We don’t live within our Window of Tolerance all the time. When we’re inside the window, we feel grounded, present, and able to respond flexibly to what life throws at us. But when stress builds, we can tip into hyperarousal …
Tag: PTSD
Are You Betraying Yourself in Small Ways Every Day?
Little self-betrayals add up. Saying yes when you mean no. Pushing down your real needs. Forgetting to check in with yourself. We often think self-betrayal is only about the big moments. But it’s in the small choices where the patterns …
Feeling Stuck? Three Questions to Ask Yourself When You Can’t Let Go
You know that feeling when you desperately want to give something up, but you just can’t? We often feel stuck when different parts of us want different things. One part might want to give something up, while another part clings …
Self-Betrayal: Why You Learned to Disconnect from Your Needs
When you have grown up in an environment where your needs were not met or ignored, you learned to disconnect from them. As an adult, this has created one of two situations: When your needs as a child were not …
How to Have a Conversation with Someone You Are Worried About
If you’re worried about someone and want to start a conversation, here is a simple pocket guide for how to have that conversation. What NOT to Do If you are considering suicide, or you know someone who is, please reach …
Differences in Relationships: Why Conflict Isn’t a Sign You’re With the Wrong Person
Every relationship will have differences. It is not the differences themselves that determine whether a relationship thrives or struggles; it is how we navigate them. When we approach differences with curiosity instead of defensiveness, we open the door to understanding. …
When You Can’t See How Far You’ve Come
When you’re in the middle of change, it can be hard to see how far you’ve come. The shifts might feel small, but over time they add up. Someone who meets you weekly can often see them more clearly than …
Suicide in Australia: Why We Need to Keep Talking About It
Trigger warning. Over the next few days, I’ll be talking openly about suicide. Looking at the statistics is confronting. If suicide rates are any measure of how we’re doing as a community when it comes to mental health, we have …
The Top Down Approach to Trauma
When we work with trauma from a top-down perspective, we start with the brain—specifically the neocortex, the part responsible for thinking, meaning-making, and language. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), recommended by the American Psychiatric Association to treat PTSD, helps us reframe …