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Journey to Healing:
Trauma • People-Pleasing • Relationships • Dissociation
Healing from trauma isn’t easy—but you don’t have to figure it out alone. This blog is a safe place to explore what it really means to recover from childhood wounds, break free from people-pleasing, and navigate the ups and downs of relationships after trauma.
As a trauma therapist serving women in North Dakota and Minnesota, I share insights, tools, and real-talk guidance about topics like:
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Understanding the effects of trauma on the nervous system and relationships
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Finding freedom from anxiety, guilt, and shame
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Supporting healing if you live with dissociation or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
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Practical strategies to set boundaries, care for yourself, and move forward
Whether you’re searching for hope, wanting to understand yourself better, or curious about therapy, you’re in the right place. Healing is possible—let’s take this journey together.
The Science of Why Boundaries Help You Heal Faster
...here’s the truth: boundaries aren’t just about keeping things out. They’re about creating the safety your mind and body need to heal. And there’s actual science behind it.
Sep 19, 20253 min read
5 Signs You’re Ready for Permission-Based Healing
permission-based healing might be the fresh start you need. This approach invites you to give yourself grace, rest, and freedom to heal at your own pace — without guilt or pressure.
Sep 12, 20252 min read
What Is Permission-Based Healing and Why It Changes Everything
Permission-based healing means giving yourself explicit permission to heal on your own terms — in your own time, your own way. It’s about letting go of external expectations, timelines, and pressure to “fix” yourself quickly or perfectly.
Sep 9, 20252 min read
What Healing Truly Means
Healing isn’t a finish line. It’s a permission slip — one you write for yourself — to live in a way that honors your needs, your story, and your pace.
Sep 5, 20252 min read
How to Find the Right Therapist (Even If It's Overwhelming)
Therapy costs and payment methods vary widely. Some therapists accept insurance; others are private pay only. Think about what works best for your budget and comfort around privacy (private pay often means more confidentiality). Don’t hesitate to ask upfront about fees, sliding scales, and insurance acceptance.
Aug 29, 20252 min read
Quieting the Inner Critic: A Trauma-Informed Approach
When we internalize these messages, we carry them forward—not because we want to, but because at one point, they helped us stay safe or avoid conflict.
Aug 22, 20252 min read
How People-Pleasing Shows Up in the Body
Ignoring these bodily signals can worsen both physical and emotional health. Recognizing how people-pleasing manifests physically is the first step to healing. Learning to listen to your body and respond with self-compassion is crucial.
Aug 19, 20251 min read
How to Feel Safe Saying How You Really Feel
Feeling unsafe to express your feelings is often rooted in past experiences. Maybe you were told to “stop being so sensitive,” or that your emotions made others uncomfortable. These messages become internalized beliefs that speaking up will lead to rejection or harm.
Aug 15, 20252 min read
The Science of Trauma: How it Shapes the Brain, Body, and Behavior
Trauma can lead to a dysregulated nervous system, where we either become hypervigilant (anxious, on edge) or hypo-aroused (numb, shut down). These aren’t signs of weakness. They’re your body’s way of keeping you safe.
Aug 12, 20252 min read
Trauma & the Workplace: How Unresolved Wounds Show UP on the Job
These aren’t personality flaws. They’re coping mechanisms that may have once protected you—especially if you experienced emotional neglect, high-conflict homes, or environments where safety, approval, or worth were conditional.
Aug 5, 20252 min read
Cultural Perspectives on Trauma Healing
Healing from trauma isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our backgrounds, traditions, and communities shape the way we make meaning from pain—and how we recover from it. Western psychology often focuses on individual healing. But many cultures emphasize collective care, ancestral wisdom, and spiritual practices.
Jul 29, 20251 min read
How People-Pleasing Hides in Trauma Responses
What Is the Fawn Response?
It’s a lesser-known trauma response where someone copes by appeasing others to avoid danger, conflict, or rejection. It’s rooted in the belief: If I’m helpful, quiet, and agreeable, I’ll stay safe.
Jul 25, 20251 min read
Trauma And Creativity - How Expression Supports Healing
Healing from trauma isn’t always about talking it out. Sometimes, healing speaks through images, movement, rhythm, or color. Creativity offers a path to access emotions and memories that words alone can’t reach.
Jul 22, 20251 min read
Community Support and Healing
You don’t need a huge circle—just a few safe, present people who hold space for your healing. Trauma may have taught you that you had to go it alone. Healing reminds you: you don't.
Jul 15, 20251 min read
The Role of Nutrition in Trauma Recovery
Healing from trauma requires care for both your emotional and physical well-being. While therapy and support are essential, nutrition can also play a surprisingly powerful role in your recovery process. Trauma doesn’t just impact your thoughts—it affects your body, especially your nervous system, immune function, and gut health.
Jul 8, 20251 min read
Understanding & Managing Flashbacks
Flashbacks are involuntary, intrusive experiences where past trauma resurfaces in a way that feels like it's happening all over again. For some, it's visual—seeing scenes from a traumatic event. For others, it's more emotional or sensory—smelling something familiar, feeling panic without explanation, or noticing your body stiffen or freeze.
Jul 1, 20252 min read
Parenting After Trauma: Breaking Cycles and Building Connection
If you’re a trauma survivor raising children, you may feel the weight of wanting to do things differently—wanting to break generational cycles, show up with more patience, and build a safe and nurturing environment for your child. And yet, old wounds can sneak in. Your nervous system may feel constantly on high alert. You may second-guess yourself often. You may feel overwhelmed by your child’s emotions—especially if you were never taught how to handle your own.
Jun 24, 20252 min read
Trauma and Spirituality: How Faith and Spiritual Practices Can Support Healing
Trauma can challenge core beliefs about safety, trust, and the world’s fairness. It may leave survivors feeling lost, abandoned, or disconnected—not only from themselves and others but also from their spiritual beliefs. Some may question their faith or feel anger toward a higher power. Others might find new or renewed spiritual meaning that helps them rebuild and find peace.
Jun 17, 20252 min read
Navigating Grief After Trauma: Exploring the Complexities and Finding Healing
Trauma survivors often experience grief not only for what was lost but also for the ways trauma has changed their lives, relationships, and sense of self.
Understanding these complexities is an important step toward healing and reclaiming hope.
Jun 10, 20252 min read
How EMDR Helps with Complex Trauma: What to Expect in a Session
EMDR is a therapeutic approach developed to help individuals process traumatic memories by using bilateral stimulation. The goal of EMDR is to desensitize the emotional charge attached to these memories, allowing them to be processed and integrated in a healthier way.
While it was initially developed for PTSD, EMDR has proven effective for many types of trauma, including complex trauma. By reprocessing distressing memories, EMDR helps individuals reduce the emotional intensit
May 27, 20254 min read
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