This post looks at the phenomenon of “trauma repetition”or “repetition compulsion”, i.e., the tendency to recreate past traumas in the present. I will use the character Christian Grey from the novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” as an example of this … Continue reading
In my last blog post on complex post traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD)and flashbacks, I reproduced Pete Walker’s list of thirteen steps for managing emotional flashbacks. These are all things a person can do on their own when they find themselves … Continue reading
Complex post traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), also known as developmental trauma disorder or complex trauma, is a psychological injury. It is thought to result from prolonged exposure to social or interpersonal trauma, dis-empowerment, captivity or entrapment, and situations where there … Continue reading
This post offers exercises to manage anxiety. You may find them difficult at first because they involve doing things that feel foreign, awkward, and even counter intuitive. I encourage you to stick with them and to not be hard on … Continue reading
Self injury, also called self harm, self abuse or self mutilation, is when a person intentionally hurts him/herself. It is often a way of coping with intense emotions, but can also be a call for help. Contrary to what many … Continue reading
This post reviews what John Bowlby, the father of attachment theory, had to say about grief and loss. The implications of these ideas for clinical practice will be covered in the next post in this series on attachment, grief and … Continue reading
This post covers the relevance of attachment theory to clinical counselling practice. Attachment theory is the brain child of John Bowlby, a British psycho-analytically trained psychiatrist. Between 1969 and 1980 Bowlby published a three volume series on human behavior related … Continue reading
Betrayal trauma, a form of traumatic experience that is interpersonal or relational in nature, occurs when someone violates us in such a way that it damages the trust, safety and security of the bond(s) that existed. Interestingly, many women across … Continue reading
Anything that provides pleasure can become an addiction. This is true for behaviours (such as the use of pornography) as well as substances. The question is how do you know when a pleasurable activity has become an addiction. There is … Continue reading