Author Archives: Shay Seaborne, CPTSD
The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Sleep
Sleep is one of the main ways the brain and body restore balance after the demands of the day. During sleep, the brain sorts and stores memories, processes emotional experiences, and clears away metabolic waste that builds up while we’re … Continue reading
Embodied, Safe, and Present: Qigong as Nervous System Support
I have been building a Qigong practice for about 18 months, and am impressed by the multiple benefits. Within weeks, I felt more freedom and less pain and tension across my upper body. Now, I find I am more present … Continue reading
Safety, Connection, Belonging, and Well-Being
From an Interpersonal Neurobiology perspective, safety, connection, belonging, and well-being are not separate experiences, but interdependent processes that continuously shape one another. Safety is the foundation. When our nervous system detects enough predictability, responsiveness, and choice, it becomes possible to … Continue reading
Posted in Community
Tagged belonging, connections, Interpersonal Neurobilology, IPNB, Relational Neuroscience, safety, well-being
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The Neurobiology of the “Busybody”
You have probably known a “busybody,” a person who constantly tells other people how to live. They can be annoying, intrusive, and hard to comprehend. But from a Relational Neuroscience perspective, they may have difficulty tolerating the reality that another … Continue reading
Facebook: When exploitation of Human Connection is the Business Model
Human beings evolved for connection. Throughout history and across cultures, our survival and well-being have depended on fundamental social needs: belonging, recognition, communication, and active participation in a community. Relational Neuroscience shows that our neural pathways, stress-response systems, and emotional … Continue reading
Posted in Culture
Tagged algorhythms, billionaires, control, corporate interests, Facebook, social media
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Games Therapists Play
The pop psychology book, “Games People Play” was published in 1964. I remember reading it as a teenager in the 70’s. It described common relational patterns among people, like the “Yes, But” game, in which a person complains, another offers … Continue reading
Posted in Mental Health
Tagged games, Games People Play, gaslighting, manipulation, pop psychology, talk therapy, therapist, therapy
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Grief Moves When the Body Is Allowed: Trauma Integration and the Power of Witnessing
I went into my craniosacral appointment without an agenda, not trying to make anything happen. I laid on the treatment table and my doctor cradled my head with his hands. Before long, I felt a huge wave of deep grief rise … Continue reading
Self-Harm: A Survival Adaptation, Not a Character Flaw
A few years ago, when I was struggling the hardest, I occasionally engaged in self-harm. My body knew the practice offered relief, but I still felt some shame, because I’d been indoctrinated to believe self-harm is a kind of pathological … Continue reading
The Falsehood of “Post-Traumatic Growth”
People sometimes tell me I am experiencing “post-traumatic growth.” They say it like it’s a compliment, and I should feel encouraged. As if this is the gold at the end of years of fighting for my life. That’s a falsehood. … Continue reading
The Hidden Load of Heat When You Live With CPTSD and CRPS
Lately, everything feels more challenging. I have been sleeping more. Some days I take two or three naps. I feel lethargic and become cognitively stressed more easily. My productivity, which is already limited by chronic illness, is even more impeded2. … Continue reading
Posted in Brain Function
Tagged brain fog, cognitive issues, fatigue, health, heat, heat stress, high temperatures, homeostasis, Mental Health, Regulation
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