How the Nervous System Responds to Trauma The nervous system’s defense responses can be critical for surviving trauma – but once the threat is gone, they can quickly become maladaptive. So, how can we work with these defenses to help clients heal from trauma? Consider this short example. . . A young girl lives with […]
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Working with Dissociation
Working with Dissociation Dissociation may be one of the more difficult and complex features of trauma treatment that practitioners face. So how can we more effectively identify and treat this challenging trauma response? Most of us tend to think of the earth as solid. Of course, glaciers, rivers, and even human intervention can alter the […]
Working with Anxiety
Working with Anxiety How can we help clients when anxiety takes over and their daily lives are driven by uncertainty and fear? Most people, at some point in their lives, have experienced some feelings of anxiety. After all, we are constantly trying to navigate life’s series of unknowns — unknown risks, unknown rewards, and unknown […]
Working with Perfectionism
Working with Perfectionism Left untreated, perfectionism can lead to anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and become a coping strategy for shame. So how can we work with clients when perfectionism is holding them back? Think for a moment about a lawyer with a tendency towards perfectionism. She spends hundreds of hours on each case, preparing as […]
Helping Clients Expand Their Comfort Zone
When it comes to treating anxiety, clients sometimes focus more on final outcomes than progress. But working with anxiety is often a daily process – a series of gradual (and often uncomfortable) steps to widen their comfort zone. So how can we motivate clients to embrace this process? In the video below, Kelly McGonigal, PhD […]