When the Client’s Body Reacts, but the Story Isn’t True

When the Client’s Body Reacts, but the Story Isn’t True

Tears, tremors, and vivid descriptions can be compelling. They are not proof. In complex trauma, memory is less a film reel and more a patchwork of emotional flashbulbs, fragments, and protective edits. Somatic reactions tell us that something mattered to the nervous...
Fawn Response: The Trauma Survival Pattern That’s Mistaken for Kindness

Fawn Response: The Trauma Survival Pattern That’s Mistaken for Kindness

It often looks like compassion. It often gets praised as loyalty. But for many trauma survivors, the behavior known as the fawn response isn’t about kindness—it is about survival. The fawn response is the least recognized of the four primary trauma reactions: fight,...