A recurring column
The Mental Mechanic
Nobody shames you for not knowing how a transmission works — a good mechanic just shows you. This column does the same for what's going on in your head: clinical knowledge in plain language, from a licensed therapist, with zero fluff.
Ryan Heapy, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist · Clinical Contributor & The Mental Mechanic
The first pieces are on the lift.
Every Mental Mechanic piece is clinically reviewed before it's published — the first batch is going through that review right now. In the meantime, the topic library and Start Here are open.
The recurring formats
- Under the Hood
- What's actually driving a feeling or pattern.
- Warning Lights
- Signs worth taking seriously — before the breakdown.
- Toolbox
- Concrete techniques you can use today.
- Myth in the Shop
- Popular advice that doesn't hold up, and what does.
- Ask the Mental Mechanic
- Reader questions, answered straight.
- When to Call a Professional
- The line between DIY and bringing it into the shop.
- Maintenance Check
- Routines that keep you running between hard seasons.
The Mental Mechanic is educational — reading it doesn't create a therapist-client relationship, and it's not a substitute for care from someone who knows your situation. Every piece shows its clinical reviewer and review date.