 Opportunities for GrowthTrauma shatters our lives in so many profound ways.
While it takes tremendous effort to heal, it can also produce some incredible opportunities for growth.
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 Surround Yourself with LoveWe live life more fully when we surround ourselves with people who like us, value us, and prioritize us and we do the same with them.
 Competing Needs for Autonomy versus ConnectionWe all have needs for independence/autonomy AND connectedness/togetherness.
These can feel like competing forces but when we integrate them in healthier ways, we experience interdependency.  Work Friendships Are ComplicatedWork friendships are often complicated with competing personal and professional needs.
We need to recognize the signs when they become toxic so that we can limit our contact or set stronger boundaries.  Neglecting Ourselves to Protect OurselvesWhen life is especially painful and challenging we can lose ourselves in the process.
It’s often a defense to protect ourselves.  Scapegoats See the Family DysfunctionHave you felt like a lone wolf in your family that gets a lot of pressure to blend in?
Being the family scapegoat is a challenging position to be in but also gives greater freedom to chart our own course.  Good Enough is EnoughGiving ourselves the grace of “good enough” is a gift that keeps on giving.
The irony is that we’re often able to do/be better than we otherwise would in chasing the mythical place of perfection.  Spending Our Time WiselyIt’s a self-empowering act to stop chasing people but rather spend our time more wisely with people who value our presence and naturally have time/interest in reciprocating.
 Coming Back to the PresentIt’s easy to “future trip” when our present is already so challenging.
Instead of worrying about a future that may never come to fruition, coming back to the present moment and cultivating moments of playfulness, pleasure, connection and gratitude is the antidote.  Why We Lose Our ChildhoodWhen we’re forced to grow up too fast, we still have childlike needs that need to be met in adulthood.
Understanding what caused us to lose our childhood and ways to reparent ourselves in adulthood is the beginning.  Caring for Our Inner ChildNo one has a “perfect” childhood but the need to reparent ourselves is especially critical when our needs were consistently unmet.
Childhood wounds can interrupt our lives into adulthood but thankfully we can still learn, heal and grow.  Finding the Right BalanceAnything taken to an extreme can become problematic.
We don’t need to attend to all feelings and all thoughts.  Childhood Abuse Impacts Us into AdulthoodAn integral part of healing from childhood abuse is recognizing the ways that it impacts us in the present.
 Living Our Most Authentic Lives MattersOne of the questions I get asked the most as a therapist is, “Am I normal?”
Underneath this question is often a desire to fit in, to belong, and to know that we’re not alone.  Pathologizing Others Harms Us TooLabeling other people’s behavior with derogatory and inaccurate terms is harmful for others but also for ourselves.
When we judge others harshly or project our own discomfort onto them, we’re less likely to give ourselves permission to be human and do our own growth.  More Compassion, Less StigmaWe’ve received so many messed up messages about food, eating, and our bodies that we can internalize these messages in harmful ways.
Instead of pathologizing and discriminating against diverse bodies, let’s appreciate all the colors of the body rainbow.  Imposter Syndrome Can Bring Growing PainsOne of my most memorable experiences feeling “Imposter Syndrome” was walking down the hallway of my new therapy office to greet my first client ever in private practice almost 22 years ago.
Feeling the anxiety of intense self-doubt can be paralyzing but it also can be the result of growing pains.  Healing Comes With Progress & Set BacksHealing is often a slow and steady process with plenty of setbacks.
That’s perfectly okay.  Being Vulnerable is CourageousIt makes us stronger to acknowledge our pain and more likely that we can heal when we do so.
 How We Use Our Time MattersWe don’t automatically heal or gain wisdom with the passing of time.
It’s how we use our lived experiences that gives us that.  Awareness is Key to Self-EmpowermentHaving a self-absorbed perfectionist for a boss can be a huge headache and even detrimental to our health and well-being in larger ways.
Interacting with them can erode our confidence and sense of reality as we’re constantly mistreated and even blamed for their own failures.  Poor Behaviors Aren't NecessaryJust because we feel strongly about something doesn’t mean we have the right to treat others poorly.
This isn’t about perfection or being robotic, it’s about learning and taking responsibility for our lives  Replacing Self-Judgment with Self-CompassionOur “Inner Child” represents that part of ourselves that is playful, creative and yet has also been hurt.
Instead of kicking ourselves when we’re down, we can learn to console ourselves with encouragement and love.  Have Reasonable ExpectationsToo often we’re told to “Rise Above” or “Be the Bigger Person” in situations where we’re being poorly treated.
This can too easily be misinterpreted that we shouldn’t advocate for ourselves, ask for more or set appropriate boundaries  Finding Balance with Our Feelings“Feeling our feelings” can be taken to an extreme where we’re doing it 24/7.
This is about striking the right balance between overindulging & ruminating on one side and denying or ignoring on the other. |
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