How to Relate
Grateful to have you! I'm Brittani, a relationship therapist, yogi, writer, runner, and latte lover. Each week you'll receive thought-provoking letters written to generate insights toward creating resilient, intimate, fulfilling relationships.
Reflections on Time
Reflections on Time August 4th marks another year around the sun for me, which brings up reflections, feelings, an existential crisis, and gratitude. In previous years, I’ve taken trips to mark a getaway, in part because I love marking a new beginning with an adventure, and in part because the idea of sitting still and being in the same physical space might bring up feelings I’ll happily avoid. The problem is that avoidance gives power to whatever it is you’re avoiding. At some point, those...
The Communal High We Didn't Know We Needed: Stanley Cup, World Cup, and Collective Effervescence
The Communal High We Didn't Know We Needed: Stanley Cup, World Cup, and Collective Effervescence The Carolina Hurricanes' Stanley Cup win brought over 180,000 people together to celebrate. The city felt electric, joy was contagious, and watching the players celebrate made it feel like the whole city was part of the team. The Hurricanes winning the Stanley Cup spurred conversations with strangers that seemed normal. Living in a city riding a winning high for the past couple of weeks has...
The Spectrum of Saints and Sinners
The Spectrum of Saints and Sinners “Just when you think that the road's straight ahead Is when the devil shows up on your dashboard again Look at you go, crossin' state lines with your shadow Tryna run away Change your zipcode Turns out that you're still an asshole.” Dashboard- Noah Kahan, The Great Divide Noah Kahan’s album The Great Divide swept the nation with every song topping the Billboard Top 100 list. If you’ve listened to the album, you most likely feel emotionally assaulted by...
Therapist Threads: Artificial Intimacy, Events, and More
Artificial Intimacy to A New Level I just learned of a company that will clean your home for free. It's called Shift- and here's the catch: Humans will wear camera recording devices to track motions that will train robots to complete the tasks. Remember the Disney Channel Original Movie Smart House? It's coming to real life. Artificial intelligence is going a step deeper... into the sexual intimacy space. Joi AI paid users $2000/month to use their product while engaging in sexual pleasure for...
Therapist Threads: Let's Talk AI
Let's Talk AI We've all been hearing about AI and how it's infiltrating the mental health space at a rapid speed. If Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things" motto has ever applied, it's in this space. Last week, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced confirmation that more than 150 companies have been accepted into the ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective Scalable Solutions) Model effective January 1, 2027. What does this mean? Let's break it down. Companies on this...
Conflict Is the Symptom, Not the Problem: Couples Therapy, Intensives, and the Power of Experiential Connection with Carole Cullen
Conflict Is the Symptom, Not the Problem: Couples Therapy, Intensives, and the Power of Experiential Connection with Carole Cullen Published on April 23, 2026 What if the problem in your relationship isn’t the argument you keep having—but the pattern underneath it? Therapist Carole Cullen explores how couples can move from disconnection to deeper intimacy using a mix of structured tools, emotional processing, and experiential learning. Carole shares how she integrates the John Gottman Method...
AI, Therapy, and the Future of Connection with Ann Dypiangco
AI, Therapy, and the Future of Connection with Ann Dypiangco Published on April 16, 2026 What happens when artificial intelligence enters the therapy room—both with clinicians and clients? Ann Dypiangco, LCSW, is a therapist in private practice and co-creator of Therapist Brief, a newsletter for therapists navigating tech, research, and the changing landscape of mental health care. She also works at the intersection of clinical practice and emerging technology in her roles at Blueprint.ai and...
Therapist Hangout 4/17 Canceled and Schedule Changes
Slight Change in Plans Hey everyone! The Therapist Hangout this Friday will be canceled. Enjoy the sunshine and spring (even if it feels like summer). I apologize for the late notice, and hope to see you at the next event. Since summer is upon us, we're changing things up. Here are the next events for summer:Therapist Hangout: Friday May 15th 2-4 @ BaySixFriday July 17th 2-4 @ BaySixFriday August 14th Collab with Raleigh Therapist Club and 110 Yoga. Yoga class will be held at 3:00pm at 110...
Romantic Recession: How to Revive It
Romantic Recession: How to Revive It The environment of modern romance has evolved. If we’re talking about finding love and making it last, we need more context to understand the ecosystem in which singles and couples live. We’re no longer seeking people in our village and local communities to date and mate with. Gone are the days that Bridgerton depicts as romance; insert the globalization of opinions on dating and coupledom “should” be, and it’s lacking romance. Jaded daters and couples...
Therapist Threads: The Revival You Need
The Revival You Need In a recent social media fast, I got to experience what life was like without scrolling each night. Here's my experience:A bit of FOMO: I enjoy sharing humorous reels with friends, being in the know of what's going on with Z-list celebs, and knowing about community events happening locally. What Ifs: The anxiety about losing engagement with the podcast or other business endeavors would uptick every now and again. Net Positive: Did I miss it overall? Not really. I got my...
Grateful to have you! I'm Brittani, a relationship therapist, yogi, writer, runner, and latte lover. Each week you'll receive thought-provoking letters written to generate insights toward creating resilient, intimate, fulfilling relationships.