Latest Blog Posts

The Brain and Trauma
Swollen Amygdala A child living under traumatic conditions will develop a brain that is very biased to danger. This will last into adulthood. This is done through the amygdala which is the ‘smoke alarm’ and emotional centre of the brain. Brain

Triggers and Triggering
A child who has lived in a situation of stress and abuse for a prolonged time will usually develop Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is an elaborate system of defence mechanisms which are triggered by events in the environment which

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy uses psychoeducation to educate the client about trauma and the physical effects it has had on the body and brain and on how we think, feel and behave. It works on developing self-awareness of our bodily responses. Understanding ourselves

Healing from a Difficult Childhood
It can be hard to heal from a difficult childhood but it can be done. Healing is possible and takes place through: 1. Knowledge – read everything you can about psychological subjects which are relevant to you. Learning leads to: 2. Understanding – you

Understanding Anger
“The average adult experiences anger about once a day and becomes annoyed or peeved about three times a day.” What is Anger? Anger is one of our natural inbuilt ‘mammalian’ defences which is designed to keep us safe from danger. Anger

Symptoms of Trauma
Trauma survivors have symptoms of the trauma in their behaviours and thoughts, these are not their personality or character but are echoes of trauma. Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is mostly seen in those whose trauma occurred in childhood. When children

Why We Self-Sabotage
Why Do We Self-Sabotage? Self-sabotage can be defined as acting in a way that is detrimental to both our well-being and to reaching our potential. Self-sabotage can be either conscious or subconscious and is expressed in our behaviours when we undermine

Why Some People Do Not Know They Have Trauma
We learn to defend ourselves from the world at a very young age. These defences become ingrained and we think they are parts of our personalities. We may often dismiss our defences as ‘that’s just me.’ Defences are ingenious as they

Healing From Narcissistic Abuse
Those with Narcissistic Personality Disordered parents have a lot of healing to do, but it can be done. The defences that were built in childhood need to be carefully dismantled and replaced with the characteristics of assertiveness and confidence. Many people