of the moment. Then, as your emotions settled, your perspective shifted. What seemed so obvious during the argument suddenly appeared more complicated, and y

By Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. By now, you may have recognized pieces of yourself throughout this article. Perhaps you saw yourself in the Perfectionist, constantly striving for an impossible standard because achievement became synonymous with acceptance. Perhaps you recognized the Caregiver, who learned to monitor everyone else’s emotions while quietly ignoring your own. Perhaps you identified with the Invisible Child, the Peacemaker, or the Rebel. Or perhaps you simply recognized t

By: Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. Insight is powerful. But insight alone rarely changes behavior. Many people can explain exactly why they struggle with intimacy, why they fear rejection, or why they constantly seek approval. They’ve read the books. They’ve listened to the podcasts. They’ve watched countless videos about childhood trauma and attachment styles. Yet they continue repeating the same patterns. Why? Because awareness is only the beginning. Think of it like discovering that

By: Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. If you’ve ever wondered why you seem to repeat the same relationship patterns, struggle with the same insecurities, or react to certain situations with surprising intensity, the answer often lies in one simple fact… Children don’t just learn about their families. They learn who they need to become in order to survive within them. No child consciously wakes up one morning and decides to become a perfectionist, a people-pleaser, or emotionally distant. T

By Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. There is a sound that many people carry with them every day, although no one else can hear it. It isn’t loud enough to stop you from going to work. It doesn’t prevent you from laughing with friends, raising children, earning degrees, or building a successful career. From the outside, your life may look perfectly normal. You smile in photographs. You meet deadlines. You show up for the people you love. Yet beneath all of it exists a quiet, persistent vib

By: Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. Most people are familiar with direct insults. They are obvious, easy to identify, and leave little room for interpretation. However, some of the most damaging forms of disrespect are not spoken openly. Instead, they are disguised as jokes, subtle comments, backhanded compliments, or coded messages. These indirect forms of communication are often referred to as “dog whistles.” The term “dog whistle” traditionally refers to coded language designed to com

By: Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. / Founder and President of CHUF Friendship is one of life’s greatest gifts. Good friends support us through difficult times, celebrate our victories, and help us become better versions of ourselves. However, not every friendship is healthy. Some relationships drain our energy, create unnecessary stress, and negatively affect our emotional well-being. While nobody is perfect and every friendship experiences occasional challenges, certain patterns of beh

In a world that rewards constant connection, solitude can feel almost suspicious. We are encouraged to respond quickly, stay available, remain visible, and keep up with everyone else’s pace. Silence can seem unproductive. Time alone can be mistaken for loneliness. Yet solitude, when chosen with intention, is one of the most powerful tools for personal growth. It gives us room to hear ourselves, understand ourselves, and return to others with more compassion. Solitude is not i

Photo by Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D (All Rights Reserved) Written By: Dr. MC Reyes, PH.D., CHUF Founder and President We live in a world that rarely pauses. Notifications arrive before our thoughts are fully formed. Opinions flood our screens before we have had time to understand our own. The news cycle moves quickly, conversations become arguments, and silence can feel almost suspicious. In a culture that constantly pushes us to react, respond, compare, and perform, one of the most

By: Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to recognize that mental wellbeing is just as important as physical health. At The Compassionate Hearts United Foundation, we believe that caring for your mental health is not something you should only think about during moments of crisis. It is something that deserves attention, compassion, and support every single day. Today’s world can feel overwhelming. Many people are carrying emotional burdens caused b

By: Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. Hi There! National Volunteer Week is upon us, and it has always feels personal to me. As the founder of The Compassionate Hearts United Foundation, Inc., I’ve had the privilege of witnessing what happens when ordinary people choose to show up for others. Not because they have to... but because they care enough to act. And that choice, repeated across communities, is what quietly reshapes the world. Why This Week Matters National Volunteer Week runs fro

By Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. When life becomes unpredictable, whether due to personal upheaval, global crises, or chronic stress, our instinct is often to focus on the big, uncontrollable forces around us. Ironically, one of the most effective ways to regain a sense of stability is by narrowing our attention to something much smaller and more immediate: our daily structure and routine. From a social psychological perspective, routines are far more than habits or productivity tools.

By Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. Why do some relationships feel calm and steady, while others feel intense, consuming, and hard to let go of, even when they hurt? A big part of the answer lies in how affection and validation are given. In psychology, this is often described as the difference between constant reward and intermittent reward. Understanding these two patterns can be eye-opening, especially if you’ve ever wondered why you stayed in a relationship that made you anxious, or w

By Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. Dealing with narcissistic behavior in a close family member can be emotionally exhausting. When the person is someone you cannot easily avoid, such a parent, sibling, or extended relative, constant conflict, manipulation, or emotional volatility can take a real toll on your mental health. One strategy often recommended by therapists and survivors alike is the grey rocking method. While it may sound simple, grey rocking is a deliberate and thoughtful app

By Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. Have you ever said or done something in the heat of the moment that you immediately regretted? Maybe you snapped at a loved one, froze during a presentation, or panicked over something that, looking back, wasn’t actually that serious. You’re not alone, and there’s a fascinating neurological explanation for why this happens. It’s called an amygdala hijack, and it describes what occurs when our brain’s emotional center takes control from our rational mind

By: Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. The narrative of the self-made individual, overcoming adversity to reach the pinnacle of success, is deeply ingrained in our culture. We admire resilience, grit, and the sheer force of will that propels some to extraordinary heights. But beneath the surface of many high achievers, particularly those who seem driven by an almost insatiable hunger, lies a complex and often unacknowledged motivator: childhood trauma. This isn’t to say that all successful

By Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. There is a quiet truth about life that often slips past us while we are caught up in the routine of our days: most endings happen without notice. The last time you played outside with your childhood friends, the last time your grandmother called you by a nickname only she used, the last time you walked out of a job you thought would last forever… it’s likely you didn’t realize those moments were “lasts” until long after they had passed. This is the esse

By Dr. MC Reyes, Ph.D. We all carry invisible marks left by our past such as memories and moments that shaped how we respond to life. Some of these marks are fleeting, while others stay with us for years, quietly influencing our thoughts, actions, and relationships. These lasting impressions are called emotional imprints. Understanding emotional imprints is not just useful, but also transformative. It helps us recognize the “why” behind certain feelings and reactions, and giv