Trauma-Informed Blog
New content weekly! Survivor Stories, Research Articles, Poetry, and more written by clinicians, coaches, survivors, and mental health professionals.
Remember...
Important Information About Our Content
Everything you find on this blog, CPTSDfoundation.org, or within our wider digital communities is created for educational and informational use only. No content shared here—whether by our staff or guest contributors—is intended to supersede or replace the clinical relationship you have with your medical or mental health providers. We are here to support your journey with information, but we do not provide medical advice or treatment. Guest opinions are their own and may not represent the views of CPTSD Foundation. Privacy Policy and Full Site Disclaimer, Terms of Service.
“I Feel Like I Don’t Matter” Where Does This Belief Come From? (Internalized Worthlessness)
For many, this profoundly sad notion is buried so deeply, we don't even realize it's driving our search for significance. Why do we believe this and how can we heal it? Internalized Worthlessness:...
The Body Knew Before I Did
How I accidentally built a healing practice without knowing what I was healing from In 1987, I walked into a job interview in Montreal and couldn't say my own name. I was twenty-two. Two days...
From Survival to Connection: Supporting Adult Survivors of Adverse Childhood Experiences
Recently, I received a message from a podcast listener requesting a special episode addressed to people who live with and/or love someone with CPTSD. His message highlighted the importance of...
Anxiety in Today’s Society: Strategies to Reduce Anxiety
Do you worry about things all the time? Is your mind full of noise? Anxiety is the emotion that people feel involving tension, fear, and worry in response to a threat or a perceived threat. Anxiety...
In Fight Mode: When Survival Looks Like Defiance
Trigger Warning: This post contains references to traumatic childhood experiences, including recalled memories of abuse and descriptions of the author’s trauma responses. Please take care while...
How Collaging Brings Me Peace, Confidence, and Empowerment
It’s a gloomy winter evening, my seasonal depression is at its worst, and I’ve just finished a difficult day at work. What’s keeping me together? Ripping, cutting, arranging, and gluing pieces of...
11 Reasons to Never Be Embarrassed About Anything You Did as a Kid
Your day's going fine until BAM! You crumble in shame over a dumb thing you said when you were 15. Let's talk about "shame flashbacks", how they haunt complex trauma survivors, and how to break...
A Feeling Like No Other… Believe it, then achieve it.
It’s official, my MFA is in the bag. I did it! I have achieved a Master’s degree in Writing. It’s a dream come true for me. Something I could only dream about over the years. My dream started when I...
Freedom To Feel
There is a quiet longing many recovering from CPTSD carry: the desire to feel free again. Not to be overwhelmed by emotion, not to shut it down, but to feel without fear of what might happen inside....
“I’ve Forgotten How to Live a Normal Life”: Understanding Functional Freeze After Trauma
When basic tasks drain all your energy and what seems easy for others feels impossible for you, this isn't weakness. It's your nervous system protecting you. Here's why it happens and how to heal....
Who Do You Look Up To? The Importance of Role Models for Survivors of Child Abuse
My name is Elizabeth, and I am a survivor of sexual abuse and trauma. I endured things, terrible things when I was growing up. I was just a young sprout, but my lack of years and stature failed to...
What does it actually mean to be safe?
I recently had the great joy of connecting with Stacey Fitzgerald. She is a Certified Nutritionist, Somatic Breathwork Practitioner, Trauma-Informed horse trainer, Singer/Songwriter, Wife, Mother,...
What is Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
“Complex PTSD comes in response to chronic traumatization over the course of months or, more often, years. This can include emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuses, domestic violence, living in a war zone, being held captive, human trafficking, and other organized rings of abuse, and more. While there are exceptional circumstances where adults develop C-PTSD, it is most often seen in those whose trauma occurred in childhood”.
