Tag Archives: safety
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
Letter to a Now Former Friend
One of the hardest things about trauma recovery is the process of recognizing which relationships are mutual and supportive and letting go of those that are not. I’ve done this over the course of years, particularly with family members, most … Continue reading
Posted in Relationships
Tagged boundaries, connection, friends, friendship, no contact, relationship, safety
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The Doctors in My Recovery Plan
Many people have trouble believing that caring doctors became an essential part of my Interpersonal Neurobiology-based trauma recovery plan. Some dismiss it entirely because they assume healing relationships have to happen with family, friends, a romantic partner, or a therapist. … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare
Tagged Complex PTSD, connection, doctors, healthcare, Medical PTSD, MPTSD, PTSD, recovery, safety
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“How Would You Like to Proceed?”: The Role of Agency in Safe Medicine
A recent visit to my dermatologist inspired me to write about the relationship between safety and agency. We’d already had four appointments before this visit. She always asked permission before touching me. Every time, she explained what she was doing … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare
Tagged boundaries, communication, connection, dermatologist, healthcare, safety, The Patel Pause, trust
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Bystander Complicity: An IPNB View
From an Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) perspective, the nervous system operates relationally, meaning that safety, trust, and connection are deeply shaped by social environments and relationships. Bystanders who witness abuse but fail to intervene may experience internal conflicts between their own … Continue reading
Posted in Abuse
Tagged bystanders, cognitive dissonance, complicity, IPNB, moral values, safety, Stress
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Noticing Safety in the Small Moments We Overlook
Walking home from the community garden, I saw a young man coming toward me on my street. It was Independence Day weekend and there was a local event happening nearby, so there were more people around than usual, including people … Continue reading
Posted in Community
Tagged Community, connection, moment, Noticing, safety, stranger, support, well-being
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Beyond Credentials: The Non-Negotiable Key to My Recovery
I had a years-long period when my functionality was so low that it was hard for me to leave the house. I was severely isolated by disability from repeated medical harm. My relationships with practitioners became my default primary social … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare, Relationships
Tagged connection, doctors, Empathy, healthcare, IPNB, pain, pain medicine, pain specialist, practitioners, Relational Neuroscience, relationships, safety, well-being
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The 17-Gun Salute That Shattered Me
Five years ago, during a year near death, one of the most intense stressors wasn’t the medical neglect or the endless fight for even minimal care. It was sound. The moment that shattered me was the 17–gun salute at my … Continue reading
Posted in Neurobiology, Trauma
Tagged audio-somatic Synesthesia, auditory issues, funeral, guns, hearing, hearing sensitivity, hyperacusis, safety, sound, sound sensitivity
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When the Body Sets the Pace: Trauma Integration Through Agency and Relationship
I had a remarkably powerful experience with my craniosacral practitioner after I had realized that my Moro Reflex flashbacks were also connected to the suffocation torture. It was the same posture–prone face up, arms wide, head back–and inability to breathe. … Continue reading
Posted in Relationships, Trauma
Tagged craniosacral, craniosacral practitioner, holding space, implicit memory, recovery, safety, torture, trauma recovery, witnessing
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