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The reality is that you will grieve forever. You

The reality
is that you will grieve forever.
You will not ‘get over’
the loss of a loved one;
you will learn to live with it.
You will heal
and you will rebuild yourself
around the loss you have suffered.
You will be whole again
but you will never be the same.
Nor should you be the same
nor would you want to.

On Grief and Grieving
By Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

#grief #bereavement #loss #loveandloss #grieving

Although the US has recognized June as National PT

Although the US has recognized June as National PTSD Awareness Month since 2014, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder continues to remain largely misunderstood. When searching for definitions of PTSD, even reputable sites consistently get it wrong. One does not have to have been in combat for PTSD to be present. One does not even have to have directly experienced a life-threatening event for PTSD to be present.

As a therapist who specializes in treating post-traumatic stress, I see the profound impact trauma can have. Trauma isn’t just about what happens to us; it’s about how we experience and process those events.

🌟 Understanding PTSD 🌟

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can be triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event or learning of a traumatic event as experienced by someone close to us. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. Although not everyone with these experiences will develop PTSD, this diagnosis is more common than most people realize and is rooted more in our responses to an event than any event itself.

🔍 Key Symptoms of PTSD:

• Intrusive Memories: Reliving the traumatic event through flashbacks (thoughts and/or body reactions/sensations) or nightmares.
• Avoidance: Steering clear of places, people, or activities that remind you of the trauma, or ignoring or attempting to ignore intrusive thoughts or body sensations.
• Negative Changes in Thinking and Mood: Feeling hopeless, experiencing memory problems, or losing interest in activities.
• Changes in Physical and Emotional Reactions: Being easily startled, feeling tense, or having difficulty sleeping.

🧠 PTSD is more common than you might think, but it’s also treatable. If you or someone you know is struggling, it’s important to seek help from a mental health professional for appropriate treatment. In these instances, finding a therapist with specialized training in treating trauma is important.

Change starts with awareness. Let’s raise awareness and support each other in the journey to healing.

#PTSDAwareness #EndTheStigma #HealingTogether #MentalHealthMatters #nationalptsdawarenessmonth

Apollo loves honing his therapy skills with me. 💙
#neverstoplearning

What an incredible week! I saw Janina Fisher recei

What an incredible week! I saw Janina Fisher receive a much-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award, got in some yoga with Paul Denniston, attended workshops with two authors whose books I’ve been recommending for years, Susan Cain (Quiet) and Lindsay C. Gibson (Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents), chatted with Deb Dana in line for coffee, learned more about parts work from Lisa Ferentz, and trauma from Frank Anderson, listened to powerful keynotes from Bryan Stevenson-whose argument before the Supreme Court led to it now being unconstitutional to sentence minors to mandatory life sentences or death, and Nedra Glover Tawaab- guru of all things boundary related, had a refresher on Brainspotting straight from David Grand himself, met Laura Copley (watch for her book, Loving You is Hurting Me, which is all about trauma bonds), met Deany Laliotis-EMDR extraordinaire, and JC Hall, who is pioneering hip hop therapy for our youth who may otherwise never have been introduced to therapy, participated in a workshop on hope-building strategies led by @drkathryngordon (never pass up an opportunity to hear her speak-phenomenal, genuine person-and her book is fabulous, too!), and still got in some time to see some Cherry blossoms and a really old stegosaurus! Looking forward to being back in the office next week!
@psychnetworker

I’ve noticed a lot of people sharing this and wa

I’ve noticed a lot of people sharing this and wanted to share it here for encouragement for my clients and others.

It’s great to see so many people embracing therapy in general. EMDR is one of many great tools for stress resulting from trauma.
#emdr #therapyworks

A client recently commented that I haven’t share

A client recently commented that I haven’t shared much lately. I guess I’ve been in my own season of quiet reflection. With so much going on in the world, in my family, with my clients, this beautiful writing by Mada Hayyas struck me this morning. I thought it may speak to you, too. 💚

“For the longest time, it feels like I have been trying to make sense of life but now I see there is no sense to be made, only life to be lived. There is no set purpose to fulfill, there are no checklists to complete, just an ephemeral moment to breathe, to love, to be kind, to feel. Life is in all the simple, little things that we so often overlook. Uncomplicate your heart. Be here, be present, embrace your own journey. There is so much beauty and wonder to be found right where you are.“

#perspective #live #bepresent #embraceyourself #embraceyourjourney #love

Photo of two people sitting facing each other. One

Photo of two people sitting facing each other. One person is engulfed in a dark cloud with rain being caught in a watering can by the second person who is pouring it back into a sprouting plant being held by the first person. Caption reads, “This is how it is when you’re letting it out to the right person.”
I saw this posted by a friend and fellow therapist on FB. The author is unknown, and I’ll be happy to credit appropriately if anyone lets me know. (UPDATE: Art by Ilaria Urbinati)

#mentalhealth #connection

I’m a big fan of this kind of talk! Every single

I’m a big fan of this kind of talk! Every single day does not have to be an opportunity to work on yourself, to be something that is some version of ‘better’. Allow yourself to just be. ❤️‍🩹

#mentalhealth #be #traumahealing

Pretty good article from @gpbnews on EMDR therapy!

Pretty good article from @gpbnews on EMDR therapy! EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is one of the various models I use for the treatment of post traumatic stress. EMDR is a great therapy technique for people who want to alleviate the effects of trauma but may not want to talk about the specifics of what happened to them. With EMDR, the sharing can be limited. Such a great option!

Intrusive thoughts. Anxiety attacks. Poor sleep. Traumatic experiences can haunt people. And many struggle to move on, even through a range of therapies. But for some, one therapy using eye movement is helping turn past traumas into experiences to learn from — and heal.

GPB’s Ellen Eldridge reports at the link in GPB’s bio.
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#PTSD #posttraumaticstressdisorder #gpbnews

Notes to Self: It’s okay to feel uncomfortable.

Notes to Self:

It’s okay to feel uncomfortable.

Wanting others to be happy does not mean it’s my job to make them happy.

I’m allowed to be myself.

I can say “no”.

It’s okay if I still have unhelpful thoughts that I continue to challenge.

My boundaries are important.

I’m worthy of love.

My worth is not measured by what I do for others.

I need time to heal, and that’s okay.

#notestoself #affirmations #boundaries #itsoktosayno #iamenough #iamworthy #timetoheal #selfcare #selflove

Grief has a way of popping in unannounced, even on

Grief has a way of popping in unannounced, even on special occasions. It shows us we can carry sadness and find joy, all at the same time.

Today would’ve been my mom’s and dad’s 49th anniversary. Finding joy in the sadness is easier some years than others, and that’s okay. I hope you find a way of expressing your grief in a way that honors your loved one and ultimately brings you comfort. ❤️‍🩹

#grief #sadness #joy #hope

Our feelings change minute by minute, second by se

Our feelings change minute by minute, second by second. If you’ve practiced self observation you’ll know this.

Here’s an example:

You’ve made a really hard decision to speak a truth to someone. Right afterwards you feel terrified. Sitting alone at home, you start to feel confident. yes! I did it. About an hour later, you’re in the kitchen and you have feeling of regret or shame. “Was I too harsh?” “Why did I say it like that?” “I think I made the wrong decision.” By bedtime you’re neutral. You don’t feel great about it, but you don’t feel awful either.

Feelings change. Throughout a single day we can feel countless different things. And, just because we feel something doesn’t always mean it’s true. For example, we might feel guilty or like we’re selfish for setting a boundary. In reality, we made a healthy choice.

This is why it’s important to learn how to *observe* our emotions. How to let them come and go. How to not react to them, but instead make CONSCIOUS CHOICES in alignment without values.

When we make conscious choices in alignment with who we want to be in this world—we create self confidence.

We jump off the emotional roller coaster, the up-and downs of letting temporary feelings guide our permanent choices.

Credit to @the.holistic.psychologist

#mentalhealth

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