Feeling like you don’t belong can shape how you see yourself and relate to others. This sense of disconnection often starts in early childhood, when our basic need to feel wanted and welcomed isn’t fully met. The NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), developed by Laurence Heller, helps us understand how these early experiences influence our identity and survival strategies. One of the five survival styles NARM identifies is the Connection survival style, which emerges when

Understanding your true emotions is key to connecting with your authentic self. Many people experience emotions on a surface level, often recognizing only the secondary feelings that mask deeper, primary emotions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers a powerful approach to explore these layers, helping you identify your core emotional needs, communicate them effectively, and set healthy boundaries. This process can transform how you relate to yourself and others, leading

Living with the aftermath of prolonged trauma is like carrying a heavy, invisible backpack. Every day, it weighs you down in ways others might not see or understand. Complex PTSD, or CPTSD, is a condition that often goes unrecognised or misunderstood. But recognising the symptoms is the first step towards healing. Recognising complex trauma symptoms is not about labelling yourself but about understanding your experience. It’s about giving voice to the silent struggles and fin

Healing from childhood trauma is a journey that many of us embark on quietly, often carrying invisible wounds that shape our lives in profound ways. I know this path well because I have walked it myself, and I have seen others navigate it with courage and resilience. Trauma from our early years can feel like a shadow that follows us, influencing our thoughts, emotions, and relationships. But healing is possible. It requires patience, understanding, and the right support. In t

The focus of any trauma therapy should be on exploring your resources and strengths - what makes you beautiful and unique - that enabled...

Let's start with Kurt Goldstein - when studying brain damage - believed that healing was not as a result of repair but adaptation:...

When self-impression collapses, self-worth needs to be maintained at all cost. What starts as a natural narcissistic expectation to have...