Trauma

A fairly common response to trauma is profound change to how one views themselves and the world. This can be true after a single traumatic incident and is a hallmark of chronic traumatization. One common way that thinking changes is that the person develops persistent…

Who knew that Axle Rose had such insight? But he is absolutely right. Especially in this age of social media, we make a lot of assumptions about the lives of others. I hear it all the time from my clients how they think everyone else…

Trauma can affect sleep in a few different ways. It may be more difficult to fall asleep due to fears and anxieties and a general cognitive preoccupation with worried thoughts. Because of a general hyper-arousal of the nervous system it can be difficult to remain…

There is a growing recognition among trauma therapists that there can be positive personal growth that occurs for some individuals after a trauma.  It is defined as the experience of individuals whose development in some areas has surpassed what was present before the traumatic event.…

For so many of the folks I work with in therapy shame is an overwhelming part of their lives, and shame is toxic to the soul. Guilt is feeling bad for something you have done whereas shame is feeling bad about who you are. When…

When you have grown up in a situation that was abusive, neglectful or chaotic you learned to survive in that environment. But once you have grown up and gotten out of that situation many of those skills will no longer serve you. And it may…