Have you ever been in a relationship where you felt stuck; where both leaving and staying seems impossible? You love your job, but you absolutely hate your boss. You have bills to pay. You can’t just up and leave. Jobs like yours are a one in a million. Your dad is a narcissistic jerk, but […]
What to do when you can’t walk away from a relationship Read More »
Last week for our discussion topic I resurrected an old newspaper column I’d written years ago. Although I’d revisited my earlier writings because I had writer’s block, once I got in there, I (re)discovered some of my old thoughts that were the inspiration for Redefining Love. Our discussion last week was so successful that I
Choose your travel companions wisely Read More »
It isn’t often that I have writer’s block. I was blessed and cursed with a whole lot to say (at least when I’m writing). But for two days this week I sat at my keyboard and drew a blogging blank. It isn’t that I didn’t have any words. It’s that I had too many. You
The evolution of a life Read More »
If processing trauma were easy, everyone would be doing it, and we’d all be happy! happy! all the time. As those of us who have stepped inside our trauma and walked around a bit can attest, facing painful past experiences is not for the faint of heart. And it’s not just because it’s painful
Why it takes courage to process trauma (and why you’re awesome for doing it!) Read More »
I love quotes. I have been a quote nerd since I was a kid. I used to recopy inspirational sayings from books into a journal, and then reread them over and over when I was sad or needed courage. One of my all-time favorite quotes is: The trees are about to show us how lovely
Years ago, when I first started in therapy, I was faced with what I would consider a typical situation with my family of origin. Promises had been made and then broken, and as usual it knocked the wind out of me. Somehow, even though I had 30 years of experience with these people, I was
What does INTEGRITY really mean? Read More »
TRIGGER WARNING:This post contains discussions about mental health that may be upsetting or triggering for trauma survivors. If you are at risk for serious depression, anxiety, emotional instability, or self-harm, consider reading this post in the company of a trusted, trauma-informed supporter. In this final post of our series about understanding how trauma transforms our
14 modalities to reset your brain after trauma Read More »
When we think about how trauma effects the brain, we don’t necessarily think about emotions. We tend to associate emotions with the heart. Certainly we feel emotions in our hearts. But we also feel them in our skin, hair, lungs, muscles, gut, and throughout the rest of our bodies. Even though we feel emotions all
Understanding emotions Read More »
TRIGGER WARNING:This post contains discussions about mental health that may be upsetting or triggering for trauma survivors. If you are at risk for serious depression, anxiety, emotional instability, or self-harm, consider reading this post in the company of a trusted, trauma-informed supporter. A search for “trauma” online results in hundreds of definitions of trauma. The
BONUS BLOG: The six types of trauma Read More »
We are heading into our second week discussing how trauma transforms our brains. I originally intended this to be a four-part series, but during our discussion last week, I realized that there is another segment of this discussion that needs to be addressed: naming versus blaming. Last week we talked about how we get trapped
Naming, blaming, and the uncluttered subconscious Read More »
