Question 1 – Aryeh, what do you do when the parents themselves are complicated?

Feedback 2 – From a caller on the 9/8/25 program (Program 1, #1260, Question 5): I took your encouragement and spoke about it with my therapist. It worked out really well—the therapist explained that I can reach out and that it was simply a misunderstanding.

Question 3 – How can I build a better relationship with myself? Because I don’t feel connected to myself, I also struggle to connect with others. This bothers me even more. How can I change this?

Question 4 – My therapist offered to see me three times a week. Is that common?

Question 5 – My son attended a yeshiva where the boys went to therapy several times a week. It actually bothered him that they went so often. Discussed the differences between therapy and mentorship?Question 6 – My yeshiva is asking me to leave. If I transfer to another yeshiva that “helps boys with issues,” I’m afraid I’ll go downhill because of the environment. I don’t want that. What should I do?

Question 1 – How do cell phones impact family life and relationships? In particular, when a couple uses them excessively, what advice would you give to young couples about healthy cell phone use?

Question 2 – Do you have any guidance for dealing with moderate OCD, especially when it comes to religious anxiety around Rosh Hashanah? I often feel like I’m not doing teshuvah properly and can only see what I’ve done wrong.

Question 3 – Can you speak about the termination process in therapy? I’ve been in therapy for two years and made significant progress. At one point I thought I was ready to finish, but now that I have, I’m finding it very difficult and feel I need support.

Question 4 – A close family member has a 16-year-old son who dropped out of yeshiva about six months ago. He spends all day on the internet gaming and does nothing else. While the parents are trying to stay connected to him, I believe this is an addiction. Should I suggest that they see an addiction therapist?

In this episode, Mordechai Weinberger, LCSW, answers listener questions ranging from parenting and therapy to emotional resilience and community challenges:

• When a teenager simply says “OK” and walks out of the room, how should parents respond? What might that behavior be communicating?
• After a year of somatic therapy, IFS, and parts work, I’ve made progress but now feel stuck. Do I need a more directive therapist, or should I stay the course?
• A listener shares feedback from a previous episode, describing how he faced major life challenges by taking small, steady steps: “Whatever I was able to do, I did.”
• How can you help someone open up emotionally when they seem disconnected or unwilling to share?
• There’s a girl in the neighborhood who bullies others, and her mother refuses to intervene. What can I do to protect my daughter?
• I’m currently in therapy at Serenity, but my therapist doesn’t want to involve Mordechai. Can he still help? And how long does it typically take to come out of depression?

Real-life challenges. Thoughtful answers. Always grounded in compassion, clinical insight, and Torah values.

In this powerful episode, Mordechai Weinberger, LCSW, addresses a wide range of emotional and practical questions submitted by listeners:

• Can someone truly avoid their emotions and issues without consequences? Does emotional avoidance ever really work?
• Are there times when it’s appropriate—or even necessary—to push through someone’s personal boundaries? What are the risks and limits?
• As a schoolteacher, how much support should you offer students beyond the classroom? When does helping become overstepping?
• What is trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling), and how can someone struggling with it be helped?
• A listener shares a personal crisis: stuck in the U.S. due to flight cancellations from the war in Israel, off medication, separated from her husband, and with her autistic son acting out back home — what can she do in such a high-stress situation?

Join us for real questions, compassionate answers, and Torah-aligned insight into the human mind.

Question 1 – What is the difference between the Sarno method and somatic therapy?

Question 2 – What is the most appropriate method of therapy for someone who has experienced trauma?

Question 3 – What is the difference between Radical Acceptance and ACT therapy?

Feedback 4 – The caller who asked about Radical Acceptance (#3) felt like it was a personal message from Hashem. I now realize I need to accept my reality.Feedback 5 – From Radical Acceptance: I need to accept that, when it comes to family, they may not change.

Question 1 – I’ve been in therapy for the past five years. Now that I’m past the major struggles, I wish someone had told me what to expect moving forward and reassured me that it’s okay. Why isn’t this kind of guidance given more often?

Question 2 – My son is being bullied in class, and we don’t fully know what’s happening. What can we do as parents?

Question 3 – Why do I find it difficult to show appreciation to others, even when they’ve helped me?

Question 4 – I have a general question: Where is the line between discipline and abuse?

Question 5 – My therapist was on vacation for five weeks this summer, and now I’m dreading my upcoming session. Why might I feel this way?

Question 1 – I have tried many different therapy modalities, and somatic work helps me the most. However, I’ve noticed that the last 10 years of my life feel cloudy and fuzzy. Why is that?

Question 2 – When I don’t remember things, such as forgetting appointments or tasks I need to do, what is causing that? What might be wrong with me?

Question 3 – I am in therapy, but I constantly doubt myself. The only work that really helps me is somatic and deeper therapy. Still, my strong denial keeps coming up again and again. Will I need to be in therapy forever till I get rid of the denial?

Question 4 – What is the difference between behavioral therapy and somatic therapy?

Question 5 – I’ve struggled with weight, and my doctor referred me to OA (Overeaters Anonymous). What is known about the long-term success of OA?

Question 6 – (Aryeh) How can we help a horse gain weight?Question 7 – Why is it that some women can cry the moment they light Shabbos candles, but I can’t cry even for someone close to me who is very sick?

Question 1 – Why would people share positive information before a shidduch and then this girl goes off the derech a few months after getting married?

Feedback 2 – This is in response to the previous question.

Question 3 – I have been seeing a therapist and doing a lot of somatic work. Over time, I developed a strong connection to my therapist. Because of the intensity of the work, I find myself constantly thinking about my therapist, and I am still struggling. What should I do now?

Question 4 – I am a yeshiva bochur over the age of 20. I feel restless in the afternoons when it comes to learning. For some reason, the beginning of a new zman feels especially difficult, and I don’t yet have all my chavrusas? Why am I so restless?

Question 4B – Last year I shared with friends that my grandmother is in the hospital. They suggested that I speak to a therapist, but my parents don’t think I need one. Do I need to speak to a therapist?

Question 5 – My wife struggles with weight loss. She goes from one expensive diet to another, many of them extreme. We’ve tried everything, but nothing lasts. Is this simply a matter of self-control? What can I do as a husband?