Your Autonomic Nervous System apprenticeship starts here. Veterans, children who have experienced abuse or neglect, and others who have suffered single event trauma are often left with emotional and psychological scars. Despite decades of effort, there are no clear-cut answers about how to heal them.Pills, talk therapy, and support groups help some people but not … Continue reading How to bring safety to the body after trauma
Rejection: How to move from ‘hamster’ to harmony
Most of us were born into a tribe. We were loved and loved ourselves. We clearly communicated our needs (typically through crying) and happily accepted the love and care we received because we instinctively knew we deserved it. But just for a moment, imagine if that wasn’t the case? That you were not born into … Continue reading Rejection: How to move from ‘hamster’ to harmony
Biological rudeness or simply survival?
Unintentional moments of disconnection happen when there is a violation of neural expediencies. Whether micro-moments that register like a blip on a radar screen or lingering stretches of disengagement, the experience of disruption is unsettling at a body level. Biological rudeness, a term coined by psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Porges, best describes the responses of fight, … Continue reading Biological rudeness or simply survival?
Attachment: Miss Chaotic AKA the disorganized
© Steve Rotman There is much talk in adoption and foster groups about the importance of attachment. But what exactly is it and why should it be on a caregiver's radar? According to the father of attachment theory, John Bowlby (1969), infants are born with a biological drive to seek proximity to a protective adult … Continue reading Attachment: Miss Chaotic AKA the disorganized
Attachment: Mr Unavailable AKA the Avoidant
Have you ever been in a relationship where the longer you stay in it, the more disconnected it feels? In fact, it borderlines on abuse. Over 25% of people are impacted by an Avoidant attachment adaptation. Learn to recognize the traits of an Avoidant and what you can do. What is Avoidant attachment? Amir Levine … Continue reading Attachment: Mr Unavailable AKA the Avoidant
The hidden trauma of adoption
No matter where you live in the world, when you adopt a child, strangers will spontaneously tell you how “lucky” your child is, how “incredible” you are, or how “blessed” your family will be. Let’s face it. Society places a halo on the heads of adoptive parents. But what society doesn’t know is that more … Continue reading The hidden trauma of adoption
the trauma initiative 