We’ve got something very fun launching today here at Scary Mommy: an entire package dedicated to the glorious mess of information that is TikTok. Sometimes it’s genius, but let’s get real — it’s often misguided at best and harmful at worst. So we're taking a look at the trends that have taken over the platform, from #fittok to #guttok to #cleantok, and debunking them.

First up, we’ve got author Kim Brooks on #TherapyTok. Like so many of us, she got into the app during the pandemic; “It was fun to learn about eye-liner application strategies for the mature woman or decluttering hacks for the busy mom, or occasionally, very weird and oddly satisfying tutorials on things like how to trim a horse’s hoof,” she writes.

Then it got a little weird: “Suddenly, instead of videos about preparing tasty, low-carb casseroles on a budget, I was consuming clips of psychologists and counselors and clinical social workers and various other coaches and gurus, telling me the five signs of an unhealthy relationship, and the five signs that you may be anxious or depressed, and the five steps to banishing negative self-talk with positive affirmations, and the five clues that your partner may be cheating.” So what does she make of it all, as somebody who’s studying to be a therapist herself? Read it and see if it changes the way you watch TikToks.

Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor