Lynn Northrop, PhD

By Lynn Northrop, Ph.D. | Licensed Psychologist in CA, CT, FL | ACT Specialist I want to tell you about the fart walk. It was my father’s term — his cheerful, matter-of-fact description of the morning constitutional he took after decades on CPAP therapy. I thought it was funny when I was younger. I think it is considerably funnier now that I am a recent CPAP initiate myself, shuffling around my neighborhood at 7am with spectacular bedhead, waiting for the pressurized air I sw

By Lynn Northrop, Ph.D. | Licensed Psychologist in CA, CT, FL Guess what. I am a psychologist and I’ve talked to an AI about my own life. Not as a research experiment. Not to test the technology. Because I was having a hard morning and needed to think out loud, and the AI was there. I’m a psychologist with decades of clinical experience, a specialist in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and a former training director for a doctoral internship program. I have worked with thou

Every January, the pressure is on: Become a new you. Write a list of New Year’s resolutions, summon willpower, and hope you can out-stubborn real life. And every year, many kind, capable humans discover the same truth: when resolutions fail, its not just about “self discipline.” They often fail because they’re built on an unforgiving model of change—one that assumes we can fully control our mood, motivation, schedule, stress level, health, and relationships for the next 12 mo

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had plenty of moments in my life where I wished I had found the right words at the right time. Communication is hard for all of us sometimes—it can be emotional, messy and it takes practice to be able to deliver the message you want in stressful situations. Over the years, both in my personal life and in helping others as a psychologist, I’ve learned that assertive communication isn’t about winning an argument or getting our way. It’s about fi

In their book, Buddha's Brain, Hanson and Mendius (2009) explain one of the paradoxes of being human: our brains are wired to notice the negative far more readily than the positive. From an evolutionary standpoint, this bias kept our ancestors alive—spotting the danger in the bushes mattered more than savoring the wildflowers beside the path. But in our modern lives, this “negativity bias” often means we miss the abundance of small, nourishing experiences that can help us fee

Hope is not wishful thinking; it’s a guiding value that moves us toward actions that infuse life with richness and meaning, even (maybe most importantly) in difficult times when our access to the feeling of hope may be diminished. When we act in alignment with hope, we affirm our belief in the possibility of positive change and our capacity to contribute to it. What follows is a list 20 tangible ways to live the value of hope, ranging from small, everyday gestures to bold, im

As a psychologist, I continually seek resources that support my clients' mental health journeys and their pursuit of rich, meaningful lives. One remarkable tool that consistently stands out is the Insight Timer app, a robust platform that integrates beautifully with ACT principles and offers an expansive range of resources to nurture mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and psychological flexibility. Insight Timer has gained recognition worldwide, boasting over 25 million use

Yoga Nidra, often called "yogic sleep," is a deeply restorative practice that guides you into a state between wakefulness and sleep. Far from being simply a relaxation or sleep tool, Yoga Nidra provides a profound space for exploring and experiencing internal experiences including emotions, physical sensations, thoughts, images, etc. As a psychologist specializing in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I've observed how this intentional exploration of our inner world th

As we navigate therapy together in an increasingly digital world, telehealth has become a vital resource, offering flexibility, accessibility, and continuity. As a therapist, I am grateful on so many levels for this resource. And, as wonderful as it is, telehealth is not without its issues. Benefits of Telehealth Accessibility: Therapy from the comfort of your home or any private space makes mental health support readily accessible. Whether you are at home or at work, you can

If you’re in your 60s or 70s and the idea of dating again feels daunting, overwhelming, or even just tiring, you are absolutely not alone. what if dating could become a meaningful part of your journey toward connection, growth, and a deeper sense of joy? What if we just let it be about human connection and see what hapens?

When someone you love is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), you may feel a mixture of emotions—concern, confusion, sadness...

If you voted for President Trump, you might find yourself puzzled by the intensity of these emotions in your liberal friends and family.

How do you hold onto hope when family gatherings feel like battlegrounds?

It’s been a heavy week and a half. For so many of my clients, the reelection of Donald Trump feels like a gut punch.

Yesterday, I realized it has been exactly Twenty-five years since I became a licensed psychologist.

While menopause can bring challenges like hot flashes, joint pain, and troubled sleep, it's also a time of newfound freedom.