Trauma-Informed Blog
New content weekly! Survivor Stories, Research Articles, Poetry, and more written by clinicians, coaches, survivors, and mental health professionals.
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Healing The Bonds of Betrayal
True story… I was living in a different country, and had one friend, and no family around me when I fully accepted that my marriage had gone past the point of rescue. I was deeply entrenched in...
Prioritizing Your Mental Health During the Holidays
Christmas and other holidays are upon us. However, with all the holiday cheer and purchasing of presents, there also comes, for many people, a sense of dread. Some people have families of origin...
A Dangerous Idea: “Bury Bad Thoughts to Boost Mental Health”
An article caught my eye, the other week, from The German Press Agency (GPA)," one of the world’s leading independent news agencies." The headline reads: "Bury bad thoughts to boost mental...
So…Tell Me About Yourself…
This one phrase is enough to strike fear and paralysis into the heart of any trauma survivor. It comes up often in interviews and initiating connections with people. Why is this so difficult, and...
Being “Trauma-Informed” in a World Full of Pain and Chaos
This approach involves sensitivity to trauma’s effects, creating a safe environment, and tailoring treatment to consider the individual’s unique experiences and needs related to their trauma...
How to Cope with Eating Through The Holidays – Part 3 of 3
We wrap up our series with the wonderful Kristen Kancler in which she shares with us how love, safety, and belonging are key to making the changes we want to make....
Surviving Your Family of Origin At Christmas Time
Most survivors have families of origin that were responsible for their forming complex post-traumatic stress disorder through committing chronic child abuse. So, the holidays, especially...
Coping with Holiday Stress — Families that Put the Fun in Dysfunction
’Tis the time of year for crackling fires, amazing smells coming out of the kitchen, laughter, and family togetherness. Well, at least, that’s what the made-for-TV movies want us to think. For a...
The Awkwardness of New Beginnings
During our lifetime, we experience many new beginnings. New beginnings can feel awkward and unsettling, whether it is a new school, job, program, team, or membership program. For the trauma...
How to Cope With Eating Through the Holidays – Part 2 of 3
We continue our series with the wonderful Kristen Kancler in which she shares with us how we can be SAFE around food. --------- Navigating Trigger Situations Thanksgiving, the most notorious day...
Treating Complex PTSD (Parts 3 & 4)
PART III Addressing the Unique Features of CPTSD Any treatment for cPTSD must take these features into account. It needs to engage with the person holistically, and allow discussion of traumatic...
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”.
