You can understand your patterns… and still repeat them in relationships. Many people come to therapy already understanding their patterns intellectually. They know why they people please. Why they over-function. Why they fear abandonment. Why they shut down or withdraw. …
Tag: SecureAttachment
Why Group Therapy Can Be So Profoundly Healing: Reflections on ‘Group’ by Christie Tate
I just LOVED this book — Group by Christie Tate. It reminds me why group therapy can be so profoundly healing. One of the things I loved most about the book was how honestly she captured the terror of being …
If You Keep Thinking About It, Here’s Why
If you keep thinking about it… it’s because a part of you hasn’t finished processing it yet. Something in you is still trying to make sense of what happened — or trying to protect you from ever feeling that way …
Tell Them What’s Working
We’re often trained to scan for what isn’t working. To spot the mistake. The flaw. The thing that needs improving. It’s how many of us were raised. It’s how schools assess. It’s how workplaces review. It’s even how our nervous …
The Important Skill of Letting People Be Disappointed
Important skill: letting people be disappointed without rushing to rescue or explain. You can be kind — without over-functioning. You can care — without contorting yourself. You can choose your own capacity — and still be a good person. Discomfort …
The Most Underrated Life Skill: Pausing Before You React
Underrated life skill: pausing long enough to ask, “Is this actually worth my energy?” Not every comment needs a response. Not every trigger needs a reaction. Not every invitation deserves a yes. Sometimes the most regulated, self-respecting choice is to …
When You Feel Unsafe, a Part Steps In
When you feel unsafe, a part steps in. Automatically. Instinctively. Intelligently. That part is a strategy your system learned. Listening to this part brings relief. Fighting it creates more tension. In parts work, we don’t ask, “How do I stop …
Breaking the Cycle of Toxic Criticism and Defensiveness
When your partner criticises you, what happens inside? For some people, the body wants to shrink, go quiet, or disappear. For others, there’s an immediate surge of defensiveness or counter-attack. Both responses are protective. They developed for a reason. And …
Why Talking About the Future Strengthens Your Relationship
One of the most powerful things you can do in your relationship is talk about the future you want to build together. It doesn’t have to be big, dramatic dreams. It can be as simple as, “I can’t wait to …
Be Gentle With Your Protective Patterns
Be gentle with your protective patterns. They developed at a time when they were needed. Anger can be damaging — and it can be protective. Avoidance can hold you back — and it can be protective. Overthinking can be frustrating …