Transforming the Experienced Based Brain (TEB) is a modality that was designed to allow the nervous system to heal from early traumatic experiences, making it very effective for those who have experienced developmental and attachment trauma.
Transforming Touch works with two different systems within our nervous system: our stress responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) and our attachment system.
Read MoreOctober 31st, 1986, I was 24 and at a party with a girlfriend whose name I don't recall. I felt alone in a crowd, and truly by the Grace of God, I heard the line in AA's 3rd Tradition, "The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking." It was this sentence that helped me believe that I was welcome.
Read MoreAnytime we feel lost, hurt, or inspired to make even the most specific parts of our lives better in some way, we can find a website, article or paper about some self-help topic that speaks to us. This is often the first step taken before deciding to begin therapy with a helping professional. But rarely does someone talk about being the person who is married to or the child/parent/sibling of the person seeking help.
Read MoreYou just brought your new baby home and you’re overwhelmed, you’re not sleeping, your routine is thrown off, and your whole life has just changed. Lack of sleep, stress, and life transitions can undoubtedly have a major effect on your body and mood.
Read MoreIn our society, we have unfortunately created the expectation that grief is done quietly and in private. We shy away from conversations about grief or offer the common platitudes that have become associated with loss. It’s hard to know what to do or say to someone who has lost a loved one, and we don’t want to say the wrong thing and make them feel worse.
Read MoreMy father was born in the back of a taxi cab on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Realizing she was going into labor, my grandmother went looking for my grandfather in what was then known as the Red Light District— a street lined with bars and the most likely place he would be found.
Read MorePlay is a universal language that transcends age, culture, and background. Children naturally engage in play to make sense of their world, express emotions, and learn valuable life skills. But did you know that play can also be a powerful therapeutic tool for individuals of all ages?
Read MoreAfter a decade of living in go, go go mode, the stillness is uncomfortable. In school, I would dream of the possibility to have a free weekend, heck even a free evening without looming assignments and reading sounded good. So now that it’s here, I should be thrilled...right?
Read MoreThe education that I gained in order to become a Clinical Mental Health Therapist focused primarily on traditional talk therapy. It is what I saw myself doing in my future practice, it is where my own personal experience and success with therapy originated, and it is what motivated me to become a helping professional. Yet, the community clinic where I worked insisted that I also be trained in EMDR, at their expense, to help meet their need for trauma informed care. I felt conflicted. I was so grateful for the support and opportunity, but I was also reluctant, skeptical, and, quite frankly, a bit annoyed. There were other specialties that I was far more interested in pursuing because of my familiarity with their style, presentation, and efficacy.
Read More…And what’s with the angst about letting go? I know I’ve spent more time, obsessing, worrying, and dreading downsizing. As I let go, give away and throw away, I feel lighter. I also feel hopeful.
Read MoreThe holiday season is in full swing! This can be a time of excitement, joy, love, giving, receiving, fun; and, it can also be a time of exhaustion, fear, guilt, and at times depression. This is a time when we want to be doing more self-care, not less. There are going to be a million things trying to grab our attention over the next few weeks, and I want to encourage you to be mindful of how, where, when, and with whom you spend your time. Here are few things to remember this holiday season:
Read MoreWhen I think back to my first holiday in sobriety it was extremely difficult. From the outside looking in, I was by all appearances ready to join the festivities, but inside I was not ready. I was still very much conflicted with myself, and I had a lot of shame. I felt stuck on how to be myself.
Read MoreHalloween is one of my favorite holidays because it is the sobriety date of my parents as well as my own. I distinctly remember being at a Halloween party with many people yet I can’t remember any of their faces or names…..I remember taking a beer and standing on the deck contemplating, really wondering whether or not I could drink the beer and forget myself, yet again.
Read MoreHalloween is just one week away! When you think of Halloween, there is a good chance that images of kids dressing in imaginative costumes, candy and decorations come to mind. It can be fun to reminisce about our childhood Halloween experiences, including going door-to-door collecting candy and sorting through the treasure at the end of the night. What a great and fun time to connect with your inner child!
Read MoreOctober is Inner Child month at Relationship Enrichment Center and to celebrate this, I wanted to share an intentional inner child connection activity with you. I have written two previous blog posts about the inner child: Inner Child and Fun Ways to Connect With Your Inner Child. You can read these two posts to learn more about your inner child!
Read MoreI often struggle with internalizing and allowing something to fester up and become much bigger than it needs to be. Over the years I have learned how to implement techniques to let the little things go.
Read MoreIf you’re struggling to make consistent changes in your life, it could be because your body has gotten used to operating as if there is a ticking clock above your head. Perhaps everything feels like it needs to be done NOW, while thinking of 8 other things. Or maybe you get so overwhelmed, you feel frozen and depressed, so doing anything feels monumental.
Read MoreAs someone who is learning how to have fun, a big part of my recovery is learning how to connect with myself, my inner child, in fun ways! Of course, part of the healing process is feeling our feelings, often feelings we have worked really hard not to feel. In this way, healing our emotional wounds can often be exhausting and overwhelming. It’s important to balance out the hard stuff with fun stuff!
Read More“Let go or be dragged” One of the members from group last night shared with us this AA slogan, “Let go or be dragged”. It’s really speaking to me this morning as I am continuing to take back the illusion of control. I surrender, and turn this over and then a few minutes later I find myself obsessing about a detail or a way that I might be able to manipulate a situation.
Read MoreACA and my recovery has taught me how the concepts of powerlessness, unmanageability, and an external locus of control have showed up in my life and in my relationships. I often work with clients who are seeking therapy because their lives feel so unmanageable, a feeling I am very familiar with.
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