I had to learn to DO something about my circumstances rather than just complaining about them. That complaining was all I felt able to do, as I was stuck in traumatic freeze.
Listen: carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…
#TherapistsConnect

I wanted a therapist to give me sympathy, but not for him/her to hold up a mirror for me. I wanted validation to stay as I was, rather than challenge to change.
Listen to the podcast: carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…
#TherapistsConnect

Therapy can feel impossibly scary if we feel we need to talk about 'what happened' – before we're ready. But trauma therapy is about retraining our neurobiology to feel safe again – with or without a narrative. Read more: carolynspring.com/blog/why-do-we… 

#trauma #TherapistsConnect

My life is far from perfect, and neither am I (and never will be). But I have been gradually moving away from harmful patterns of relating. Listen to the podcast to find out more: carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…
#TherapistsConnect

To change, we need to be confronted by the discomfort of a new idea, feeling, action. But that newness can appear insensitive or too challenging – it's tricky.
Listen to the podcast: carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…
#TherapistsConnect

Our post-traumatic responses are not our character. They are survival instincts. This is the double-whammy of trauma: we get hurt, and then blame ourselves for saying 'ouch'. Read more: carolynspring.com/blog/shame-is-…
#trauma #TherapistsConnect

Are we looking for transformation in therapy, or just for sympathy? I benefitted hugely from therapists showing me immense empathy alongside immense challenge. Listen: carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…
#TherapistsConnect

What are our expectations of how long therapy should take? And how long should it take for us to see tangible changes? We’re growing something huge … doesn't that takes time?! Listen: carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…
#TherapistsConnect

We often want to see instant change from just one session, but sometimes we need a longer-term view. So keep on keeping on.
Listen to the podcast: carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…
#TherapistsConnect

During #trauma , we are unseen and unheard, and our feelings are unfelt. Healing from trauma involves feeling seen, and feeling heard, and feeling felt. What are the words that can facilitate that?

Read 'Words that make us feel seen': carolynspring.com/blog/words-tha… 

#TherapistsConnect

Therapy isn't self-indulgent. It takes courage and a deep commitment to growth to be willing to face unbearable psychological pain. Listen to the podcast: carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…
#TherapistsConnect

My ability to take on board a different perspective, rather than just garnering support for my own, was absolutely essential to therapy being transformative for me.
Listen here: carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…
#TherapistsConnect

NEW podcast just dropped! – 'How therapy transformed me'.
Listen on Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts etc or direct on the website (with full transcript): carolynspring.com/podcast/podcas…

#TherapistsConnect #trauma #psychotherapy

Bad stuff in childhood, and more bad stuff in adulthood: sometimes it feels just too overwhelming. But one thing that keeps me going is the opportunity to get my revenge by speaking up for both myself and others.

Read this: carolynspring.com/blog/falling-d… 

#TherapistsConnect #trauma

Trauma profoundly shifts the way that we view the world. This is an unconscious bias, not simply a choice. It is our brain and body's best attempt at staying safe in a dangerous world by predicting the future.

Read more: carolynspring.com/blog/why-do-we… 

#trauma #TherapistsConnect

A key unconscious strategy for coping with #trauma is to not know about it. This happens on both a personal and societal level. It's a great short-term coping mechanism, but unfortunately a terrible long-term one.

Find out more here: carolynspring.com/shop/wwddicp-o… 

#TherapistsConnect

Words matter. Labels can help, but they can also make us feel that we are not a full human being, but merely the sum of our symptoms. How can we use words that make people feel seen and feel heard and feel felt? 

Read more at: carolynspring.com/blog/words-tha… 

#trauma #TherapistsConnect

'Get fixed quick!' is a harmful scam that leaves us feeling ashamed for the multi-layered, developmental impact of complex trauma on our lives. Find out more on this podcast at www.carolynspring/podcasts or on Spotify ('Conversations with Carolyn Spring'). #TherapistsConnect

To manage post-traumatic challenges, we need our attachment needs to be met, by having someone who is a 'secure base' for us – easier said than done. Find out more at carolynspring.com/podcasts or via Spotify ('Conversations with Carolyn Spring'). #TherapistsConnect

Shame acts as a handbrake on anger, to prevent us from getting into more trouble. But anger is also a protective mechanism, stopping people from treating us badly. Without it, the cycle may continue.

Read: carolynspring.com/blog/shame-is-… 

#trauma #TherapistsConnect