If you’ve ever caught yourself replaying a moment over and over in your head—wondering what you should  have said or how you could’ve done something differently—you’ve experienced rumination . It can feel like your mind is stuck on repeat. You know it’s not helping, but you can’t seem to stop. Many people who grew up with childhood trauma recognize this familiar loop. So is rumination just “overthinking,” or could it be something deeper—like a trauma response? Let’s explore

How Childhood Trauma Affects Emotional Awareness “When we lose touch with our emotions, we lose touch with ourselves.” — Alice Miller,  The Drama of the Gifted Child Have you ever felt something deeply—but struggled to name it? Or maybe you feel nothing at all  when you know you should. These are common signs that your inner child  may still be carrying emotional wounds. Childhood is where we first learn how to feel. When caregivers model healthy emotional expression and safe

We’ve all had moments when something seemingly small—a glance, a tone, a delayed reply—feels unexpectedly painful. Your heart races, your chest tightens, and before you know it, you’re shutting down, lashing out, or spiraling into shame. You might think, “Why did I react so strongly? What’s wrong with me?” For survivors of childhood trauma, it may be that your inner child —the part of you that still carries early emotional wounds—is fighting to feel safe in the only ways it o

Learn how to tell the difference between healthy independence and trauma-driven self-reliance While independence is often celebrated as strength, for those with unresolved childhood trauma it can also be a survival strategy — a way of staying safe by never relying on others. The question isn’t whether  independence is good or bad. The real question is: Is your independence a choice or a defense? When Independence Is Healthy Healthy independence is the ability to be both self

Learn why trauma survivors feel this way, how the nervous system reacts, and what emotional healing really means. Have you ever caught...

Competition is often celebrated in our culture—it drives achievement, pushes us to grow, and can be healthy when it’s balanced. But for...