Tag: trauma recovery
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Your Body Is Not the Problem
Reconnecting with the signals trauma taught you to ignore In a previous reflection, I shared how ignoring basic needs—like delaying a bathroom break—can quietly erode your sense of self-worth.But for trauma survivors, this disconnection runs deeper.It’s not just habit.It’s survival. We’re taught to push through.To be productive.To silence discomfort. But for those of us shaped…
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The 8 Cs of Self in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)
How Internal Family Systems helps us return to who we really are When I first started working with Internal Family Systems (IFS), I was overwhelmed by how many parts of me were in pain. Angry parts. Numb parts. People-pleasing parts. Parts that wanted to disappear. Parts that never stopped working. I thought healing meant fixing…
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Internal Family Systems and Complex Trauma
How IFS helps rebuild safety, identity, and trust There are several types of trauma therapy that address the deep and multifaceted nature of Complex PTSD (CPTSD). One therapeutic approach called Internal Family Systems (IFS) can be incredibly effective. I’ll be honest, when my therapist started telling me about it, I didn’t believe in the “mumbo…
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Hypervigilance: The Silent Strain
When your body never stops bracing Hypervigilance is exhausting. It’s not just being “on edge”—it’s living in a body that’s constantly scanning for danger, even when none is present. For trauma survivors, this isn’t a choice. It’s a nervous system adaptation. One that was necessary once—but now feels relentless. I lived in hypervigilance for years…
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Dissociation: A Mind’s Way of Protecting Itself
Understanding the disconnect—and why it’s not your fault I didn’t know I was dissociating until my therapist gently suggested I look it up. I thought I was just zoning out, overplanning, or being “too in my head.” But dissociation isn’t laziness or distraction—it’s a defense mechanism. One that helped me survive what I couldn’t process.…