traumatherapy Archives

The sicker the relationship, the stronger the bond – trauma bonding and what that means

There are many reasons it’s difficult to leave an abusive relationship. ⁣Some of the reasons are of practical nature, fx. Financial or safety worries. ⁣Others are of a more psychological nature. ⁣One of them is the psychological phenomenon of trauma bonding. ⁣Trauma bonding forms in exploitive relationships. ⁣It’s best described as: “The sicker the relationship, …

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Imprints of trauma are more varied than you realise

Blog, Psychoeducation

This photo, originally from Janina Fisher, PhD, is one that I show quite often to my clients. ⁣The response is usually the same, a quiet moment followed by: “Wow…” ⁣Most people have never seen their pain and symptoms drawn up like this, haven’t made the connection between the symptoms they’re manifesting and their painful experiences …

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You do not heal from trauma in isolation

Blog, Psychoeducation

When you look at a forest, it looks as all the trees are individuals, standing there in the ground all alone. What you might not know, is that underneath the ground, they are all interconnected. ⁣⁣Did you know that trees operate through an intricate system called the “wood wide web”, which consists of a symbiosis …

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Some words on forgiveness

Psychoeducation

What forgiveness is not: It’s not the same as forgetting what happened It’s not the same as agreeing with or liking what happened It’s not the same as absolution It’s not denial It does not mean we will never again get angry about what happened It’s not something we can decide to give once and …

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Never underestimate the healing power of your own brain

Blog

They say time heals all wounds, but that is only half part true. In order for a wound to heal, the conditions for healing must be right. If you break your leg, but you need to continue walking on it, the wound will re-open again and again. Wounds need care, rest, shelter, time, space and …

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Do you lock up your trauma like Danaerys locked up her dragons?

Psychoeducation

In my work I often use the analogy of Danaery’s dragons. If you’ve watched Game of Thrones, you know that as Danaerys’ dragons get bigger, she at one point in time stops being able to control them. She’s afraid of what they might do, and the harm they might cause, so in a desperate attempt …

Do you lock up your trauma like Danaerys locked up her dragons? Read More »

Need help developing your social connections? Try this exercise!

Tips & tricks

Our social network is much more important than most people realise. It is sometimes said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. ⁣It is absolutely vital for your mental and emotional health to surround yourself with the people that lift you up, not the ones that bring …

Need help developing your social connections? Try this exercise! Read More »