Note: If you are going to be in an environment with abusive people, some things on this list may help you but others will not. In such a case, focus on safety planning for yourself. Get a therapist, a friend, or an advocate at a domestic violence program to help you make a plan. Enjoying…
Category Archives: Trauma
What Happens When Fear Wins?
A colleague recently posed an interesting question as a topic for a blog post: What happens when fear wins? My answer: if the fearful part of you “wins” and prevents you from doing something, give that part of you a trophy. And then pay attention to the fearful part because that part is probably really…
A Message for Survivors
A message for survivors of sexual assault, rape and abuse Dear ones, There are not a lot of things that are more triggering of trauma responses than witnessing something like the trauma you survived played out on a national scale in the media. If you are having a hard time right now, it makes sense….
Is It A Trauma Response?
Clients who have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder symptoms sometimes have difficulty figuring out whether a current feeling or reaction is a trauma response. How can you tell if you are having a trauma response or just having a typical feeling or reaction to your present day life? Here are some indications that you are having a…
Abuse, Minimization and Self-Blame
“It wasn’t that bad.” “Other people had it much worse.” “It’s not like I was abused or anything.” “I should be over it by now.” “Why am I still thinking about it?” “I wouldn’t call it trauma.” “It really was my fault because….” I have heard statements like these over and over again from clients…
LGBTQ-Friendly Psychotherapy — Part 3
Relationships and Families LGBTQ1 people have relationships and families and, like anyone else, may need therapy for relationship and family issues. Beyond the qualifications discussed in Parts 1 and 2, how do you know whether a therapist is qualified to help you and your LGBTQ family? Skilled LGBTQ-friendly therapists for relationships and families are: Comfortable…
Ten Ways to Ground Yourself
Do you get overwhelmed by your emotions and have a hard time calming yourself? Do you feel numb and dissociated? Do you have trauma responses that lead you to get stuck in your memories of the past? If so, here are ten ideas for ways to ground yourself. Sing one of your favorite songs. Pick…
