Integrative Counseling & Trauma Recovery Center

Ever wonder what would happen if we all gave all of our parts this type of self compassion? I do, and it gives me hope, hope that humanity really can awaken to the power of love. Love changes everything!

Orienting is a resource that can help your nervous system come out of the sympathetic automatic response to perceived threat. Only do this if you know there is actually not a threat. Some of us will have activation often and being able to bring that activation level down is a skill that can be practiced towards mastery. * To orient it is important that you first notice where in your body you are sensing the threat, in other words, how is your body telling you that it is acti...vated? Common experiences are increased heart rate, shallowed breathing, feeling shaky, feeling disconnected or numb, feeling down. If you are noticing these symptoms that your sympathetic nervous system is activated, try orienting to your surroundings. * Pause and turn your head slowly back and forth, up and down, with intention to take in your environment, almost like you are looking for the threat. Check your surroundings carefully, taking in the colors, the textures, the smells and paying special attention to anything you see that can indicate that you are, in this very moment, actually safe. In my office I ask my clients questions: name all the things you can see that are green? What is the ugliest thing in my office? When I do this, I am doing it to engage my clients social engagement system and help their nervous system to perceive safety. It’s important that you move your neck. That movement actually sends signals to your body brain that help to communicate the inherent safety in the present moment experience. As you feel your activation coming down, see if you can stay with that. Try noticing the way the sensations have changed, what emotion that elicits, are there any words that go with how you are feeling now? Is there an image that comes up as you feel a decrease in your activation? When we stay with what has shifted, we are supporting our nervous system to integrate the thinking brain and the body brain experience. #traumahealing #cptsd #somaticexperiencing #somatictherapy #somatichealing #nervoussystemregulation #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #bodyhealth #bodyhealing

Our brain and body is constantly distinguishing between safety and danger. This process is known as neuroception. The term was coined by Dr. Stephen Porges. Neuroception is occurring at all times and it is a process we are largely unaware of, that is, it happens unconsciously. Sometimes we don’t notice cues that our brains and bodies have noticed and when our instinctive adaptive survival system is engaged, even we can be confused as to what has happened (panic attack, anxiet...y, irritation, anger, rage, dismissing attitudes, short tempers, losing our shit). * When our brain and body pick up on a threat (real or perceived), our autonomic nervous system is activated into a sympathetic high arousal and a hormonal process follows, cue adrenaline and cortisol. This system activates to support us to mobilize into some form of action so that we can respond to the threat and survive. * Currently, it feels like fear is in the air and many of us are being activated often. I am noticing many people in sympathetic high arousal. I have seen kind people posting mean out of character comments. I have seen friends obsessively cleaning and sanitizing. I am hearing people talk about feeling hopeless, depressed, numb, disconnected. I am able to be much more be compassionate when I understand why people are reacting in this way. It also helps me to have compassion for myself when I am reactive. Have you found yourself activated lately? How is that showing up for you? * Also, stay tuned for techniques to support your nervous system to return to parasympathetic functioning (your rest and digest state). #traumarecovery #trauma #nervoussystemhealth #nervousbreakdown #nervoussystemregulation #somatictherapy #somaticexperiencing #somaticpsychotherapy #ptsd #cptsd #cptsdrecovery #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness See more

We have a natural instinct to avoid what is painful and avoiding what is painful inside can lead to more suffering when there are parts of us who only know survival because that is what they HAD to do. If we leave those parts all alone, they will have no choice but to use the only survival strategies they know. Those strategies can show up in a wide array of behaviors: 1. Flight to escape: eating disorders, addiction, inability to commit, ambivalence. 2. Fight to defend: An...ger, judgements, self-destructive, controlling, enraged. 3. Freeze with fear: Frozen, terrified, panic attacks, not wanting to be seen. 4. Feign Death to submit: depression, self hatred, passive, caretaking/fawning. 5. Cry for Help: looking for connection, afraid of being abandoned, terrified of rejection. If there are parts of you who utilize these strategies it can be helpful to mindfully notice these parts and name these parts as separate from yourself. You might try thinking of all the ways the particular behavior has helped you to survive in the past. Sometimes just thinking of your parts in this way can create a small shift, helping them to feels less alone. #partswork #internalfamilysystems #cptsd #trauma #traumarecovery #mentalhealthawareness #selfcompassion #selfcompassionjourney #journeyinward

Our brains can only be surviving OR thriving. Our brain cannot do both at the same time. During dangerous times, our brains will automatically engage our instinctive survival responses and utilize the strategies that have worked most often (fight, flight, freeze, feign death, cry for help). The good news is we can learn how to help the primitive parts of our brain. It starts with compassion and mindfulness. Our ability to notice the activation of our survival responses (mind...fulness) and our ability to be gentle with ourselves (compassion). We can often notice the activation via our bodies. Our bodies will send us cues that our survival system has been activated (increased heart rate, shallowed breathing, shaky hands). Notice this response, be kind to yourself and orient to your environment (look around while moving your neck). Focus on a few long exhales. Stay tuned for more in-depth techniques to support your system to return to a thriving state. See more

Great free resources for working with the body in healing trauma.

Great resource!

Such a great resource!

What you are feeling is normal! You are not alone

World Suicide Prevention Day #tomorrowneedsyou If you or someone you love struggles with depression or thoughts of suicide, know #youarenotalone. Most thoughts of suicide are fleeting and pass in 1 hour. #keepfuckinggoing #yourstoryisnotoveryet... National suicide prevention lifeline 1-800-273-8255 Online chat: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Sometimes self care can seem like just another thing on our list, it's something we desperately need to do, but it can feel like another chore when time seems so limited and the to do list never seems to shrink. Today, I was working on a presentation for Vicarious Trauma and building resilience when it hit me.... it's Sunday and I am working when what I need most is relaxation and fun. So, I loaded up the family and went to my happy place, nature. I can come back to my work later. I CAN choose to care for myself! It was wonderful and Im so happy I did it. How do you care for yourself?

As parents we can often have great intentions when we worry. But the truth is, when we constantly plant seeds of fear and doubt we stifle the development of self and rob our children of all the possibility of becoming who they truly are. This shows up in lack of confidence and an inability to address conflict or take risks. It's soul crushing and its tragic because our children need to build tolerance for handling strong emotions and the hardest parts of life. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Maybe we can do better by allowing our children the freedom to fully explore all aspects of being human, the good, the bad and the ugly and learning to manage our own anxieties and fears without projecting them onto our children?

Check out this new podcast coming out on all things tech in therapy. You can use tech in a HIPPA compliant way and it can make your life easier, benefit your clients and help you build your practice http://therapytechrobroy.com/?ref=13y