Protecting The Children
“Mom, Dad doesn’t love you… or Spenser. He only loves me.” “That’s not true, sweetie, why do you say that?” “He doesn’t treat you nice.” I looked down at my 5-year-old boy. His innocent eyes stared up at me while he declared his truth. Inside, I fell apart. I knew my...
When a Victim Doesn’t Know She’s a Victim: Survivor’s Guilt, the “Fawn” Response, Trauma Bonds, and Setting Boundaries
“I can’t forgive myself.” Daily, I uttered this phrase. When I said it, my loved ones were concerned. “But what do you need to forgive yourself for?” They’d ask, perplexed. For them, there was nothing I’d done that needed forgiving. The voice in my head screamed,...
From Healing Others to Healing Ourselves
A Resilient Career Coach’s Journey to Prioritizing Self-Care I recently had to step away from my coaching membership and community for a couple of weeks because I desperately needed some self-care. As a Resilient Career Coach who is also a survivor, full-time...
The Interface of Healing and Human Interactions
Trauma leaves deep imprints on our nervous system, often disrupting our ability to feel safe, connect with others, and regulate our emotions. The social engagement system, which encompasses our facial expressions, vocalizations, and body language, is crucial to this...
Being a Real Adult Means Choosing Yourself First
Putting Myself First? You’re Kidding, Right?! I had to step back recently from things that weren’t serving me anymore. Disappointing other people was so hard that I immediately wanted to backpedal on my choice. For many of us with childhood trauma, making changes that...
Discernment Through the Fray…
Through the cacophony of media – social, alternative, traditional, and otherwise – I could no longer deny the need to walk away from it all and regroup. Heck, I even helped launch Fox News Channel back in the day, attended editorial meetings, and certainly...
Complex PTSD and Coping with Change
We are all different and unique in our skill sets at work and in how we are as human beings Our world is busy and can feel overwhelming and unfriendly to anyone. With the internet and most businesses trading and communicating online, we can feel isolated in our work....
Lessons from Hurricane Helene
When they said to fill the bathtub to have drinking water on hand, I thought it was overkill When they said to fill the bathtub to have drinking water on hand, I thought it was overkill. I didn’t think Helene would make it this far inland. Won’t all the mountains be a...