Tag Archives: therapy
Survivors in the Lurch: How Doctors Disregard Their Role in Resolving Medical Trauma
Recently, I heard the same line I’ve been hearing for years. A prominent pain specialist told me that doctors don’t have the time to help me recover from medical PTSD. The conversation always drops straight into the same rut: “Are … Continue reading
Clinical Harm: An IPNB Perspective on the Therapist’s Agenda
When a therapist repeatedly interrupts, dismisses a client’s distressing experiences, or imposes their own agenda, it can have significant negative effects on the client’s nervous system, often triggering a state of dysregulation. Here’s what happens from an Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) … Continue reading
Foundations of Regulation: Interpersonal Neurobiology Made Easy!
The Foundations of Regulation course helps you understand and experience your internal responses, without pressure, judgment, or performance. Everything is optional, and every practice is designed for you to explore at your own pace. You learn the key Interpersonal Neurobiology … Continue reading
The Therapist’s Mirror: How Lack of Self-Awareness Can Dysregulate Clients
A therapist who lacks the capacity for self-awareness and attunement may, at best, provide surface-level support, but they’re also likely to cause harm, especially to trauma survivors. Without the ability to co-regulate and deeply connect with their clients’ internal states, … Continue reading
Dear Doctor: I Have Lots of Therapists. Including You.
Your Presence Is the Treatment. Or the Harm. It is striking how many doctors, especially pain specialists, have doubly verified that I have a good therapist. Or a therapist. That I’m “in mental health care.” I understand why they ask. … Continue reading
The Nervous System Knows: Why Safety Comes First in Trauma Recovery
When Dr. Stephen Porges says “safety is the therapy,” what he means is that the foundation for any healing—especially from trauma—is the experience of felt safety, not just physical safety. From an Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) perspective, this means that our … Continue reading
When Your Therapist Janks You Up Worse
An experience I had with a therapist years ago continues to haunt me. It serves as a reminder of how devastating it can be when a therapist not only misses the mark but adds to the trauma they’re supposed to … Continue reading
Trauma is the Problem. Connection is the Solution.
I have spent the last 6.5 years largely treating Complex PTSD myself due to lack of access to appropriate level care. This includes from a Somatic Experiencing psychologist whose bandwidth turned out to be too narrow for my somatic experience! … Continue reading
When the Practitioner Cannot Attune: A Barrier to Healing
When a healthcare practitioner struggles to attune to a patient, the relational dynamic becomes strained. The practitioner may fail to notice or respond to the patient’s emotional, physiological, and relational cues, leading to a sense of disconnection and misattunement. For … Continue reading
#1 Healthcare Mistake: Inability to Attune
A practitioner’s ability to attune can be impeded by a variety of factors, often stemming from their own internal state, training, or external pressures. These include: Unresolved Stress or Dysregulation: If the practitioner’s nervous system is in a state of … Continue reading