Trauma causes Dissociation or Splitting between the left hemisphere (responsible for logic, analysis, observation) and the right hemisphere (responsible for imagination, creativity, emotions, trauma memories). Brain research shows trauma survivors have reduced number of pathways in the corpus callosum, accounting for decreased communication between the two hemispheres. Splitting allows the logical brain to take over andContinueContinue reading “Structural Dissociation after Trauma”
Tag Archives: thoughts
Are you Fearful in Relationships?
When we fill our void with someone, we temporarily fill our wounds with them and become dependent on them. We begin “needing” them. This person in our life is now needed for survival. That is a heavy burden and a lot of pressure for that person. Sometimes, we know this is a band-aid for ourContinueContinue reading “Are you Fearful in Relationships?”
Healing Indecision
Lately my conversations with some of my clients have centered around indecision. Let’s explore indecision from an Internal Family Systems perspective. IFS believes your internal parts are part of an internal family. Indecision within your internal system may be a protector part, protecting you from something. When we are feeling indecisive, it means we areContinueContinue reading “Healing Indecision”
Self image issues in young women
We are currently living in a world where young girls and women are competing with a standard of beauty that is unfortunately not real. Thanks to social media filters, our definition of “beauty” has become something that actually does not exist. At the same time, we are seeing increased rates of plastic surgery, body dysmorphia,ContinueContinue reading “Self image issues in young women”
Good Enough
A belief of not being good enough is often deeply rooted in Trauma. It cannot be changed cognitively alone, through reality testing. Healing occurs through long-standing relationships where the person’s goodness is reflected back to them over and over again. For how long? Long enough for the right hemisphere to truly take it in.
Childhood Sexual Abuse
Childhood sexual abuse is more common than we think. Perpetrators are more commonly family members, siblings, close relatives, someone the child trusts or looks up to, rather than strangers. In a research article published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse in 2015, Zeglin, DeRaedt, and Lanthier reported, 1 in 5 girls have experienced childhoodContinueContinue reading “Childhood Sexual Abuse”
Food for Thought
Sometimes life can get tough. We go through times when we start feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, depressed, or discouraged. We might feel like we are losing hope or worse, we may have lost all hope. If this is you today, imagine you are looking at a picture of a large circle. This circle is yourContinueContinue reading “Food for Thought”
Boundaries
From a Family Systems perspective, sometimes the “Black Sheep” is the one who sees the toxicity and sets appropriate boundaries, which may include distance/walking away. Please know this is okay.
Decisions
Our present is actually a reflection of our past decisions. Whether we realize it or not, consciously or unconsciously, we are making choices and decisions every moment, every day. What we sometimes don’t realize is, every decision we make comes with a consequence, including our decision to not make a decision. There’s no escaping theContinueContinue reading “Decisions”
CBT 101
According to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), the following cognitive distortions affect our cognitions, emotions, and behaviours: All or Nothing Thinking or Black and White Thinking – eg. “Either I do it right/perfectly, or not at all.”Mental Filter – only paying attention to our failures, not our successesJumping to conclusions – knowing with certainty what othersContinueContinue reading “CBT 101”
Your Healing Journey Counselling 