The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche remarked, “One loves one’s desire, not the desired.” This is certainly applicable to many perfectionists, who tend … More
Author: Leon Garber, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor/Psychotherapist, based in Brooklyn and New York, NY, with specialties in Existential Psychotherapy, Trauma Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Is Loving Yourself Possible?
Self-love is a mask for self-importance; just consider the time one spends on trying to cultivate it. The two most … More
In Defense of the Mainstream Understanding of Borderline Personality Disorder
People are obsessed with causes. And those causes may embody sought after justifications. In a recent article in Psyche about … More
The Dark Side of Denying Our Own Envy
Few emotions are denied as vehemently as envy. Envy implies weakness like few others. Many of our younger patients find … More
Obsessed with Control: Addressing Perfectionism and Codependence
For some, asking for help feels like a threat; the need to do so invariably makes them feel inferior. “Why … More
Why Am I Afraid to Feel My Feelings?
For some, potential, negative experiences, like harm or death, carry the weight of their biggest fears. For others, their own, … More
Addicted to Hope
In his autobiography, Based on a True Story, comedian Norm Macdonald details his years long gambling addiction, which cost him … More
The Responsibility Dodger: Avoiding the Blame Game
Some people will watch you burn and pretend they had nothing to do with it, or worse, that you did … More
The Dependent Personality and the Savior Therapist
Humans, like animals in pain, recoil from any perceived threat by hiding. Rejection sensitivity, common to various forms of personality … More
The Therapist’s Shame: Understanding Projective Identification and Countertransference
Chronic defensiveness, like chronic avoidance, isn’t a victimless crime. In our self-protected cocoons, sheltering us from the exaggerated slings and … More
Leon's Existential Cafe 