Let's get one thing straight: therapy is not what TV shows and Instagram memes make it out to be. No, you don't have to cry on a couch every week while someone nods and scribbles "interesting" on a notepad. (If that's been your experience with Las Vegas therapists? I'm sorry, and also: ew.)

We're a few weeks into back-to-school season here in Las Vegas, and I think my family is finally adjusting to the new schedule. Or maybe I'm just trying to convince myself we are. Either way, the back-to-school anxiety and summer burnout combination is hitting families hard across the Southwest.

You call yourself lazy. Undisciplined. A mess. But here's what you might not realize: your procrastination isn't a character flaw. It's your nervous system trying to protect you from something it perceives as dangerous.

Let me tell you a not-so-secret secret: I didn't leave the traditional therapy world because I stopped believing in therapy

It's 11:47 AM. You're in the middle of back-to-back meetings, your phone is buzzing with texts from three different family members, there's a pile of laundry growing on your chair, and you can feel that familiar tension creeping up your neck. You fantasize about escaping to a quiet beach somewhere, but reality check: you have four more hours before you can even think about leaving your desk.

Your Nervous System: How to Recognize When You're Over Capacity Before You Snap