Must reads to recognize & heal complex ptsd
How to ask for what you want without feeling guilty
Do you have trouble asking for what you want without feeling guilty? There are likely some good reasons for that which extend back to childhood.
How to know when "you ruin everything" means something else
Have you been told “you ruin everything”? Perhaps not in so many words. But expressing honest thoughts or feelings got you maligned or punished.
How to use mindfulness to overcome childhood trauma
Mindfulness has played a pivotal role in helping me overcome the symptoms of my unmet childhood needs. Many think of silent meditation when they hear the word. But it is far more accessible than that.
How to stop feeling lonely even when you're not alone
Many of us feel lonely even in a crowd of people. In fact, you might withdraw because you feel more lonely with others than you do on your own.
How to overcome the trauma of feeling invalidated
According to Bessel van der Kolk, trauma happens when we feel unseen or unknown. He wrote one of the most seminal books on the subject, The Body Keeps the Score.
Dealing with disappointment when you feel let down
Self compassion invites us to sink into our feelings rather than pushing them away or shaming ourselves. Through mindful self compassion practice, I’ve recently come to terms with the role of disappointment in my life.
How to overcome black and white thinking
One of the many outcomes of childhood trauma is black and white thinking. This is the all or nothing mentality that leaves no room for two things to be true at once.
How to know your window of tolerance
If you’re on a trauma healing journey, you may have heard the term “window of tolerance”. The concept, developed by Dan Siegel, refers to nervous system responses.
How to remedy a poor sense of self
One of the tragic outcomes of childhood trauma is a poor sense of self. When no one helps you understand yourself, that self has difficulty developing.
Boredom: why it's not as simple as Brené Brown says
Brené Brown says boredom can be good for us. She wrote in her new book that she lets her kids do nothing because it allows their imagination room to grow.
How to know the difference between comfort and safety
There’s a lot of talk about getting outside your comfort zone and that’s valid. It’s important to stretch and challenge yourself in order to grow and heal.
How to stop expectation from ruining your life
It’s often said that comparison is the thief of joy, and expectation is the close cousin to that robber. Rather than comparing yourself to others, you compare reality to what could have been and feel you come up short.
Self care and courage: how to balance the two
Joseph Campbell said the cave you fear to enter is the one that holds the treasure you seek. While that’s true, it’s important to balance self care and courage when going into scary places.
Why you expect the worst (and how to stop)
The first therapist I ever saw gave me a book called Learned Optimism. This after finding out I suffered from a chronic need to expect the worst out of every situation.
How to do self care when you're a c-ptsd survivor
Most of us know the importance of self-care. However, for those of us dealing with c-ptsd, self care can feel elusive.