Trauma

Over the last few weeks I’ve been going over the different attachment styles and how they are primarily the result of how our caregivers related to us. Attachment styles are not set in stone, they can change, because we change based on our relationship experiences.…

We aren’t talking nearly enough about the current administration is retraumatizing for clients who grew up with emotionally and verbally abusive, gaslighting, authoritarian, or narcissistic caregivers.   When we talk about how hard it is to heal when you are living in the same environment…

Disorganized attachment develops when the caregivers are sources of fear, and it’s highly correlated with abuse. These caregivers may be terrifyingly over-responsive or frighteningly unresponsive, or may vacillate between these two. Caregivers who are consistently contradictory in their communication can create disorganized attachment, such as…

Avoidant attachment develops when caregivers are emotionally distant, unavailable/absent, or neglectful. These caregivers are often emotionally misattuned to their children and may be cold, distant, critical or highly focused on achievement. These caregivers do not tolerate emotional expression and expect their child to be independent…

June is national PTSD Awareness month.  For many, the concept of PTSD is linked to military service. The reality however, is that this disorder can affect anyone.  In the US, approximately 6.8% of adults will experience PTSD in their lifetimes, with women twice as likely…

Microaggressions contribute to chronic stress/distress A common misperception is that microaggressions are small or insignificant in impact. While this may be understandable given the terms start with micro, it’s also a defensive reaction driven by our own desires to disavow any harm we may have…