Health
Digging Out of a Therapy Rut
Therapy has been a part of Katerina Kelly’s weekly routine since elementary school, when a teacher suggested counseling for the 8-year-old.
At the time, Katerina’s autism was affecting their ability to manage time, make decisions and socialize. And for many years, the therapist seemed helpful. But once college rolled around, things changed.
“I always left counseling feeling either worse than I started — or numb,” said Mx. Kelly, 29, who lives in Natick, Mass, and uses they/them pronouns.
The skills that Mx. Kelly’s therapist had taught her in childhood weren’t translating as well now that she was older. In other words, they had hit a rut — the therapy, and the therapist, were not producing the desired results.
A therapy rut can feel disheartening, but it doesn’t have to end your pursuit of better mental health. We asked psychologists how to identify whether you’ve reached a sticking point and what to do about it.
What exactly is a therapy rut?
If you’ve hit a rut, you may feel as if your therapy sessions have stalled or become unhelpful, said Jameca Woody Cooper, president of the Missouri Psychological Association.
You may be emotionally disconnected from your therapist or less trusting of their plan. Perhaps you’re uncomfortable and tense during therapy, or you’ve started to dread or miss appointments, Dr. Woody Cooper added.
A rut can translate into “increased irritability while you’re in session, or a feeling of being misunderstood,” she said.
There are many reasons a rut can happen, the experts said:
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You’ve made as much progress as you can in therapy at this time.
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You would benefit from a different therapist or approach.
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You need a new therapy goal.
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You don’t need sessions as frequently as you did in the past.
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Your expectations aren’t aligned with those of your therapist.
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You’re not ready to explore past trauma or a difficult issue.
Mx. Kelly had experienced some of these roadblocks in her relationship with her childhood therapist.
“When I did try to bring up new things I was told we could work on it in the ‘next session,’ but that never came to be,” they said. “I hit a point where I started feeling so low.”
So Mx. Kelly began searching for a new therapist — it took more than six months, but they found someone who took their insurance and was a better fit.
If you’re feeling stuck, your therapist will ideally sense it too, said Regine Galanti, a therapist in Long Island who specializes in treating anxiety with exposure therapy.
“When I’m having the same conversations for more than two weeks in a row — that makes my warning bells start to go off,” she said.
That’s when it’s time to re-evaluate a client’s therapy goals, she added.
What can you do about a rut?
Don’t jump the gun by quitting therapy after one or two unproductive sessions, experts said.
“It’s unfortunately not uncommon to occasionally have a therapy session that feels like a dud,” said Alayna Park, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon.
But if after three or four sessions you feel like you haven’t learned any new coping skills or gained a better understanding of your problem, then it’s time to speak up, either during the session or in an email.
Dr. Park suggested a few ways to kick off the discussion: “I feel like my progress has stalled,” or “I would like to transition to learning new or different coping skills,” or simply: “I feel like I’m in a therapy rut.”
It’s also valuable to ask your therapist how many sessions you might need, what your progress ought to look like and how your therapist is measuring it, said Bethany A. Teachman, a professor of psychology and the director of clinical training at the University of Virginia.
Although it can make some people feel uneasy to voice their concerns, the experts said, a good therapist will not get angry or annoyed.
“Good therapy empowers patients” to do hard things, Dr. Teachman said.
How do you know if it’s time to take a break?
If you’ve talked with your therapist about your concerns and nothing has changed, you may want to consider taking a break.
Stepping away can offer “a sense of agency, and time to evaluate if the current therapeutic relationship is the correct one,” Dr. Woody Cooper said.
During this break, you can take time to think about your feelings and behavior, explore different types of therapy or try out another therapist, she added.
Annie Herzig, an author and illustrator who lives in Fort Collins, Colo., decided to take a step back after a few months of seeing a new therapist, when she hadn’t noticed any improvement in her mood.
Ms. Herzig, 43, finally sent her therapist an email saying she wasn’t getting what she needed from their sessions.
Taking time away was helpful — Ms. Herzig found a different therapist who she has now been seeing for four years.
“I feel energized at the end,” Ms. Herzig said of their sessions together. “Even if I cry my eyes out.”
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A decades-long effort to develop a vaccine against one of the world’s leading causes of severe digestive illness has reached a milestone, according to new research.
Scientists recently developed a technology targeting enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a bacterium responsible for millions of diarrheal illnesses each year.
The technology has now been licensed to French vaccine manufacturer Valneva for further development.
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The findings come after decades of research led by scientists at the University of Bergen and the Norwegian Research Center (NORCE).
One of the most common bacterial causes of severe diarrhea worldwide, ETEC is known to disproportionately affect children in low- and middle-income countries. Despite years of research, there is currently no broadly effective vaccine to prevent the infection, according to the study.
Researchers have made a major breakthrough in the decades-long effort to develop a vaccine against ETEC, a leading cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. (iStock)
The researchers focused on a toxin produced by ETEC that has long been considered one of the biggest obstacles to vaccine development.
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James Fleckenstein, MD, a professor of medicine and molecular microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said the findings represent a promising step.
“We still have a lot of work to do to translate these findings to an actual vaccine,” Fleckenstein, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. “But the approach does look promising in the sense that the proteins elicit strong antibody responses that appear to offer protection against diarrheal illness after the first infection in children in developing countries.”
ETEC is a leading bacterial cause of severe diarrhea worldwide, especially among children in low- and middle-income countries. (iStock)
If the vaccine eventually reaches patients, researchers hope it could help protect children against some of the most severe forms of diarrheal disease caused by ETEC.
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In the meantime, Fleckenstein said travelers can take steps to reduce their risk of diarrheal illnesses. He recommends avoiding high-risk foods — including meals from street vendors in areas where sanitation may be poor — drinking bottled water in higher-risk regions, and practicing good hand hygiene.
While a vaccine is still years away, experts recommend avoiding high-risk foods, drinking bottled water and washing your hands to reduce the risk of ETEC. (iStock)
Fleckenstein also noted that vaccines are available to protect against typhoid fever, and said travelers should consult their physician before traveling internationally.
The research did have some limitations, the researchers noted.
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The technology is still in development and has not yet been tested as an approved vaccine among the public.
While the licensing agreement allows Valneva to continue advancing the research, additional laboratory studies, clinical trials and regulatory review will be required before the vaccine becomes available.
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Bryan Johnson, a biohacker and longevity guru who has claimed “we may be the first generation who won’t die,” revealed he has an autoimmune condition causing his stomach to “eat itself.”
The Los Angeles-based tech entrepreneur, 48, has previously shared publicly that he is hoping to live until the year 2140, when he would in theory be 160 years old.
Now, Johnson says he has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the stomach’s acid-producing parietal cells, reducing stomach acid and impairing vitamin B12 absorption, according to Nature Reviews Disease Primers.
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“My stomach is eating itself,” he wrote in an Instagram post. Johnson also shared that anywhere from 2% to 5% of people likely have this disease.
“I’m going to try to solve it,” Johnson went on. “Will share all.”
Bryan Johnson, a biohacker and longevity guru who has claimed “we may be the first generation who won’t die,” revealed he has an autoimmune condition causing his stomach to “eat itself.” (Getty Images)
The biohacker shared that as a child, he ate sugary cereal, drank sugary soda and “gobbled down fast food.”
“I became a young father of three and began building a business,” Johnson went on. “Juggling that stress and grind, I let my health slip and gained 40 lbs. Within a few years I’d fallen into a deep, chronic depression.”
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“Somewhere in that timeline, my body began developing an autoimmune process affecting my thyroid and then my stomach lining,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment.
AIG can remain hidden and can be challenging to diagnose, Johnson noted, often surfacing years after damage has already occurred to the stomach. It can cause iron deficiency, B12 deficiency and anemia, and can also increase the risk of stomach cancer, the expert warned.
“Low iron stores get normalized and rarely investigated at all when anemia hasn’t shown up yet,” Johnson wrote. “That blind spot is what hid mine for a decade.”
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He also shared that for 11 years, he has had low levels of ferritin, a protein that stores iron inside the body’s cells. Ferritin releases iron when the body needs it, supports muscle function and carries out other essential processes.
“We continually tried to raise my iron levels with food and supplementation, but nothing would work,” he said.
The Los Angeles-based tech entrepreneur, 48, has previously shared publicly that he is hoping to live until the year 2140. (Getty Images)
Johnson acknowledged that some common biohacking techniques — including hard training, sauna and hyperbaric oxygen — all raise the body’s demand for iron.
“But none of them explained the core failure: Despite me taking iron orally, trailing every formulation and using every timing trick, none of the iron would stick.”
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Johnson underwent a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy, which examined his entire intestinal tract. Five biopsies were also taken from his stomach, which found “clear signs of early autoimmune gastritis: early atrophy confined to the acid-producing lining.”
In January 2026, the biohacker stated in a post on his website that “by 2039, my goal is immortality.”
“In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today’s stack,” Johnson said in his post. (Getty Images)
He detailed his strategy for defying aging, which includes embracing a strict regimen to slow or stop biological aging, using AI to accelerate longevity research, testing new treatments in lab-grown cells and organs, and reaching “longevity escape velocity” — in which medical advances would eventually extend lifespan faster than he ages.
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“I may fail at this task, but my team and I will try our best,” he wrote at the time.
There is currently no cure for AIG, which Johnson said he wants to change.
Johnson acknowledged that some common biohacking techniques — including hard training, sauna and hyperbaric oxygen — all raise the body’s demand for iron. (iStock)
“In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today’s stack.”
Johnson ended his post by urging others to prioritize their health.
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“Care for yourself, care for others, care for the planet and care for our animal friends. Care for life, as it’s the most precious gift there is.”
The longevity guru also shared an image showing the detailed findings of his five stomach biopsies.
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At 93, sprightly referee Frank Foster is still brandishing red and yellow cards and running the field three times a week for his local soccer association.
Having taken charge of around 5,500 matches over a 46-year officiating career, the great-grandfather credits his longevity and match-day stamina to a lifetime of healthy habits and a foundational diet, news agency SWNS reported.
Foster puts his remarkable fitness down to the strict wartime rations he was fed as a teenager, noting that it ensured he grew up eating “healthy food” rather than “sweets and cakes.”
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Decades later, his game-day preparation is still fueled by wholesome nutrition, always starting with a morning bowl of oatmeal, cereal or marmalade on toast to give him the energy to last the full 90 minutes.
The meal keeps him active enough to referee men’s, women’s and children’s games, a hobby he jokes he will never blow the final whistle on.
Frank Foster started refereeing in 1980. Today, he still officiates men’s, women’s and children’s games around three times a week. (SWNS)
His sharp mind and authoritative presence on the field are just as strong as his physical endurance.
A military veteran who aced his referee exam in 1980 with a 98% score, Foster relies on old-school discipline to keep matches under control, SWNS reported.
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He believes modern elite officials are too “soft” and allow player antics to ruin the sport. To maintain order and keep players from acting out, he lays down strict ground rules before kickoff. He has no patience for intimidation or theatrical diving. “Those who go down like they have been shot, well, I would just book them,” he said.
He is equally uncompromising when squads try to crowd him on the field.
Frank Foster is pictured before he became a referee. (Frank Foster/SWNS)
“I wouldn’t let them surround me at all,” Foster told SWNS.
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“I would say to the players, ‘Stay where you are,’ and ‘If you move one more inch, I will give you a yellow card.’ You need to stamp your authority and let them know who is in control.”
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He also avoids the modern stress of video-reviewing plays, which he believes creates unnecessary “aggression and disappointment” over microscopic offside calls, adding, “I think it spoils the game.”
Foster credits his longevity to wartime rations, adding that he avoided sweets. (SWNS)
“Sometimes it is only the player’s toe that is offside — it is ridiculous.”
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Foster says he “never thought” he’d still be doing this at age 93, but he makes the most of that gift.
He keeps his kit freshly washed, making sure it is “neat and tidy” for when he gets on that field.
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Foster, of South Yorkshire, England, also scrubs his black Adidas boots after every game, making sure they are “nice and clean” for his next match.
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