Therapy can be life-changing — especially when it’s set up with intention, structure, and the right support. For trauma survivors in particular, creating the right conditions for healing is essential.

Recently, we shared how therapy works. Now let’s explore how to make therapy work for you — by setting it up for success from the start.

Trauma recovery isn’t linear. Progress and success depend on creating a foundation that supports safety, trust, and consistency.  For trauma survivors, the therapeutic relationship, environment, and approach are just as important as the content of each appointment.

Here are five key ways to set yourself up for success in therapy:

1. Choose a Trauma-Informed Therapist Who Is Licensed in Your State

Not all therapists are trained in or work with trauma-specific care. Even if you’re not sure whether trauma plays a role in your story, working with a trauma-informed therapist ensures your care is grounded in safety, compassion, and a deep understanding of the mind-body connection.

A trauma-informed therapist brings more than just empathy and support. They provide:

• Emotional safety and trustworthiness
• Transparency and empowerment
• Curiosity and collaboration
• Cultural, historical, and gender awareness
• Knowledge of trauma’s impact on both body and mind

As Janina Fisher, PhD, beautifully puts it:

“We now understand that trauma’s imprint is both psychological and somatic: long after the events are over, the body and mind continue to respond as if danger were ever present. We hold what happened as a ‘living legacy’ of emotional and body memories that keep the trauma alive for decades. My professional mission has been to bring this understanding of trauma to both clients and their therapists as a psychotherapist, consultant, and trainer of clinicians looking for answers to helping their traumatized clients. I believe the key to healing is not knowing what happened but transforming how our younger selves still remember it. When we accept the child we once were and welcome them into our minds and hearts, we can finally heal.”

A therapist’s education, training, and experience matter. Here’s more on how to find the right therapist for you.

2. Make Sure Your Therapist Is Willing to Coordinate Care

You deserve collaborative, whole-person care from your therapist. That means working with a therapist who understands the interconnectedness of body, mind, and relationships — and is open to collaborating with your other healthcare providers to ensure you are getting comprehensive care.

At our practice, this systems-based approach is central to how we work. As a therapist trained in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), I view every individual as part of multiple systems — social, familial, and internal — all of which affect well-being.

When all your providers are on the same page, you benefit from more integrated, consistent, and effective care.

3. Choose In-Person Therapy If You Can

Virtual therapy can be convenient and necessary in some cases, and for many trauma survivors, in-person therapy offers important advantages:

• Non-verbal cues are more easily seen and addressed
• Nervous system regulation is often more effective in person
• Distractions are reduced
• Dissociation may be less necessary
• The physical therapy space provides a contained and grounded environment where you can build safety with the provider, and develop healthy boundaries as self-care and the boundaries in relationships that are so important to healing and growth. Having a scheduled time and a dedicated physical space — the therapist’s office — makes this easier.

Here’s more about why we prefer and value in-person therapy.

4. Start with weekly sessions.

While frequency can vary, it must be dependent upon need. Starting with weekly therapy creates the consistency — a predictable rhythm for building the safety, trust, and rapport that are the foundation for healing trauma. Especially for trauma survivors, structure and repetition help build safety and stabilize the nervous system, while establishing the therapeutic bond.

At Brickel & Associates, we encourage weekly care to start to:

• Build the relationship, developing rapport and structure
• Evaluate therapeutic fit
• Develop a sense of relational safety
• Coordinate care
• Co-create a treatment plan

We aren’t the only ones who prefer weekly therapy. This outcome-based study shows that weekly therapy leads to faster progress and a greater likelihood of achieving recovery and healing.

More frequent therapy is needed sometimes.

Some clients benefit from more frequent sessions, such as twice-weekly—especially if they are:

• In acute emotional pain or distress
• Living with a complex trauma or PTSD history
• Needing more intensity around relationship building for safety and stability
• Struggling to make progress – feel stuck
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Facing a particularly difficult life transition
• Entering a deeper processing phase of therapy – requiring more help holding emotions and regulating the nervous system

This higher frequency can support deeper work, faster stabilization, and reduce overwhelm during emotionally intense periods. It’s most important for you to feel safe!

The therapeutic relationship isn’t just about regular attendance; it’s also about building trust, understanding, and collaboration. Over time, as the therapeutic connection solidifies, the frequency of care may naturally shift. This transition is something you and your therapist can decide on together, based on your needs and goals. This typically occurs when you’ve made significant progress and are ready for a less frequent schedule. Consistent open dialogue with a therapist during each session is paramount.

5. Understand that the therapeutic relationship takes time to build.

Therapy is not just about talking. It’s about safety, healing, and connection — especially for trauma survivors who may have experienced harmful or boundaryless important relationships in the past.

A healthy therapeutic relationship provides a new experience of being seen, heard, and valued in a safe, consistent space. It helps you:

• Build awareness and curiosity of your internal world
• Understand and uphold your boundaries
• Explore emotions without judgment
• Develop a sense of trust in yourself and others

The therapist-client relationship is built intentionally, through consistency, mutual respect, and collaboration, knowing that a gradual deepening of trust will occur over time.

Therapy is not a quick fix. It’s a powerful, personal process — and one that can lead to deep, lasting change when built on a foundation of safety, relationship, and shared intention.

If you’re a trauma survivor, your healing journey will be nonlinear — and that’s okay. With the right support, structure, and care, therapy can help you create meaningful change.

Set therapy up for success by choosing the right provider, showing up consistently, and honoring the pace and process of your own healing. You deserve a safe space to grow, and a therapist who walks alongside you with compassion, knowledge, and respect.

If you’re seeking a trauma therapist in the Alexandria, VA area, consider reaching out to us.   Brickel and Associates has over 25 years of experience and a commitment to trauma-informed care. We are dedicated to supporting clients in their healing journey.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

The post How to Set Therapy Up for Success — Especially for Trauma Survivors: 5 Ways to Create a Strong Foundation for Healing appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.

Understanding Professional Self-Assessment

As the year draws to a close, many of us feel pulled to look back on our professional journey. For trauma survivors, this reflection period can be particularly challenging as we navigate between meaningful career contemplation and getting caught in cycles of trauma-driven rumination. Let’s explore how to engage in nurturing reflection while recognizing and gently redirecting ourselves when we slip into rumination patterns.

Healthy Reflection vs. Trauma-Driven Rumination

In the days following a performance review or at year’s end, many of us find ourselves looking back on our professional experiences. But there’s an important distinction between productive reflection and harmful rumination — especially for those of us with trauma histories. Understanding this difference helps us engage with our past experiences in ways that support growth rather than trigger distress.

Healthy reflection feels spacious and curious. When we’re reflecting, we might notice both challenges and successes, seeing them as part of our larger growth journey. Our thoughts flow naturally, leading to insights and possibilities for the future.

Rumination, on the other hand, often feels sticky and constricted. We might find ourselves replaying the same scenarios repeatedly, focusing heavily on what we “should” have done differently or getting caught in spirals of harsh self-judgment. Our nervous system might feel activated, and we might notice physical signs of stress like tension, shallow breathing, or fatigue.

Recognizing Your Reflection Patterns

Recognizing healthy reflection patterns helps us engage with our experiences constructively. Here are key indicators that you’re reflecting in ways that support growth rather than trigger trauma responses:

• Your body feels relatively relaxed as you consider past experiences. You can maintain a sense of being present in the current moment while thinking about the past.
• You notice multiple perspectives about situations, including what you learned and how you grew, not just what went wrong.
• Your thoughts lead to genuine insights about your needs, boundaries, and values in the workplace.
• You can acknowledge both challenges and successes without getting stuck in either.
• You maintain a sense of compassion for yourself and others involved in various situations.

Warning Signs of Rumination

Just as important as recognizing healthy reflection is being able to identify when you’ve shifted into rumination. These warning signs can help you catch rumination patterns early and redirect to more supportive reflection practices:

• Your thoughts keep circling back to the same events or interactions without new insights emerging.
• Physical tension increases as you think about work experiences.
• You notice yourself using words like “always,” “never,” or “should” frequently in your internal dialogue.
• You feel increasingly anxious or disconnected from the present moment.
• Your thoughts focus heavily on trying to control past outcomes or predict every possible future scenario.

Tools for Mindful Career Review

Once you recognize you’re caught in rumination, having concrete tools can help you shift back into healthy reflection. Here are practical strategies that engage both mind and body to support this transition:

Grounding Techniques

When you notice rumination patterns emerging, take a deep breath and feel your feet connecting with the floor. Name three things you can see in your current environment. Remind yourself gently that you are here now and that you are safe to reflect at your own pace.

Structured Reflection Questions

Instead of letting your mind wander freely through the past year, try using specific questions as gentle guides:

• What professional boundaries did I maintain or strengthen this year?
• When did I notice myself trusting my instincts at work?
• What workplace situations helped me feel safe and supported?
• How did I care for myself during challenging times?

Journaling Prompts for Growth

Sometimes, having our thoughts on paper helps us maintain perspective. Try keeping a simple reflection journal using these prompts:

• One challenge I navigated:
• What it taught me:
• How I supported myself through it:
• One boundary I honored:
• How it served me:
• What it taught me about my needs:
• One skill I developed:
• How I’ll continue nurturing it:
• What support do I need moving forward:

Practical Strategies for Workplace Wellness

Beyond recognizing reflection versus rumination, having concrete practices helps maintain healthy engagement with your career experiences. Here are key strategies that support structured, trauma-informed reflection:

Setting Healthy Boundaries

Designate specific times for career reflection rather than letting it spread throughout your day. Perhaps schedule 30 minutes in a comfortable space where you won’t be interrupted.

Sensory Engagement Tools

Keep grounding objects nearby during reflection time — perhaps a warm drink, a soft blanket, or a calming scent. These sensory anchors can help maintain present-moment awareness.

Remember that everyone’s career journey includes periods of uncertainty, challenge, and growth. Your path may look different from others, and that’s perfectly okay.

Managing Your Window of Tolerance

Pay attention to signs that you’re moving beyond productive reflection. If you notice increased anxiety or shutdown responses, it’s okay to pause and return to reflection another time.

Moving Forward with Self-Trust

As you look back on 2025, remember that the goal isn’t to analyze every moment or decision. Instead, aim to gather insights that can help you move forward with greater awareness and self-trust.

Creating Supportive Mantras

Consider creating a simple phrase that can help you redirect from rumination to reflection, such as:

“I’m learning and growing at my own pace.” “I can reflect with compassion.” “My journey is unfolding as it should.”

Developing Action Plans

This week, try setting aside 20 minutes for intentional career reflection. Choose one of the structured questions above, gather any grounding objects that help you feel safe, and notice what insights emerge when you reflect with self-compassion.

Reflection Questions for Journaling

1. What helps you recognize the difference between reflection and rumination in your body?
2. What would career reflection feel like if you approached it with the same compassion you’d offer a friend?
3. How can you honor your growth and healing as you look back on this year?

Reflection is meant to serve your growth, not deplete your energy. You get to choose how and when you look back, always moving at a pace that feels sustainable for your nervous system.

An Invitation

If you’d like to join an online community of other resilient overcomers focusing on their careers, I invite you to join The Resilient Career Academy™ Community. (RCA Community)

The RCA Community is a group dedicated to helping/supporting those working to overcome adversity and achieve their full potential in their careers.

The benefits to you are:

• Community. The community provides support, encouragement, and the ability to share frustrations and get feedback from people who understand the struggle.
• Workplace/Career Resources. The group provides tools, resources, and templates to help you with your career journey.
• Available Coaching Support. The community is supported by trained and certified coaches who are available for individual sessions.
• Learning. You will have access to various trauma/workplace-related online courses developed by our coaches to help you in your journey.
• Workshops/Webinars . You will have access to practical workshops/webinars targeted to help you in the workplace grow your career.

If you are interested in joining us, click here: https://resilientcareeracademy.myflodesk.com/community

As always, you do not have to walk this journey alone. Contact me to schedule your free discovery call.

Trigger Tracker Template — This is a resource to help you become aware of your triggers in the workplace and plan the coping strategies you will use to get through the experience.

If you want to stay informed on the programs, tools, and training I offer, sign up for my mailing list.

You can also visit my website for more information on courses and other freebies I offer at: https://www.cyndibennettconsulting.com.

Photo by Aleš Čerin on Unsplash

The post Career Reflection vs. Rumination: A Trauma-Informed Guide to Year-End Review appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.

The most misunderstood trait in trauma survivors isn’t volatility, mistrust, or emotional escalation. It’s the fact that many of them can’t tolerate peace. Not because they’re wired for chaos by choice—but because the traumatized body doesn’t recognize calm as safe.

For survivors of long-term relational trauma, especially those with complex post-traumatic stress strains, calm feels suspicious. Silence can register as danger. Something on a normal Tuesday afternoon might stir up the same physical warning signals as a life-or-death emergency. And when life gets too quiet, the nervous system doesn’t say, “Ah, finally!”—it says, “Brace yourself.”

This is not a personality quirk. It’s a biological glitch rooted in trauma adaptation and reinforced by an overstimulated digital environment that keeps survival patterns running on a loop.

Before smartphones, the system had natural limits.

We couldn’t talk 24/7. Long phone calls, handwritten letters, or occasional drop-ins served as the main outlets for emotional expression. There were enforced pauses: time gaps softened intensity. We had the chance to catch our breath.

Now, constant contact is normalized. One person’s panic can be offloaded onto someone else with a single swipe. Notifications hit like lightning strikes. The nervous system barely gets a second to recalibrate before another wave of adrenaline spikes. The result? We’re watching generations of trauma survivors stuck in a real-time panic loop with no built-in off switch.

Only, it doesn’t look like “doing the best we can” survival behavior from the outside. It looks like drama. Overreaction. Manipulation. People start using words like “toxic” or “high-maintenance.” And because it’s happening in group texts, comments, Discord servers, and encrypted messages, it creates the illusion of choice—like the survivor is selecting chaos, rather than reflexively reenacting it.

But chronic hypervigilance isn’t a lifestyle.

It’s the symptom of a system that has felt unsafe for so long that it doesn’t know how to stand down. 

Behavioral science and trauma research have already mapped the internal terrain.

A dysregulated amygdala—essentially the brain’s alarm system—fires prematurely and doesn’t shut off efficiently. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for rational judgment, gets overridden. Survivors are conditioned to feel like they’re responding to something life-threatening, even when nothing’s wrong. In clinical terms, the threat is gone, but the body doesn’t know that yet.

In these cases, the survivor doesn’t want drama.

But they don’t know how to trust the absence of it.

The brain, wired for pattern recognition, starts to correlate calm with the start of something worse. If the abuse always came after a good moment, that becomes the template. The body prepares itself, emotionally and physically to feel poisoned when things are nice and pleasant. It can’t relax, even though life got better. The wiring needs time—and structure—to rebuild.

That’s where things get even more complicated.

Some trauma survivors struggle with far more than stress symptoms. They also show clinical traits that resemble or overlap with personality disorders. This isn’t pathology in the traditional sense–it’s behavioral adaptation shaped by years of inconsistent attachment, emotional neglect, or outright abuse. Common overlaps occur with Borderline Personality Disorder and Histrionic Personality Disorder—both of which involve intense emotion, identity diffusion, and an unstable sense of relational security.

These traits, under strain, can look explosive in the digital world. The need for response, reassurance, and reactivity becomes relentless. Every pause feels like abandonment. Every comment feels like rejection. For the person on the receiving end, it can feel like emotional blackmail. But to the survivor, it feels like the edge of a giant cliff.

Add in technology—platforms designed to bypass patience and reward immediacy—and the entire situation escalates in a matter of minutes.

This is where compassion fatigue sets in.

Not because the supporter doesn’t care, but because their capacity gets exhausted. Every ping starts to feel like a threat. They go silent. The survivor feels abandoned. The cycle repeats. Emotional debt builds on both sides.

The solution isn’t cutting off the connection, though that’s often what happens. The actual fix is introducing digital boundaries that protect both parties. Not rigid rules disguised as punishments—but carefully defined limits that reduce reactivity and reintroduce appropriate pacing.

Mute is better than block. Scheduled responses help more than open-ended replies. Short, honest statements like “I can’t respond to everything, but I still care” preserve trust without sacrificing sanity. Most importantly, removing the guilt tied to these boundaries is essential. Real compassion isn’t measured by how fast someone replies. It’s measured by they can thoughtfully stay well in the relationship without burning out.

This isn’t just emotional hygiene–it’s ethical care. Survivors need time and repetition to rewire their survival responses. Supporters need respectful bandwidth to stay human. Technology, while useful, tends to make everything feel urgent when it’s not.

Understanding this doesn’t mean that we are excusing anyone’s behavior. Rather, we are promoting clarity. 

When someone constantly collapses under the weight of a good moment, they’re not trying to ruin it. They’re trying to prepare for loss. That’s not immaturity–it’s traumatic muscle memory.

And until the body learns that calm is safe and silence isn’t a setup, every good thing will feel like bait.

Final Thoughts

Chronic crisis behavior isn’t a personality issue. It’s a conditioned reflex amplified by the pace and permanence of modern communication. Not everyone feels peaceful when there is peace, and constant digital access can be extremely disruptive. What happens is that the line between survival and sabotage blurs. And while we know that boundaries don’t fix trauma, they do create the structure needed for something far better than survival: stability.

That’s not drama. That’s science.

Guest Post Disclaimer: Any and all information shared in this guest blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog post, nor any content on CPTSDfoundation.org, is a supplement for or supersedes the relationship and direction of your medical or mental health providers. Thoughts, ideas, or opinions expressed by the writer of this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of CPTSD Foundation. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Full Disclaimer.

References:

Figley, C. R. (2002). Compassion fatigue: Psychotherapists’ chronic lack of self-care. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(11), 1433–1441.

McEwen, B. S., & Morrison, J. H. (2013). The brain on stress: Vulnerability and plasticity of the prefrontal cortex over the life course. Neuron, 79(1), 16–29.

Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence—from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror.

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.

Photo by Blake Cheek on Unsplash

Guest Post Disclaimer: Any and all information shared in this guest blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog post, nor any content on CPTSDfoundation.org, is a supplement for or supersedes the relationship and direction of your medical or mental health providers. Thoughts, ideas, or opinions expressed by the writer of this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of CPTSD Foundation. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Full Disclaimer.

The post Drowning in Drama: When Calm Feels Like a Threat Instead of a Relief appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.

It’s a powerhouse of possibility,  and it’s also a paradox. It keeps us alive. Helps us create. Love. Imagine. It’s where the best parts of us live–the cleverness, the humor, the wild creativity, the gut instincts, and the empathy.

But it’s also where the trauma lives.
Where the fear lives.
Where the ghosts of what we survived are still pacing the halls.

A Hypervigilant Command Center

If you live with CPTSD, then you know that it’s not just a brain. It’s a hypervigilant command center. Always alert. Always scanning. Always assuming the next bad thing is just around the corner–even when life is calm.

When you walk into a room, you don’t just enter. You calculate. You assess. You map out the exits, read every face, and listen for tone shifts. You don’t even realize you’re doing it; it’s automatic.
Learned from years of needing to be ready, just in case.

Emotional Hijacking: When the Past Invades the Present

Then someone says something. Maybe it’s nothing–a joke, a pause, or a look that lingers a second too long. Boom, your body’s gone tight, your stomach drops, and your thoughts scatter.

Suddenly, you’re back in a memory you never meant to revisit.
Not fully reliving it, but emotionally hijacked by it.
The fear, the shame, the worthlessness.
All of it, flooding in as if it never left.

Ruminating in the Ruins

Your brain starts looping.
Was it me?
Did I mess up again?
Are they mad?
Am I too much? Not enough?
What did I do?

You start ruminating.
You replay the conversation.
You pick apart every word, every silence.
You fill in blanks with worst-case scenarios.

And you don’t even want to be doing it; it just happens.

You know it’s happening. You see it happening.
But knowing doesn’t stop it.

It’s as though your own inner monologue is unraveling you in real time.
And you’re powerless to stop the unraveling.

This Is What CPTSD Can Look Like

Not always flashbacks.
Sometimes, it’s a slow, invisible spiral that pulls you under with nothing dramatic on the surface.
Just a brain quietly trying to protect you… in all the wrong ways.

The Whispered Lies in the Dark

And sometimes, yeah, the thoughts get dark. Not always suicidal. But heavy. Bone-deep exhausted. The kind of dark where you lie in bed and feel like a failure for simply existing.
The kind where your brain whispers:

“You’ll never get better.”
“This is just who you are.”
“People only tolerate you.”
“You’re too much.”
“You’re alone in this.”

And if you’re tired or overwhelmed–or just raw that day–you believe it.

Even though you know it’s the trauma talking.
Even though you’ve done the therapy.
Even though you’ve read the books, taken the meds, and journaled your guts out.
You still believe the lie your brain is screaming at you.

The Hardest Fight: Your Own Mind

That’s what makes healing so hard.
You don’t just fight symptoms.
You fight your own mind.

And it’s not because you’re weak.
It’s because your brain adapted perfectly to survive what happened to you.
It just doesn’t know you’re safe now.
It doesn’t know the war ended years ago.

What I’m Holding Onto

But here’s the part I’m learning, what I try to hold onto when it all feels too much: This brain, this chaotic, overworked, trauma-stamped brain of mine… It’s still trying and still showing up and still learning.

It laughs.
It makes art.
It remembers weird 90s trivia.
It falls in love.
It gets back up, even when it swears it’s done.

It is, somehow, still mine, and still beautiful.
Not because it’s perfect.
But because it keeps going.

Tender. Tired. Trying.

Beautifully magnificent. And also:

Tender.
Tired.
Trying.

Maybe that’s the point. Healing doesn’t erase the trauma. It means we learn how to live with a brain that’s been through hell, and that we choose, every day, to love it anyway.

Photo by Camila Quintero Franco on Unsplash

Guest Post Disclaimer: Any and all information shared in this guest blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog post, nor any content on CPTSDfoundation.org, is a supplement for or supersedes the relationship and direction of your medical or mental health providers. Thoughts, ideas, or opinions expressed by the writer of this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of CPTSD Foundation. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Full Disclaimer.

The post CPTSD and the Brain: A Battle Inside Your Head appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.

Subtle Behavioral Patterns Rooted in Trauma

Studies indicate that unresolved trauma can alter a person’s behavioral responses without them being consciously aware. Several common habits may, in some cases, be linked to past experiences:

• Over-explaining or over-apologizing – Research suggests that individuals who grew up in environments where mistakes led to punishment or emotional withdrawal may develop a heightened sense of needing to justify their actions or preemptively apologize. This can be an adaptive response rooted in early-life experiences rather than a personality quirk.
• Perfectionism and Hyper-Productivity – Some trauma survivors exhibit heightened perfectionism, a trait that studies have associated with childhood environments where self-worth was linked to achievement or performance. The brain may interpret errors as potential threats, reinforcing a need for control over outcomes.
• Chronic procrastination and difficulty making decisions – Psychological findings suggest that trauma can interfere with executive functioning, leading to avoidance behaviors that are sometimes misinterpreted as laziness or a lack of motivation. Some individuals experience decision paralysis, fearing that making the wrong choice could lead to negative consequences similar to past experiences.
• Hyper-awareness of others’ moods – Experts in trauma psychology note that heightened sensitivity to tone, body language, or non-verbal cues, such as certain scents and sounds, can be an adaptive trait developed in unpredictable or emotionally volatile environments. This heightened vigilance may persist even in safe relationships.

Trauma’s Influence on Physical Health

The connection between trauma and physical health is well-documented in medical literature. Studies published in the field of psychoneuroimmunology have found links between unresolved trauma and various chronic health conditions, including:

• Chronic pain and autoimmune disorders – Some research suggests that trauma-related stress can contribute to inflammation and dysregulation of the immune system, leading to persistent physical symptoms.
• Tension-related headaches and muscle pain – A study in neurobiology highlights that prolonged stress responses can lead to hyperactivation of the nervous system, contributing to chronic tension.
• Digestive issues – The gut-brain axis is a well-studied area in medical science, and findings suggest that trauma can impact gut health, leading to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other digestive disturbances.

Decision-Making and Relationship Dynamics

Behavioral psychologists have observed patterns in how unresolved trauma may shape relationships and life choices:

• Attraction to familiar patterns – Studies on attachment and trauma suggest that individuals may unconsciously seek relationships that mimic past dynamics, even if those relationships are unhealthy.
• Fear of abandonment vs. hyper-independence – Research indicates that trauma survivors may react to relational stress in different ways—some may become overly dependent on others for validation, while others may push people away to maintain control over emotional safety.
• Difficulty setting boundaries – Psychological studies highlight that individuals with unresolved trauma may struggle to enforce boundaries, often prioritizing others’ needs over their own due to past conditioning.

Unresolved Trauma in Professional and Social Environments

The workplace and social interactions can also reveal hidden trauma responses:

• Workaholism and burnout – Some trauma survivors develop a strong identity tied to professional success as a means of maintaining stability and self-worth.
• Avoidance of conflict – Psychological literature has examined how past trauma can lead to discomfort with confrontation, causing individuals to avoid advocating for themselves.
• Overcommitting or people-pleasing – Some trauma survivors exhibit an ingrained pattern of overextending themselves to gain approval or avoid rejection.

Closing Thoughts

Unresolved trauma can manifest in ways that are often misinterpreted as simple personality traits or lifestyle choices. While not all individuals who exhibit these behaviors have experienced trauma, research continues to explore the subtle ways in which past experiences shape daily life. By recognizing these signs, individuals may gain a better understanding of their behavioral patterns and seek appropriate support. Understanding the complexities of trauma remains a growing area of research in psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science. Further studies continue to uncover new insights into how trauma silently influences both mental and physical health, decision-making, and interpersonal relationships.

Photo by Dan Gribbin on Unsplash

Guest Post Disclaimer: Any and all information shared in this guest blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog post, nor any content on CPTSDfoundation.org, is a supplement for or supersedes the relationship and direction of your medical or mental health providers. Thoughts, ideas, or opinions expressed by the writer of this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of CPTSD Foundation. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Full Disclaimer.

The post The Hidden Signs of Unresolved Trauma in Everyday Life appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.

Eugene Gendlin’s Felt Sense Process

• First, just get yourself comfortable — feel the weight of your body — loosen any clothing that is too tight —
• Spend a moment just noticing your breathing — don’t try to change it — just notice the breath going in — and out —
• Now, notice where you have tension in your body (pause) —
• Now, imagine the tension as a stream of water draining out of your body through your fingertips and feet (pause) —
• Breathe into any tension and running thoughts. Pay attention to the shoulders, jaw, stomach, feet, hands, or chest. Now, see what comes when you ask, “What bothers me? What is the main thing for me right now?” Whatever emerges—an image, memory, sensation, or feeling—does not have to make sense.
• When concern comes up, DO NOT GO INSIDE IT. Breathe, slow down. Let there be a little space between you and the resistance. Wait again and sense. Breathe, allow, explore if you can.

• Bring to mind an incident or a situation that was troublesome for you this week (pause as long as necessary) — think about it or get a mental image of it —
• Bring back the feeling or sensation you had in that situation (pause) — not words, but the “intuitive feel” of yourself in that situation —

• Goosebumps
• Empty
• Jumpy
• Tingling
• Tight-knotted/butterflies in the stomach
• Choking
• Dizzy
• Nauseous
• Palpitations
• Shaky
• Crunching teeth
• Tight-fisted
• Swinging foot
• Pins and needles
• Headaches
• Sweaty, hot, then cold
• Nail biting

• Carefully find words or an image for that experience. If you find the feeling in the felt sense from the incident or memory, fear, grief, rage, sadness, hurt, etc., then you can begin to paint, write, or sit and accept this feeling with love and understanding. Don’t try to fix it or analyze it. Feel compassion. The inner child only wants to be seen, heard, accepted, and loved.

• Go carefully back and forth between any words and the “intuitive feel of the whole thing” until you find words or an image that are just right for it as you intuitively write, paint, or move in it.

• Ask yourself, “What is so hard about this situation for me? “and wait, at least a minute, to see what comes in your wordless intuition, your whole-body sense —
• Ask yourself, “How old am I in this situation? What is the repetitive trauma that I hold and repeat to keep me safe by going numb?”
• Again, carefully find words or an image that exactly fits that whole feeling — going back and forth until the symbols are “just right.”
• Now, ask yourself, “What’s in the way of giving unconditional acceptance to my inner child?” and, again, don’t answer from your head what you already know, but wait, as long as a minute, for something new to come into the center of your body, more like a wordless intuition or whole-body sense —
• Now, imagine what the situation is with total acceptance.
• Again, carefully find words or an image for that, “whatever is in the way” — go back and forth until the symbols are “just right.”
• Now, see if you can find some small step you might be able to take to move yourself with lovingkindness— again, don’t answer from your head, don’t fix it, or make a to-do list, but wait as much as a minute for the wordless, intuitive “feel,” the bodily felt sense of an answer to arise — go back and forth until the symbols are “just right.”
• Check with your “intuitive feel,” “Is this right? Is this really something I could try doing?” — If your “intuitive feel” says, “Yes (some sense of release, relaxation), I could try that,” then you can stop here.
• If your “felt sense” says, “No, I can’t do that” or “That won’t work,” then ask yourself again, “What small step would work-—-

• Whether a “solution” has arisen or not, appreciate yourself and your body for taking time with this, trusting that pausing to take time is the important thing — solutions can then arise later.

Image provided by the author.

The post Coming into the Body (Part 2 of 2) appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.

Trauma is an octopus.

L’dor vador. These Hebrew words, one of the most fundamental tenets of Judaism, translate to “Generation to generation”.

—You cannot rush the healing process—

“I wanted my mother to love me. Despite all the torture and brutality.”
― Wendy Hoffman, White Witch in a Black Robe: A True Story about Criminal Mind Control

GLUTTON

A shamanic therapist once said to me, “You want to eat the whole meal simultaneously. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner– until you throw up.”

My insatiable gulping down of life, the need to know it all, live it all, be it all, was my fear and anxiety from childhood trauma. My running to “get it” was the compulsive desire to “get love” before I die. If I “get it,” The child who did not receive love will be whole and healed.

My unworthiness said, ‘You have to “get it,”’ and my soul said, ‘You don’t have to “get” anything; you just need to live and learn.’

The myth about healing trauma is thinking that we can “cure” it. The need to be perfect and “get it” is part of the trauma cycle: fight, flight, freeze and fawn. As humans, “perfectionism” is hypervigilant behavior that drives us to “GET” loved because we believe we are not lovable.

The truth is you can never “get it all.” Life is a cyclic and continuous learning experience of the SELF. As Epictetus put it, “It is impossible for a person to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows.”

It is the conundrum of living. I will never know it all; I should know it all so no one will see the cracks and scabs that rub against my skin and bones, causing me fear, sadness, and loneliness.

Learning self-love is the most challenging, painful, and extensive aspect of trauma recovery. However, how can we love ourselves when we do not have models of unconditional love? Loving ourselves means loving it all—the good, bad, and ugly—the shadow parts.

The same therapist said, “You need to eat your mother to know yourself.”

I gagged when she said that. I thought I was well past my “mother work” because I was educated, creative, and independent; I believed I was nothing like my mother. My mother was an abuser and borderline personality, and my father, a male of his time who never protected me from my mother’s abuse, was sexist and told me I could not make it in the world without him.

I was over it!! And that was that.

What I didn’t WANT TO KNOW was how much of my mother’s rage, grief, and heartbreak I held unconsciously in my body with every slap, pinch, and kick she threw at me. My father’s words ran deep in my bones, “You can’t do it.” Unconscious behavior, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings acted out on everything and everyone.

HIPS AND HIDDEN TRAUMA

Many years ago, I worked with a client who felt hip pain. I guided her to travel inward, slowing down her breath so she could feel the discomfort. She experienced a heavy weight pulling her into the earth, burying her.

A deep sadness surfaced. “I don’t want to feel this sadness. It’s too much.” I urged her to receive her own experience gently.

As she moved into her hips, she felt rage and remembered her mother locking her in a closet when she was six when she tried to express her feelings. Because of that incident, she developed an unconscious pattern of shutting down and tightening her body when anyone got close physically or emotionally.

Layers of unexpressed fear and hurt emerged. “I hurt so much. Why would my mother do that?” she cried out.

Slowly, I guided her to move her hips side to side, slow, then fast, and encouraged her to “go out of control.”

At first, she was stiff and didn’t want to keep moving. “Stay with it. Accept your little girl’s feelings,” I said.

Finally, she touched into the pain and let out a short, loud scream. She felt exhausted, but she began to feel warmth opening up in her hips.

I asked her to keep practicing coming into the body.

THE METAPHYSICS OF CATHARSIS

Brain research and experiential, somatic, and creative approaches now inform us that trauma is in the body, not the head.

But what does that truly mean?

Your five senses and physical sensations are the door into your body. Emotions, intuitions, and instincts are energetically involved in trauma recovery.

Life is energy. Energy never dies; it changes through intent, effort, and focus. Your body, thoughts, beliefs, feelings, memories, and imagination are all energy. But they are all in your head. Bringing the felt emotional memory into the skin, bones, and organs takes an intentional pulling inward and downward.

Healing is not curing; feeling/intuition is healing—an ongoing process.

When individuals attempt to drop into their bodies, they will analyze a feeling from their head, tell a story, and repeat a memory of something that happened.

The energetics of trauma are non-verbal, irrational, and primal.

Your animal instincts sniff into your body. They guide you toward your authentic knowing and experience.

Many people are terrified to go there and believe it will re-traumatize them. It can. But if guided with acceptance, care, and pacing layer by layer, you will begin to release the pain and freeze with compassion.

To find THAT emotional voice takes a deep commitment to tolerate the pain. To melt unconscious defended patterns that, as children, kept you safe and frozen in survival. Holding pain and discomfort is a metaphysical, energetic, emotional healing of trauma.

Releasing, navigating, and transforming trauma is an intense cathartic experience.

“Catharsis provides a model of healing that deals with those things which most disturb us and we least wish to face. The model that catharsis offers and which the millennial vision communicates is that there is a practical way to accomplish the ancient spiritual goal of creating light out of the very substance of darkness. This process may be crucial to our physical and spiritual survival, for as the apocalypse myth keeps reminding us, the darkness will not just disappear. Instead, it must be transformed.” —A Work of Lamentation by Joshua Leavitt, Parabola, Spring 1988

Cathartic work is passion work, the portal into your body.

OCTOPUS TENTACLES AND THE PSYCHE

Dr. Schulman, my first therapist at age seventeen, said to me, “You have a symbiotic relationship with your parents.”

I had no clue what that meant at the time.

Through my inner travels and studies, I realized I was living off of their feelings, unresolved traumas, and unconscious beliefs, which they had hammered into me without awareness.

He continued, “You don’t know what your feelings are separate from your mother and father.”

These are the core symptoms of trauma–co-dependency and addiction. You feel “others” feelings, not your own. You have no SELF.

Trauma is an octopus—a long, twisted, winding road leading back to the beginning of time. Your body is the topography of your soul and its primal wisdom and voice.

GRANDMA’S LEGACY

Trauma is the universal story of your ancestors. There isn’t a culture, society, country, race, or nationality that didn’t walk through the fires of trauma. The fight for freedom, independence, and individuality— truth and intimacy. Family—unconditional love.

My grandmother, Sarah, brought a trail of blood that she dragged across the Atlantic Ocean from Russia/Poland—carrying generations of women’s silence.

My four-foot-four, husky, blonde, vodka-drinking, chain-smoking grandmother came to America and escaped the Russian pogroms. Nazi ovens murdered the rest of her eleven siblings, and she came alone, bringing with her the unfelt grief and rage that helped her survive loss after loss. She passed on her heartbreaking story to her children.

By the time she was twenty-five, her husband Charles died of pneumonia at thirty years old. Sarah was left with three children to feed and keep alive.

Like all good Jewish children, her children retired Sarah to the Burly House on Miami Beach.

I visited Sarah often, especially after I moved to Florida. One day, I asked her, “Grandma, how did you come to America?”

Sitting in her small blue and white kitchen, watching Sarah slap dough into thin wraps, shaping them into blintzes, she was too focused to answer.

One by one, she placed each blintz in a big frying pan, boiling hot with butter and oil, until crisp. The greasy smell of fried dough and hot, mushy potatoes has had my mouth watering since I was two.

I asked again, “Grandma, how did you come to America? Who were your mother, father, and siblings?”

“Oye”. My grandmother grunted. “I was smuggled in a pickle barrel.” She waved her hand, loose flesh wiggling from her underarm. “Stop asking such questions.”

“What?! A pickle barrel? Why don’t you talk about any of it?”

“Shush. No more talk.”

Her generational stories were buried in my grandmother and then my mother. Who was this woman? This Yiddish, sharp-tongued grandma?

The grievous wound of the mother is ancient. If I didn’t know her, how could I know myself?

GENERATIONAL REPAIR

Generational trauma is our personal trauma—the ongoing story of the repair of human life.

This is the meaning of the repair of the world— Tikkun Olam is the fragmentation of humankind scattered across the universe, and for us to repair the scattering of light into the darkness of the universe. Repairing the world and the human condition is eternal.

The way of the body is a path of diving, digging, curiosity, creativity, emotional expression, and self-inquiry

I had to learn to hold deep heartbreak to understand what Dr. Schulman attempted to teach me. I dug into profound, gut-wrenching family patterning work until I changed my experience with unhealthy relationship choices, unworthiness, shame, and blame.

Change and growth take time, commitment, intention, mindfulness, presence, self-responsibility, and the practice of coming into the body. It is a rebirthing of yourself.

Cathartic healing guides you toward writing and art, embodying the core emotional eye of your inner, deeper story.

Part 2 of this story will be posted on March 27, 2025

Image provided by the author.

Guest Post Disclaimer: Any and all information shared in this guest blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog post, nor any content on CPTSDfoundation.org, is a supplement for or supersedes the relationship and direction of your medical or mental health providers. Thoughts, ideas, or opinions expressed by the writer of this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of CPTSD Foundation. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Full Disclaimer.

The post Coming into the Body (Part 1 of 2) appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.

Research has shown that excessive exposure to social media can contribute to mental health issues and dissatisfaction with body image, which each fuel one another. 

With billions of social media users worldwide, the effects of these platforms and technology on our mental health can be felt on a global scale. 

The positives we can take from social media

First, the positives—social media can positively impact our body image, with millions of fitness, food, and wellness accounts providing inspiration and aspirational content. Through these lenses, users can maintain their healthy lifestyles and take a positive view of their bodies. 

With an increasing number of body-positive accounts to follow who will advocate for a healthier perspective on how we look, social media users can benefit from a different perspective on their body image. 

Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have the potential to empower people to stay healthy. Since most platforms have made eating-disorder-specific keywords such as “anorexia”, “bulimia”, and “thinspiration” unsearchable, helping to provide a healthier representation. 

By their very design, social channels are online communities where people can engage with other like-minded people and share ideas or opinions, fostering a diverse conversation on topics such as mental health and body image. 

How social media can influence poor mental health

Unfortunately, excessive consumption of seemingly perfect bodies and unfaltering diets can take its toll on our mental health and even lead to disordered eating. 

Social media can impact our emotions in various ways, making us feel anxious or depressed, angry or frustrated at the lives of people we see on social media channels. 

Over time, this can lead to unrealistic expectations of how our bodies should look and this can cause unhealthy eating habits. “You might have obsessive thoughts about food or reach for a certain type of meal when you’re feeling sad or unsure of something. For some, unhealthy eating behaviors are focused more on weight and body image than the feelings associated with eating”, says Olivia Marcellino, VP of Research at Recovery.com. 

It’s important to remember that social media is filled with people presenting a highlight reel of their lives, and this includes the way they present images of themselves. 

Photoshop, filters, and editing tools make it possible to completely reinvent ourselves into perfect images, which can make for impossible standards to reach and feel as though we’re in a constant state of comparison. 

Social media can make us feel as though we have a personal connection to the people we follow, and it can make it much easier to be influenced by the content we view every day.

This continual state of dissatisfaction can impact our mental health in other ways, too, lowering our self-esteem and increasing the likelihood of depression. 

Studies have even shown that increased use of social media can influence poor sleep quality and higher levels of anxiety and depression in young adults, as well as feelings of loneliness and isolation. The price paid for access to social media, in many cases, is our mental health and an unhealthy view of our own body image. 

Combatting the effects of social media on mental health

By taking a proactive approach to how we use social media, it is possible to counteract the negative effects it can have on our body image and mental health. As with anything in life, balance is key. 

Take a break from social media for a while so you can refocus and rid your mind of the negative feelings scrolling through accounts can have. This might be for a few hours when you notice your emotions are dipping, or it might be stepping back for a few weeks to gain perspective and regroup. 

It’s also important to regularly assess who you’re following and why. Do you notice that after viewing content from a certain account, you feel angry, upset, or envious? It could be that these types of accounts aren’t having a positive effect, and it’s time to unfollow them. 

Social media should be fun and uplifting, so make a habit of going through your accounts every so often to ensure that the people you’re following are producing content that’s inspiring you and putting you in a better mood, not bringing you down. 

We’re social beings and we want to forge connections with others, so use social media for the purpose it was intended and find a community that supports you. 

Follow body-positive accounts, get involved with conversations online that promote positive mental health and join groups that support one another and lift people up. It can help to shift your mindset of what an ‘ideal’ body type can look like and do wonders for making you feel good about yourself and those around you.

Sometimes, it’s not possible to alleviate the impact social media can have without professional help, particularly if the outcome of negative social media usage has resulted in disordered eating. When our mental health has been poor for some time, getting out of that mindset can be tough. But there are options, from counselling and therapy sessions to prescription medication and more, which can help us get back to a healthier perspective. 

Final thoughts

Social media certainly has its plus points – it can help us foster connections with people from all over the world and view issues and topics from different perspectives. But it has a dark side, and we need to be cautious of how we use social media channels and how often in order to protect our mental health and stave off issues. 

Whether it’s being careful who we follow, paying attention to how long we’re scrolling every day, or seeking help and support when we can feel our mental health slipping, there are ways to combat the negative impact that social media can have and focus on the positives instead.

Photo via Unsplash: Becca Tapert

Guest Post Disclaimer: Any and all information shared in this guest blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog post, nor any content on CPTSDfoundation.org, is a supplement for or supersedes the relationship and direction of your medical or mental health providers. Thoughts, ideas, or opinions expressed by the writer of this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of CPTSD Foundation. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Full Disclaimer.

The post How Social Media Affects Body Image And Mental Health appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.

“Why do I feel as though I’m writing a sad story, when my aim was to tell the story of a liberation?”   – Edouard Louis

On the road of healing from Complex PTSD (CPTSD), our stories are often filled with sadness.  In other moments they may be filled with stories of liberation and possibility.  I actually believe that, in moments along the healing path, they may occur together to create a sense of wholeness.

There’s no denying that there’s much sadness connected to surviving relational trauma

There’s no denying that there’s much sadness connected to surviving relational trauma.  We may grieve what we’ve lost in time, our own potential, opportunities, relationships, or even a simple peace within ourselves free of shame and anger.  And, it’s necessary and central to healing to remember, and to feel our way through, deep sadness. Naming this kind of grieving “self-sorrowing,” Pete Walker writes it’s “…one of the most beautiful and restorative of emotional experiences. There is nothing in the world more centering than a good unabashed cry about one’s troubles. Nothing dissolves the awful abandonment pain of the inner child like a good cry for the self.” Grieving for what was lost, what was unnecessarily endured, what had to be forfeited or never-realized of our own potential is all a critical part of healing.

At the same time…

Healing is not only a slog through solitary, unremitting sadness. As a counterpoint to necessary self-sorrowing, there are moments of what one of my clients calls, “self-marveling.” “Self-marveling” becomes possible as self-compassion grows, most particularly compassion for the wounded parts of ourselves revealed through our self-sorrowing. I’ve witnessed these moments in the progress of a client’s healing when there’s a sort of “consolidation” of experience; it’s a reunion of various parts of ourselves and experiences that have come before, allowing a sense of wholeness. These are moments where self-compassion has begun to find some measure of footing in an arid landscape previously littered with self-loathing or shame. These moments are guideposts along the healing route signaling some hopeful progress.  They nudge us towards a liberation from what was, toward a sense of future possibilities.

They are not singularly brilliant or joyous moments. They are more like moments where one rises to the emotional equivalent of a 20,000-foot bird’s eye view and sees the whole of what the path has been – challenging, painful, a series of psychic descents into, and ascents from, depths of struggle. In those moments there can be an acute and painful awareness of what the younger parts of ourselves had to navigate in our family, community, and culture.

Simultaneously, there can be an acute awareness of the brilliance of the young parts of us who survived in spite of it all; the toddler, school age, teenage and/or adult parts of us who survived creatively, perseveringly, and by finding nourishing resources wherever they could… through imagination, books, art, music, teachers, work, school, sports, or friends. In this space of self-marveling, we can connect with the exiled parts of us who had gifts like humor, originality, tenacity, grit and playfulness. In connecting with these qualities from the past, there’s also the possibility of reclaiming those early gifts for ourselves in the present.

Without a doubt writing a new story of healing is daunting.   However, also without a doubt, having “a sad story” does not negate the possibility of also finding a “story of a liberation.”  With dedicated and courageous effort, it is possible.  To know more about the process I described, you may wish to explore the writing of Pete Walker or Richard Schwartz.  You may also wish to learn more about therapeutic work done through the Internal Family Systems model at www.ifs-institute.com.

Copyright 2024 Jennifer Lock Oman

Photo credit:

Engin Akyurt/Pexels

Guest Post Disclaimer: Any and all information shared in this guest blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog post, nor any content on CPTSDfoundation.org, is a supplement for or supersedes the relationship and direction of your medical or mental health providers. Thoughts, ideas, or opinions expressed by the writer of this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of CPTSD Foundation. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Full Disclaimer.

The post Finding a Sense of Wholeness:  Complex PTSD, Self-Compassion, and Self-Marveling appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.

If you haven’t noticed, that is a lot of work and can be extremely exhausting. Additionally, there is deeper work in therapy to process the trauma activated by the trigger. All that emotional work can leave you feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus…at least, that is how I experience it. It’s like a therapy hangover.

In this healing journey, there are intense seasons of growth and also seasons of rest. Many trauma survivors, including myself, are most uncomfortable with the season of rest.

There may be many reasons for that. Some may feel like they will lose momentum if they pause. Some are uncomfortable with the quiet because it was a sign of impending danger during their trauma. Some may not think they deserve a break or haven’t worked hard enough. The reason codes are endless.

During my healing journey, I worked through several of those reason codes and learned an important lesson…healing requires rest and self-care. This is not a sprint, but rather, it is an ultra-marathon. We need to pace ourselves and tend to our “sore” spots; otherwise, our health will fall apart, and we will not be able to move forward.

In the wake of a flashback, self-care is essential to help you regain a sense of safety and well-being. No amount of self-criticism, blaming, or shaming will help you regain that sense of safety and well-being you long for.

Through trial and error, I discovered that the effectiveness of self-care practices correlates to the age you were triggered back to in the flashback. In my case, I was triggered back to the womb, so the things that made my younger parts feel comforted were rocking in a glider, listening to lullabies, taking a slow, meditative walk, and a spiritual visualization of having that little part climb up into Jesus’ lap for comfort.

You may have different self-care routines that help you recover a sense of safety, but if you don’t, here are ten tips for practicing self-care after a flashback:

1. Find a Safe Space: If possible, move to a quiet, safe, and comfortable space where you can regain your composure and feel secure.
2. Self-Care Routine: After the immediate distress has subsided, return to your self-care routine, which may include exercise, relaxation techniques, and other activities that promote emotional and physical well-being.
3. Self-Compassion: Be gentle and compassionate with yourself. Remind yourself that what you experienced was a memory or a flashback and not a current threat. Use positive and reassuring self-talk.
4. Stay Hydrated: Sip on water or herbal tea to help soothe your nervous system and provide comfort.
5. Comfort Objects: Use comforting objects, such as a soft blanket, stuffed animal, or a cherished item, to offer emotional support and comfort.
6. Connect with Your Senses: Engage your senses to help anchor you in the present moment. Listen to soothing music, touch comforting objects, or use calming scents like lavender or chamomile.
7. Reach Out for Support: If you have a support system, reach out to a trusted friend or family member who understands your situation. Sharing your experience with someone you trust can be comforting.
8. Reflect and Journal: Reflect on your experience and journal your thoughts and feelings to help process the event. Writing can provide clarity and a sense of release.
9. Positive Visualization: Visualize a serene and safe place in your mind. Imagine yourself in this peaceful setting and focus on the sensory details, like the colors, sounds, and scents, to help create a sense of calm.
10. Progress Over Perfection: Understand that reclaiming serenity is a process, and it’s okay to have moments of discomfort or emotional distress. Celebrate the progress you make and acknowledge that healing is an ongoing journey.

Remember that self-care is a highly individualized process, and what works best for you may differ from what works for someone else. It’s important to create a self-care routine that meets your unique needs and preferences.

I would love to hear what self-care routines work best for you.

As always, you do not have to walk this journey alone. Contact me to schedule your free discovery call.

Trigger Tracker Template —(FREE Resource) helps you keep track of the triggers in your workplace and plan the coping strategies you will use to get through the experience.

Get on the waiting list for The Resilient Career Academy™. You won’t want to miss it.

If you want to stay informed on the programs, tools, and training I offer, sign up for my mailing list.

You can also visit my website for more information on courses and other freebies I offer at: https://www.cyndibennettconsulting.com.

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

Guest Post Disclaimer: Any and all information shared in this guest blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog post, nor any content on CPTSDfoundation.org, is a supplement for or supersedes the relationship and direction of your medical or mental health providers. Thoughts, ideas, or opinions expressed by the writer of this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of CPTSD Foundation. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Full Disclaimer.

The post Reclaiming Serenity: Navigating Self-Care After a Flashback appeared first on CPTSDfoundation.org.