When you're struggling or noticing that past events have resurfaced and are negatively impacting your life, you may find yourself searching for answers. Common questions include: What is trauma? Were my experiences truly traumatic? Am I experiencing symptoms related to childhood abuse? While we can't answer every question here, let's explore 10 critical things you should understand about trauma to guide you toward healing and growth. Continue Reading...  Trauma, PTSD, Complex PTSD, Dissociation

  What Can Make Hard Times More Overwhelming? When you're going through something challenging, it's easy to feel consumed by its intensity. When life seems unfair, we tend to notice every additional thing that goes wrong, amplifying the difficulty. Soon, we're not just struggling with our current issue—we're adding every disappointment or discouragement, making our burden heavier than ever. I think of it as the “piling on effect” or “kicking yourself while you’re down.”  Read More...

"We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. We’ve got to go through it." That phrase, from the beloved children’s book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt , holds a deep truth about healing from trauma. Most of us want to move past pain as quickly as possible—to avoid it, numb it, or bury it under our daily responsibilities . But the only way to truly heal is by going through it . In fact, one of the core symptoms of PTSD is avoidance —avoiding reminders, emotions, and even the truth of what happened. But avoidance doesn’t free us from trauma ; it keeps us stuck on the inside . I learned this in the hardest way imaginable—the morning I woke up and found my husband had passed away in his sleep. Continue Reading...