When we simultaneously feel that we “should” get a lot of paying work done and “should” do self-care and “should” maintain a clean home and “should” make the world a better place, we feel shame that we are failing in so many ways. We can reframe our thoughts by replacing “should” with “could.” “Should” makes… Read More
Articles
Cherish Your Limits
Our limits are part of being an embodied human mammal. We need rest, food, drink, and comfort at regular intervals to stay in balance. We can ignore those needs for a while, but there is a mounting cost to our well-being the longer we set them aside. Paying attention to our limits, like our sensitivities,… Read More
Healthy Entitlement: Discern Your Domain
Each infant is born with a full-body knowing that they are entitled to nourishment, shelter, rest, and loving contact. Each baby vigorously pursues their wants with all the resources at their disposal, crying, reaching out, and turning away when they have had enough. Their caretaker’s task is to provide for those needs. Unless they have… Read More
Counter the Feelings Police
When my friend tells me about her cancer diagnosis, I immediately ask what I can do to help. I know about Susan Silk’s ring theory for crises. You draw a bunch of concentric circles with the person in crisis at the center, people closest to them in the next ring, and less close people in… Read More
Withstand Ongoing Trauma
After trauma is over, “It ended!” is a powerful healing tool to convince the body that the emergency is over. What happens when the trauma, or similar threats, are ongoing? Fearing a boss or leader who resembles the unpredictable, vindictive, bullying, sexually abusive head of household from childhood. Grieving the latest person pulled over and… Read More
Presence After Trauma: Introduction
Presence After Trauma: Reconcile with Your Self and the World is a non-judgmental companion for your healing process after the initial crisis is over. Years into your healing work, you might feel that you have largely come back to yourself, and at the same time wonder why you still have trauma-related problems. Or, you might… Read More
Protect Your Irritated Nervous System
Your nervous system interprets sensations and enables actions. It contains the brain and spinal cord, as well as a branching network of nerves throughout the body. Your nervous system constantly transmits electrical and biochemical signals back and forth between your brain and the rest of your body. Physical irritation is defined as inflammation or pain… Read More
Prefer Narratives with Hope
In her presentation for Write/Speak/Code 2016, Naomi Ceder describes how our narrative about a situation controls the options we have. When she was young, the narrative she saw about trans people was one of sickness, wrongness, and absence of hope. The only way to transition was to renounce contact with all current family and community…. Read More
Trust Yourself Despite Everyday Gaslighting
Intentional gaslighting, the overtly abusive kind, can be more intense and severe, but everyday gaslighting is more insidious, permeating our social environment and sneaking inside our heads. “I’d like a late afternoon appointment.” The dentist receptionist responds, “How about 10am on Thursday.” “No, I’d like a late afternoon appointment.” “How about 1pm next Tuesday.” I… Read More
When I Started
Written for the anthology We Have Come Far: Shared wisdom from survivors of extreme trauma edited by Ani Rose Whaleswan, 2014. When I started healing from abuse, I was a grad student. After many years in school, I knew all about graduation requirements, prerequisites, and homework assignments. I tackled the project with youthful enthusiasm. Surely,… Read More