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Parenting when you have a trauma history
I remember how healing it was to have my first child. I went through PTSD and had difficulty bonding, but I held him, nursed him, basically he was in my arms 24/7 because he cried so hard when I put him down. Then one day, the world had color – like the movie, “The Wizard of Oz.” I fell madly, head over heels with this little boy who grew in what I had believed was a corrupted, defiled, hideous body, but it did the most wonderful thing, it grew a baby. Oh, the healing I received. And, to be totally, unreservedly in love with this little boy was an amazing…
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Addiction, Anxiety, attachment, Coping Skills, COVID, Depression, Mindfulness, Postnatal, Pregnancy, Somatic, Trauma
I can say NO? No Way! – Boundaries
How did you feel after you read through this list? Or did the title of the blog post simply kind of blow your mind off? The graphic above has some great prompts to think about when you are trying to establish some healthy boundaries. When we have grown up in homes where there was substance abuse, mental health struggles, financial issues, domestic violence, incarceration, physical, sexual, verbal or emotional abuse, we often develop a set of faulty beliefs about what we can say no to. We may become people pleasers, always molding ourselves around what we think others want of us. We may develop avoidant attachment styles where we simply…
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ACT, Addiction, Anxiety, Coping Skills, Depression, Mindfulness, Postnatal, Pregnancy, Relationships, Trauma
FACE COVID – An ACT Approach
I thought this was an incredibly helpful video that incorporates a number of key concepts of Acceptance and Attachment Therapy, ACT. Being mindful of what’s going on inside you now, committed action, being open to all the emotions that may rise up when we think and feel our thoughts about how COVID has and is affecting our lives, values – look for ways to sprinkle values throughout your day so that in spite of COVID, we are still focused on living our lives with meaning and purpose. If you think that you could benefit from individualized counseling using ACT, or you find that COVID has triggered some old traumas or is…
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Resources for Pregnancy and Infant Loss
I have worked with a number of women and families who have experienced struggles with infertility, miscarriages, stillbirth and birth trauma. In my friendship group, I have known even more women that have gone through the heart break of miscarriages and stillborn babies. An organization I want to share with you is for families who have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss. Return to Hope: Zero offers a variety of resources including webinars, articles, lists of support groups and providers who work with families who have gone through similar losses. I encourage women and families to reach out to support groups to share their stories and receive support, validation and…
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Anxiety, BIPOC, Birth, Coping Skills, Depression, Miscarriage, Postnatal, Pregnancy, Stillbirth, Trauma
Supportive FREE Webinar
Return to Zero: HOPE is sponsoring a free webinar this Saturday, February 27th, 10am PST – – Optimizing Resilience: Mental Health in Black and African American Communities led by Dorienna M. Alfred, PhD. This webinar is intended for both bereaved parents and providers. We hope you’ll join us at 10am PST on Saturday for this important topic. Register here: https://rtzhope.org/webinar
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Addiction, Anxiety, Coping Skills, COVID, Depression, Mindfulness, Postnatal, Pregnancy, Trauma, Uncategorized
COVID-19 Response for Georgia
In my Marietta office, we are seeing clients face to face. Cleaning procedures are informed by the best practices described by the state of Georgia and the American Psychological Association (APA.) I clean the room in between each sessions which means I need to maintain a 55 minute session time. We do not require a form to be filled out as yet. But please check your temperature before you come for your appointment, verify that you and your household members are not sick with COVID and that you have not been exposed to the best of your knowledge to anyone who has tested positive. I will ask you all these…
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Addiction, Anxiety, attachment, Coping Skills, Depression, DID, Dissociation, Mindfulness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Somatic, Stillbirth, Trauma
What does “bottom up processing” mean?
A lot of effective therapy is considered “top down.” As in we talk, using our brain, cognitive work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a tried and true and effective method for therapy. I happen to use “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: ACT ( pronounced like the work “act”) to do this cognitive work. But we know from research (in fact the more research that is done, the more it confirms this fact) that trauma memories are stored quite differently than regular memories. Trauma memories when re-experienced can feel here and now, and unending. Often times, they are experienced as “emotional flashbacks.” That is a feeling that has no words or explanation of…