The Child Who Could Never Do Enough: Understanding the Lasting Effects of Chronic Parental Criticism, Part 1
The invisible wound When people think about childhood trauma, they might imagine bruises from physical abuse, scars on skin that remain red and thick, stories of children left alone to fend for themselves without food or comfort, or various forms of sexual assault....
The paradoxes of flourishing
I once dated a man with borderline personality disorder. At one point, he told me that it broke his heart to see what I was not, what I hadn’t become, how small my life was, how I had squandered my brains and looks. This unsolicited mourning of a fantastical me (a...
Menopausal Psychosis or a Call to Healing
It all started one night back in mid-July 2005 when I woke up to use the bathroom. Within minutes I began shaking so badly that I could hardly hold a glass of water. I was so terrified that I called 911. Not wanting to wake my sons, I decided not to have the...
Before the Lions Eat Us
Sometimes, the best that someone can do is attack someone vulnerable. Sometimes, we were the vulnerable target. Sometimes, my mom, when she felt low, went after me. It started the same way every time. She had a bad day. But I don’t mean normal disappointments. I mean...
The Part of Healing We Don’t Talk About Enough
There’s a moment many people on a healing path quietly come to – often after years of trying, pushing, and doing all the “right” things. It’s the moment they realize:“I thought I had moved on…so why does my body still feel this way?”Why does anxiety still show...
Whose Grave Was It Anyways?
My father died on June 6, 1998. My mother died on June 8, 2025, at the age of 89, 27 years after her husband almost to the day. On the day my father passed away, my mother, Gretchen, began digging a grave. Not literally, but metaphorically. For 27 years, she tried to...
Shattered Reflections: How Truth Demolishes Family Illusions
Summer is coming, and the county fair will be a highlight as always. As a child, I enjoyed the Ferris wheel, the smell of kettle corn, and cinnamon buns. The Fun Zone delivered excitement with barkers calling us to games rigged just enough to keep us hooked –...
8 Things Survivors Need to Stop Apologizing For | Part 3 | Feeling Angry
Anger is not proof you’re broken. Sometimes it’s your nervous system finally saying, “That wasn’t okay.” What has your anger taught you? Click Here to view video by Rachel Grant (opens in new tab) Photo Credit: Unsplash Guest Post...