Women who have been sexually abused or raped often have difficulties in their closest and most intimate relationships. The statistics for sexual assaults in the US is shocking! One in five women will be raped at some point in their lifetime. And one in four girls will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years […]
Trauma and dissociation go hand in hand. Approximately 73% of individuals exposed to a traumatic incident will experience dissociative states during the incident or in the hours, days and weeks following the incident. To dissociate is a natural built in survival strategy that our body has to manage intense stress and fear. The dictionary defines […]
Most parents do the best they can in their parenting abilities and styles. Most parents love their children and want to provide them with the best childhood they can. Many parents strive to be better parents then their parents were to them. Some lucky ones even try hard to be as great of a parent […]
If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete- The Buddha Self care is an act of love and compassion for oneself and it comes in many different forms. We can nourish our mind, body and spirit in the following ways: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, cultural, relational, recreational and vocational. Self care helps […]
Each year brings opportunities for new beginnings. When a new year begins many people see it as a way of starting fresh or starting over, a time of renewal, making resolutions or setting goals, or picking a word that symbolizes their intention for how they want to live in the coming year. A new year […]
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness means to “Pay attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally”- Jon Kabat-Zinn. Mindfulness has been used for thousands of years in the East. With its growing popularity in the West, neuroscience research is reporting the positive effects of mindfulness on the brain. Research shows that […]
There is a link between childhood adversity and adult illnesses and disease and we now have research to prove it. The ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study is one of the largest scientific research studies of its kind, with over 17,000 mostly middle income Americans participating. The focus was to analyze the relationship between childhood trauma […]
Gratitude is a funny thing. It doesn’t always come easy for survivors of trauma and abuse. Gratitude is defined as a positive experience of thankfulness. Some people actually wonder why they don’t feel more gratitude after surviving a life threatening event such as a plane accident or being a victim of a crime. Sometime their […]
Love heals, but sometimes we are hurt by those we love. Couples can experience trauma through marital distress as well as, affairs, miscarriages, death of a child or chronic illness of a partner. Other types of trauma affecting relationships can include combat stress and childhood abuse. Trauma and PTSD is defined when the following happens: […]
You probably have heard the saying that we are “creatures of habit”. Our bodies crave routines and thrive off of rituals. Sleep is one of the most crucial ways that our body recovers from stress and trauma. A good night’s sleep can positively affect our mood. People who have experienced trauma or PTSD commonly have […]
