It was the missing link in my recovery process — and allowed me to finally enjoy a beautiful family vacation. — I just spent six days with family at the beach on vacation. Six years ago, I couldn’t have done this. I’m not even sure I could have done it six months ago. My nervous system was far too dysregulated to navigate family history and complicated emotional triggers. But trauma therapy…

It’s helpful to have an outside perspective but often, the thing we truly need is to shut up and listen to that quiet inner voice telling us what we already know to be true. — I’m a big believer in giving myself the advice I need. Sometimes, it’s helpful to have an outside perspective like a best friend. But often, the thing we truly need is to shut up and listen to that quiet inner voice telling us what we already know to be true.

I’ve come too far to negotiate the non-negotiables. — Sometimes, if I’m honest, I want to compromise a little. I want to bend the rules I set for myself. I’m lonely, and it would be so much easier not to be if I was willing to wiggle my standards down lower. But lower is how I got here in…

I’ve never considered myself fearful. Even as a child, I was borderline reckless with my bravery. There was no tree I was afraid to climb or height I was afraid to go to. If someone told me I couldn’t do something, I was definitely going to try to do…

Some of the ways we end relationships make healing harder. — The plain and simple truth is that breakups are hard. There’s no magical strategy that will erase the pain. There are, however, things we can do to avoid making them harder than they need to be. I’ve been on both sides of breakups — the one leaving and the one…

Can you tell the difference between friendliness and attraction? — Past rejection and failed relationships can contribute to self-doubt. Having misjudged someone’s character once just might make you doubt your ability to accurate read the room next time. You might even struggle to identify when someone is being friendly versus showing signs of interest and attraction. You don’t want to…

We don’t need to be reminded of our strength — I’m done with challenges. At least, I want to be. Every time I think I’ve reached a point of security, safety, and success, things go sideways. My life is upended and shaken out, and I am left reassembling the pieces into new shapes. If I’m honest, I’m tired of being…

Your breakup persona speaks volumes about your character. — When falling in love, we rarely — if ever — stop to consider the full ramifications. We’re learning who they are in love, but we can’t always tell who they’ll be when they fall out of it. We want to believe they won’t fall out of it at all. Of…

There’s nothing quite as spooky as tiptoeing into the modern dating pool — Tis the season for all things spooky, and for modern thrills and chills, you can simply log on to a dating app in an effort to connect with another person romantically. You might not have this activity on your autumn bucket list. Your list probably includes visiting a haunted house…