Author: Michelle Dunn

What is a trigger? A trigger is what happens when your brain or body is reminded of a past traumatic event. The reminder can cause distress for a person and emotions such as anxiety, fear, panic, sadness, anger. It is possible that being triggered can cause intrusive thoughts, feelings, memories, or flashbacks. What are examples…

Falling in love is a great feeling. Why not date yourself and fall in love with you? When was the last time you did something for you? The last time you tried something new? Thought about what makes you happy? If you find yourself single this February, why not try a 30 day dating yourself challenge…

Stress does not only affect our minds, but our bodies as well. There are many somatic, behavioral, and emotional symptoms of stress that can be an indication we need to take a break and practice self-care.  First and foremost…what is stress?  “Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat….

These words seem to be used interchangeably by a lot of people: sadness and depression. Often if something that can trigger situational sadness someone may say they are feeling depressed. Is there actually a difference between the two?  What is Sadness? Every one of use have experienced situations that have made us sad. It is…

Trauma can impact all areas of your life. More and more research is showing trauma not only affects your brain but will impact your nervous system and your body as well. Dr. Scaer’s research showed us that those with a history of complex childhood trauma have a higher likelihood of developing chronic pain conditions such…

What are coping skills? Most adults have heard to the term coping skills. The things that you do or use that help you cope with your emotions or a situation. There are both maladaptive and adaptive coping skills that people use to cope with their emotions.  What are Maladaptive Coping skills?   Maladaptive coping skills are…

Holidays and time leading up to them can be very challenging for those who have a history of childhood trauma. As a child, for those who are experiencing ongoing trauma, holidays are not the typical happy time. During the months of as early as September through January we are reminded of the “ most wonder…

What is hyper and hypo arousal? Firstly, In case you missed the prior window of tolerance blog post here is a quick recap on what hyperarousal and hypoarousal are: Hyperarousal Hyperarousal is when your sympathetic nervous system kicks into overdrive and has too much arousal. Your sympathetic nervous system is made up of your fight,…

What is your Window of tolerance & how does trauma affect it? The concept of window of tolerance was developed by Dan Siegel to help explain where we best function in terms of arousal in everyday life. If you get triggered outside of your window of tolerance, you can go into hyperarousal or hypoarousal.  Being within…

Brainspotting brief overview: Brainspotting was developed by David Grand in 2003. It is based off the theory that emotions from trauma can become stuck in your body and as a result can lead to both physical and mental struggles. Brainspotting is a newer cutting-edge treatment that will focus on the brain body connection. Although Brainspotting…