Anxiety and Depression and How to Help Yourself If you’ve ever been told to “just stop worrying” or to “choose joy,” you already know how unhelpful that advice is. Anxiety and depression are not character flaws. Nor are they signs that your faith is weak. They are not things you can simply decide your way […]
Why Healing Feels Worse Before it Feels Better (and Why That’s Not Failure)
One of the most confusing—and discouraging—parts of healing from trauma is this: You finally start doing the work, and instead of feeling better, you feel worse at first. You feel more emotional, more tired, more tender. Sometimes you also feel more angry, sad, or overwhelmed than before. That can feel super frustrating when what […]
Why Mindfulness Practice Matters for Trauma Healing
Many people try mindfulness practice and feel worse, not better. They sit still, notice their heart race or their thoughts go willy nilly, and decide they’re failing. The truth is so much kinder (and more accurate): your nervous system is doing its job. When you’ve lived with chronic stress, abuse, or ongoing uncertainty, your body […]
Grooming in Adulthood: How It Shows Up in Love, Friendship, and Work
By Gwen Soat, LCMHCA Grooming in Adulthood When we think about grooming, we often picture child victims and adult perpetrators. But grooming isn’t limited to children; it’s also a key factor in the abuse many adults experience. It can sometimes be difficult to separate genuine kindness from coercive tactics, just like it is with childhood […]
How to Choose a Trauma-informed Therapist Who Truly Gets It
Choosing a trauma-informed therapist to help you work through traumatic events can sometimes feel like a traumatic event itself! If you’ve ever had a terrible therapy experience, you may be a bit gun shy to even try again! We get it! Lots of individuals overlook the critical step of finding the right therapist for trauma […]