You are not broken. You are absorbing what is too much for one heart to carry alone. Dear Colleague, Vicarious trauma is not a personal failing. It is a natural response to holding story after story of harm, survival, and resilience. It builds slowly. One session, one disclosure, one crisis at a time. And often, […]
Caring Comes at a Cost: Vicarious Trauma in Survivor Work Read More »
Boundaries aren’t walls — they are the doors to your peace. Dear Survivor, After surviving an abusive relationship, setting boundaries can feel almost impossible. You may fear being called selfish. You may worry that saying no means you are “just as bad” as your abuser. You may wonder if you even have the right to
Survivor Strength: Building Boundaries Without Guilt Read More »
Understanding manipulation tactics is key to helping survivors stay empowered and safe in their abusive relationship. Dear Colleague, Two concepts every survivor — and provider — needs to understand are gray rocking and bread crumbing. When survivors know what to expect, they can protect their energy, set stronger boundaries, and move forward more confidently. Helping
Gray Rocking and Bread Crumbing: Tools Survivors Need to Know Read More »
Healing from narcissistic abuse takes more than time. It takes clarity, safety, and support to rebuild trust and self-worth. Dear Colleague, Guiding survivors through the aftermath of narcissistic abuse means understanding the deep emotional and psychological toll it leaves behind. This form of relational trauma is often invisible to outsiders but profoundly disruptive to a
Navigating the Healing Journey After Narcissistic Abuse Read More »
I have been working in trauma-focused therapy for survivors of domestic violence and relationship abuse for many years. These are the 3 simple (but effective) pieces of advice I’d give anyone starting out (or who wants to get started): Advice #1: Understand that staying in an abusive relationship can be a safety decision. One of
April 14, 2025 If you’re anything like me, you start with research. Before exploring deep therapeutic work, I wanted to understand what I was going through. I read anything I could get my hands on, desperate to make sense of my experience. Books became my lifeline. I’d identify, highlight, and reread parts I needed to
The Workbook I Needed: Tools for Healing and Growth Read More »