Trauma-Informed Blog
Content relevant to survivors, mental health professionals, partners, and anyone interested in reading about CPTSD and mental health.
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New posts 4-5 times per week
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Survivor stories, research articles, poetry, and more
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Everyday survivors, clinicians, coaches, and mental health professionals
Featured Partner: TAR Network
Mastering Emotional Intelligence
A Crucial Skill for Trauma Survivors in the Workplace Introduction Embarking on a career journey, especially as a trauma survivor, is a courageous adventure that demands resilience, strength, and a key understanding of emotional intelligence (EI). In this article,...
Living In the Dis-World
Living in the dis-worldBy Jesse Donahue 2019©Avow, to make known, to confess or admit. The most striking aspect of my life is the depth, the ever-lurking, unconscious presence of a sense of self that feels… disregarded and dissed from the realm of normality. I feel...
How to Release Shame
Are you hiding behind your shame and staying at home so you don’t have to face that inner critic that comes out when you are socializing? Do you avoid having people over because of the intense shame you feel about the state of your home? Shame shows up in many ways...
Life Isn’t All Black And White
Having cPTSD often makes you look at life through a black-and-white lens, and your trauma response to life is not just constantly assessing whether or not people are safe but also whether our environments are safe. For a really long time, my thinking was on a...
Healing Self-Blame From Childhood Trauma
My mother had been in a car accident. The second one that year, and this time, the car was totaled. Rushing to the emergency room, I was ushered back to one of the bays where she dressed to go home. She had suffered only a few cuts and bruises. I couldn’t say the...
Join The Live Stream: The Public Health Disaster of Narcissism & Toxic Masculinity
Narcissism and toxic masculinity aren’t just societal issues-they are public health crises disrupting relationships, families, and the mental health of men and women alike. This November, during Men’s Health Month, STAR Network is hosting a transformative...
Finding Peace in the Present: Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques for Conquering Anxiety and Panic Attacks
In today’s fast-paced and demanding work environments, the prevalence of anxiety and panic attacks among employees has become a pressing concern. The workplace, often a hub of productivity and achievement, can simultaneously foster an atmosphere that triggers...
How Secondary Abuse Rears Its Ugly Head When Survivors Speak Up
My mother died when I was twelve. Although my biological father was a loving presence in my life, it was decided that I remain living with my stepfather, who was deemed better able to care for me. My stepfather quickly remarried, and my stepmother’s arrival marked...
Healing Childhood Trauma Through Psychedelic Therapy
I recently connected with Alex Abraham, an author with a powerful story about using psychedelic plant medicine to work through childhood trauma, and I wanted to share a bit of his story and approach to healing with you today. As a child, Alex was s*xually assaulted...
The Echoes of Childhood: Navigating Political Distress and Uncertainty
On the evening of Election Day 2024, I was so emotionally invested in the outcome that I couldn't sit still next to my husband as we watched the coverage unfold. Instead, I paced around the house shouting, "We are on track to win!"—repeating Biden's reassuring...
Are You in the Wrong Career? Signs to Watch For
Choosing a career is a significant life decision, and for many, it’s a journey filled with self-discovery and growth. However, there may come a time when you find yourself questioning if you’re on the right path. If you constantly feel unfulfilled, stressed, or...
When a Sibling Causes Harm
TRIGGER WARNING - This article discusses sexual abuse. We are going to address an often ignored topic: sibling s*xual abuse. Over the 17 years of doing this work, I've supported countless people in healing from this type of abuse, which has its own unique aspects...
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”.
