Writing from the other chair.
Notes from a clinician who also builds the tools.
A small collection of pieces on therapy preparation, mental health privacy, and the careful design of tools that support real therapeutic work. Updated as I have something useful to say, not on a schedule.
Nine questions: what a depression screening can tell you, and what it can’t
October brings Mental Illness Awareness Week, National Depression Screening Day, and World Mental Health Day. On the nine-question form clinics hand out this month: where it came from, what the number means, the one question that matters more than the score, and why a screening is the start of being heard, not the end.
When the days get shorter: autumn, mood, and the value of a record
The equinox has passed and the light is leaving a few minutes at a time. On what autumn does to mood, why memory cannot be trusted to notice it, and what a simple record can catch before a season becomes a self.
What psychoanalysis knows about suicide, and how to start the conversation
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and this year's theme is "Changing the Narrative on Suicide." On the internal story suicidal pain tells, what more than a century of psychoanalytic listening has taught us, what to actually say to someone you are worried about, and why safety features should never sit behind a paywall.
You asked, we built.
Notes from the first release cycle that took user feedback seriously. Most apps treat user feedback like marketing data; The Observing Ego is run more like a clinical practice. Three concrete examples of features that shipped because users asked for them, plus honest limits on where the model does not apply.
What to bring to your therapy appointment
Therapy is short, memory is unreliable, and good preparation makes the work easier. A guide to what actually helps in the room, from someone who sits in the other chair. Includes a five-minute prep checklist and a plain-language note on the screeners your doctor uses.
Why your mood data should never leave your phone
Mental health data is more sensitive than financial data, and the wellness app industry has not earned its reputation. An argument for on-device tracking, an explanation of what "on-device" actually means, and an eight-item consumer checklist for evaluating any mood app.
Patient mood data in session: a practical guide
A clinician's guide to using patient-tracked mood data without letting it replace the work. Three concrete in-session patterns, four common concerns addressed honestly, a depth-oriented frame for the chart as a third object in the room, and a four-week trial workflow.