Brook L. McKay, Therapy

04/06/2026

NOTE TO SELF. Remember, some bunny loves you!⁣
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Homework: Tell someone you love them and why.⁣
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03/30/2026

YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE. You must not forget this. When you feel at your lowest and struggling, just remember, you are not alone. Life is a shared experience.⁣
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When you walk through a storm⁣
Keep your chin up high⁣
And don’t be afraid of the dark.⁣
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At the end of the storm⁣
Is a golden sky⁣
And the sweet, silver song of a lark.⁣
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Walk on through the wind,⁣
Walk on through the rain,⁣
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.⁣
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Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,⁣
And you’ll never walk alone!⁣
You’ll never walk alone.⁣
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Homework: Walk on with HOPE in your heart.⁣
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03/23/2026

EUPHORIA. Remember a time where you felt a great sense of elation and extreme happiness? In life those moments can be few and far between, but when experienced, it is pure magic.⁣
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For many, music can be euphoric. It has the power to transcend. It unites people. It creates a shared experience. It can be healing. It allows you to forget your troubles, if just for a moment. It allows you to remember some of the most memorable moments, if just for a moment too.⁣
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Homework: Take a moment and think about a song that creates a sense of euphoria and transport yourself there by playing the tune on full volume.⁣
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Video: Live performance of SYNTHONY in Auckland, New Zealand by the Auckland Philharmonia conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams // www.synthony.com⁣
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03/16/2026

BROKEN. As individuals we are composed of fragmented pieces. To the outside world we appear whole, but the fragments of our unique experiences remain within. These experiences have shaped the person we have become. Some of these experiences we repress because they are too painful or make us feel broken. When we choose to try and heal from painful experiences rather than ignore, we become stronger as a whole.⁣
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Homework: Think about one fragment of your life you would like to try to heal. Write about it, talk about it, create art about it – start processing it.⁣
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Artwork entitled ‘Standing Broken Men’ by artist Rashid Johnson, 2021, in The Cleveland Museum of Art⁣
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03/09/2026

CRYING. It is not a sign of weakness. When we feel anxious, depressed, stressed, lonely and so on, we either deal with the emotion or we ignore it. Research says – let it out. Crying can be cathartic and numbing these emotions is not in the long run.⁣
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Shedding tears is a uniquely human behavior in times of sadness and joy. It lets us release tension, regulate our emotional state and elicit support from others. Physiologically when strong emotions flood the body, it triggers a stress response as our fight-or-flight system reaches a peak. Crying releases this stress and allows our nervous system to regulate and relax. In turn, when we see another person crying, our perception is this person may be hurting or struggling in some capacity. Instinctually you want to support this person, which is why crying can also draw social support.⁣
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Homework: Release with a good cry instead of suppressing your emotions.⁣
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03/02/2026

SPINNING: Ever feel as though you are stuck in an ever-revolving loop? Don’t worry you are not alone. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. It is a predictable and safe existence that allows you to feel a sense of control in your daily life.⁣
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We all have patterns of behavior we would like to break or thoughts about doing something different in our lives, but it is much easier to go to our ‘default setting’ than change. Change can be overwhelming, which is why so many of us fail to get off the hamster wheel, but it doesn’t have to be. It is about breaking things down into smaller, more manageable parts to create the change we desire.⁣
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Homework: Make one change in your daily routine this week in attempt to switch things up. ⁣
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02/23/2026

BRIDGE. Whether building or burning them, bridges are symbolically used in an endless array of metaphors. In theory, a bridge presents us with the choice of creating separation or fostering connection. What I think bridges do best is connect us to others. What we don’t always take advantage of is then connecting with others. Just as this bridge is not structurally sound without suspension cables, we are not emotionally stable without human connection.⁣

Homework: Complete one act of fostering human connection this week.⁣
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02/16/2026

LOVE. Hate does not bring us happiness, but recent research proposes feeling loved does. In the new book, "How to Feel Loved", ‘feeling loved’ (a deeply shared reciprocal connection) is distinguished from ‘being loved’ (in the way a celebrity such as Bad Bunny may be loved); the former being the key to being a happy human.⁣
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But how? Feeling more loved requires shifting our mindset from trying to fix ourselves or others to become more lovable. Rather our mindset is focused on having vulnerable conversations by sharing our authentic self, really listening, being genuinely curious, having an open heart and understanding we are complex beings. Of course, the conversation is a two-way street.⁣
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Homework: Choose one relationship in your life to approach with a new mindset of feeling loved by showing your vulnerable self to that person and encouraging that person to do the same.⁣
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Book cited:⁣
“How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most” by Sonja Lyubomirsky & Harry Reis ⁣

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02/09/2026

LIGHT. We may at times feel small, insignificant and powerless, but that is not our truth. Whether you believe me or not, we all have a purpose and the ability to make a difference.⁣
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When I saw this photograph, I felt empowered as I stared at the flame held in the palm of her hand. While most days it may not seem as though anything we do has meaning, you would be surprised by the impact a small gesture of encouragement has on others. Just remember from a little spark, may burst a flame.
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Homework: Be a beacon of light this week by bringing hope, wisdom or guidance to someone else – it’s contagious.⁣
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Artwork by Tia Ranginui⁣
Ka Hāpai te Rama, 2023 (In Māori, the phrase means ‘the torch is lifted’ or ‘raising the light’.)⁣
Pigment ink on Hahnemühle Photo Rag⁣
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Brook L. McKay is a limited license psychologist providing individual and couples therapy (telehealth/online therapy services only).

02/02/2026

ERASE. There is something so therapeutic about watching waves wash over the sand. I like to think the waves erase at least a few worries, if even for a moment to have some peace of mind. So much so the experience has been dubbed ‘Blue Mind’ or “Blue Space’. Not too dissimilar to the positive psychological effects of being immersed in green spaces, research shows wave-watching (or listening) can put us in a mild meditative state and activates our parasympathetic nervous system. This allows us to relax, feel more engaged and let go of some emotional baggage.⁣
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Homework: Try to find some ‘blue space’ this month.⁣
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01/26/2026

EMPOWERMENT. Ever feel powerless? You know, the feeling that you have no agency over your own life. The attitude that life has handed you your own certain circumstances, things are what they are and you are stuck forever. Whether you feel this way due to external forces or your own inability to believe you are capable, let’s flip the script.⁣
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At the individual level, empowerment is about advocating for yourself and in turn, empowering others to do the same. Obviously, you do not have control over every life outcome, but you do have the power to take control of personal circumstances by developing the skill-set to do so. This means taking action towards achievable goals, overcoming self-doubt and acquiring the tools necessary to have the strength to have agency over your own life.⁣
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Remember, empowerment is the remedy to disempowerment; start by believing in yourself as you have far more power than you think.⁣
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Homework: Make a proactive commitment to take one action this week toward changing your life or your environment.⁣

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01/19/2026

EYES. They see all and reflect all. Our eyes reflect a spectrum of emotion to the beholder. Sight accompanied by sound evokes an internal spectrum of emotion to the viewer. ⁣
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This light installation called “Eyes of the Forest’ is described as giving the feeling of gazing into a person’s eye where nothing is spoken, yet everything is understood. Sometimes in a relationship, words are unnecessary, we need only to see with empathic eyes.⁣
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Homework: Open your eyes, listen and feel.⁣
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