When Healing Feels Stuck: Understanding Trauma Plateaus
August 08, 2025
Healing from trauma, PTSD, or domestic violence isn't always a steady climb - sometimes progress stalls and you feel stuck. These trauma plateaus are a normal part of recovery, not a sign of failure. Understanding why healing feels stuck and how to navigate these moments with self-compassion can help you move forward.
The Role of Pets in PTSD Recovery: Why Gotcha Day Matters
June 17, 2025
For survivors of trauma and PTSD, pets offer something that's hard to put into words - unconditional presence, emotional grounding, and a reason to keep going. Gotcha Day marks the moment that bond began. This article explores why pets matter so much in recovery, and how to honor the companion who helped you heal.
Bravery Needs Rest Too: Validation in Mental Health Recovery
June 10, 2025
Firefighters and first responders run toward danger while others run away - but who's taking care of them? The mental health toll of emergency response work is real: PTSD, burnout, depression, and anxiety affect countless heroes who feel pressure to stay strong. Bravery Needs Rest Too is a reminder that even the strongest need space to heal, and validation is the first step toward recovery.
Holiday Triggers and Seasonal Depression for Survivors
December 15, 2024
The holiday season can be especially difficult for trauma survivors. Family gatherings may trigger painful memories, seasonal depression compounds PTSD symptoms, and societal pressure to be joyful can feel invalidating. Setting boundaries, creating new traditions, and prioritizing self-care can help you survive - and maybe even find moments of peace - during the holidays.
Light and Hope: Managing SAD While Healing from Trauma
November 10, 2024
Managing seasonal affective disorder (SAD) while healing from trauma requires a dual approach - addressing both the seasonal depression and underlying PTSD. Light therapy, routine, connection, and trauma-informed self-care can help you navigate the darker months with more ease.
Anxiety and Physical Symptoms in Trauma Survivors
September 15, 2024
Anxiety after trauma isn't just in your head - it shows up in your body. Racing heart, chronic pain, digestive issues, and exhaustion are all real physical symptoms of trauma-related anxiety. Understanding the mind-body connection is an important step toward healing.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Skills for Trauma and BPD
September 05, 2024
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is one of the most effective treatments for BPD and trauma. It teaches practical skills in four key areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills help you manage intense emotions, navigate relationships, cope with crisis, and build a life worth living.
Protecting Your Mental Health as a Survivor Parent
August 05, 2024
Parenting is challenging for anyone, but for abuse survivors, it can trigger trauma, test boundaries, and strain mental health in unique ways. Protecting your mental health isn't selfish - it's essential for both you and your children. Learning to set boundaries, practice self-care, and ask for help can help you be the parent you want to be while honoring your healing journey.
Binge Eating and Emotional Trauma
July 18, 2024
Binge eating disorder is deeply connected to emotional trauma. When you've experienced trauma, binge eating can become a way to cope with overwhelming emotions and numb pain. Understanding why you binge - that it's a trauma response, not a character flaw - is the first step toward compassionate recovery.
Body Shame and Survivor Guilt: Breaking Free
June 28, 2024
Body shame and survivor guilt are two of the most painful burdens abuse survivors carry. You might blame your body for the abuse, feel guilty for surviving, or carry shame about how your body responded during trauma. These feelings aren't your fault - they're common trauma responses. Breaking free is possible through understanding, self-compassion, and healing.
From Self-Harm to Self-Care: A Survivor's Journey
May 12, 2024
Recovery from self-harm isn't a straight line. It's a gradual journey from using pain to cope with pain, to learning gentler ways of caring for yourself. It's messy, non-linear, and deeply personal - but it's possible.
Reclaiming Your Body After Trauma: A Healing Journey
May 05, 2024
After trauma, your body can feel like enemy territory - a place you don't want to inhabit. Reclaiming your body is about rebuilding trust, reconnecting with physical sensations, and remembering that your body belongs to you. This healing journey takes time, patience, and compassion, but it's possible to feel safe and at home in your own skin again.
Calming an Anxious Mind: Grounding Techniques for Trauma and Anxiety
April 25, 2024
When anxiety or trauma symptoms overwhelm you, grounding techniques can be your lifeline back to the present moment. These simple but powerful tools help calm your nervous system, reduce panic, and remind you that you're safe right now. Whether you're experiencing flashbacks, panic attacks, or overwhelming anxiety, grounding techniques give you practical ways to regain control.
Body Dysmorphia After Abuse: When Trauma Changes How You See Yourself
March 25, 2024
After experiencing abuse, many survivors struggle with how they see their own bodies. Body dysmorphia after abuse isn't vanity or insecurity - it's a trauma response. When someone violates your body, it can fundamentally change your relationship with yourself. Understanding this connection and learning to heal your relationship with your body is an important part of recovery.
Alternatives to Self-Harm: Healthy Coping for Trauma Survivors
March 20, 2024
When the urge to self-harm hits, having a toolkit of healthier alternatives can make all the difference. These aren't just distractions - they address the same needs self-harm meets, without causing harm. Whether you need to release intense emotions, ground yourself, or regain a sense of control, there are alternatives that work. Recovery is possible.
Body Autonomy After Abuse: Healing Your Relationship with Food
March 15, 2024
Abuse violates your fundamental right to control your own body. This violation often extends to your relationship with food - creating disordered eating, body disconnection, or using food for control. Healing means reclaiming your body as your own and developing a peaceful relationship with food.
Seasonal Depression and PTSD: When Winter Makes Trauma Harder
January 20, 2024
Winter can make PTSD symptoms significantly worse. Shorter days, less sunlight, and seasonal changes can intensify depression, anxiety, flashbacks, and isolation. For trauma survivors, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) compounds existing mental health challenges, creating a particularly difficult time of year. Understanding why winter affects trauma survivors differently and learning strategies to manage both SAD and PTSD can help you get through the darker months.
From Surviving to Thriving: Recovery from PTSD
August 27, 2023
PTSD is challenging - but healing is possible. The journey from surviving to thriving takes courage, support, and the right tools. Here's what that path can look like, and how to take the next step forward.
Healing from Within: Understanding PTSD and Recovery
August 06, 2023
PTSD is a complex and often misunderstood condition. The road to recovery is challenging - but understanding the condition and the recovery process is a significant step in the healing journey. Here we explore PTSD, its effects, and the path to healing from within.