https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog daily 0.75 2025-02-19 https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/understanding-your-identity-after-trauma monthly 0.5 2025-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/ab7f7f10-59d1-4b87-9918-de88259ddfd7/image.png Blog - Understanding Your Identity After Trauma - Our Selves (big S) are a lot like that when it comes to living with Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). Everyone else seems to know who they are, what they like, and how to live in the moment. They navigate their lives as though on autopilot, without shutting down, effortlessly connected to their sense of self. But it can feel like we don’t even know where to start. Maybe your sense of self feels shattered, or perhaps it was never given the chance to form in the first place. Trauma and attachment wounds can make it nearly impossible to connect with yourself. These wounds are so deep that even the thought of trying to build a connection to who you are feels like a threat to your survival. When someone told me, “You just need to love yourself,” I couldn’t grasp the idea. Love who? How do you love someone who isn’t there? All I knew was pain. The emptiness, the aching, the sense of disconnection was so overwhelming https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/e406ed57-6c44-4897-8de5-5bbd4ab359dd/pexels-photo-3752928.jpeg Blog - Understanding Your Identity After Trauma - This is where the inner critic starts to show up. As Tasha Eurich points out in Insight, “The ruminator is ready at a moment’s notice to second-guess our choices and remind us where we come up short… it can masquerade as a productive reflection” (108). Rumination keeps us stuck. We overthink every step, convinced we’re getting it wrong. I remember times when overthinking led me to the worst decisions—staying in places or relationships where my rational brain said everything made sense, but my body screamed otherwise. Managing rumination means focusing on learning instead of perfection, being curious instead of critical, and giving ourselves gentle reality checks (113–114). For trauma survivors, the challenge goes deeper. The famous philosophical phrase cogito ergo sum—”I think, therefore I am”—might seem logical. Still, it https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/00d36506-6708-47ad-bfd7-43f819281b57/pexels-photo-2256845.jpeg Blog - Understanding Your Identity After Trauma - When we’re starting to pedal forward, it’s helpful to practice noticing our “felt sense,” the totality of physical sensations we experience in the moment. This can be as simple as sitting still and paying attention to how your body feels against the chair or how your skin feels under your clothes. Does this awareness grow or shift as you focus on it? Approaching this process with compassion and gentleness can help you become more comfortable with your body. Much like learning to ride a bike with a caregiver’s support, we start by feeling small, instinctual sensations and slowly build confidence in our ability to move forward. But pedaling forward isn’t just about the body—it’s also about the stories we tell ourselves. Our inner critic often appears to derail us, layering perfectionism, https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/tools-for-complex-ptsd-showering monthly 0.5 2025-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/ae529247-bc8b-4008-85f2-848fd8cca4d5/pexels-photo-2766775.jpeg Blog - Tools for Complex PTSD: Showering - Such a simple task: get up in the morning, or right before bed, and clean ourselves. However, showering has a few things that can be challenging. Sometimes, our brains go through and have us think through every tiny detail of what we need to shower; we may dislike the sensation of the showering process, including the hot, cold, length of time, or even scents involved. In addition, some of you may have showering linked to previous abuse. Regarding CPTSD, showering is not a small task but a rather laborious daily task that takes time, effort, and spoons out of your day. One of the first things to consider is what showering and hygiene can assist you with. Often, we get so caught up in ways that showering is dangerous or laborious that we ignore the benefits as to why WE would want to have clean bodies. Making this choice isn’t talking with your friends or therapist and getting a list of reasons why they think you should shower, but instead, your reasoning. Do you feel better after a shower? Does it feel more relaxing? Do you like smelling nicer? Do you feel better about leaving your space? Does it give you the ability to see people more frequently? Does it decrease the amount of shame you experience? Do you just like that you got some alone time? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/e1486411-f970-4fcd-95be-87fc4e12859a/pexels-photo-4099354.jpeg Blog - Tools for Complex PTSD: Showering - Changing direction Don’t get undressed entirely Give yourself a sacrificial bathing suit that you wear into the shower Only clean one thing at a time using a washcloth or baby wipes when you don’t need an “everything” shower. Put a towel over the mirror so you don’t have to see yourself Lock the door, and give yourself more privacy Do a number of these things You can opt for a bath instead of a shower, which may be more relaxing and allow you to be clean. https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/tools-for-managing-complex-ptsd-massage monthly 0.5 2025-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/620e6662-1a65-4d5b-8cd0-3f68aa5cfe91/pexels-photo-3757942.jpeg Blog - Tools for Managing Complex PTSD: Massage - Whenever I had the time and finances, I wanted a massage. My body holds its tension in my shoulders and hips. They become tight, intense pain, and difficult to start getting me to move under times of stress. The longer I go without getting help with releasing these muscles, the more susceptible I am to more stress, increased emotion, dissociation, and irritability. So, Massage has become a large part of my own self-healing treatment. The Fear of Massage Unfortunately, with CPTSD, the idea of having another person touch you all over can be intimidating and outright fearful. When our society and the people around us start to discuss messages, they don’t consider what has happened to them. Fear of your https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/unpacking-trauma-with-curiosity-compassion-and-a-dash-of-humor monthly 0.5 2025-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/fab06bd6-0281-49b5-ad1c-98c56d6e6bf5/img-20241013-wa0026.jpg Blog - Unpacking Trauma with Curiosity, Compassion, and a Dash of Humor - Welcome to The Trauma Compass! I’m Candace Dickinson, a Licensed Mental Health Clinician with over 11 years of experience helping people navigate the wild terrain of trauma, depression, anxiety, and all the other emotional curveballs life throws our way. If life feels like you’re lost in a forest without a map, think of me as your guide with a trusty compass—and maybe a few snacks—to help you find your way. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. I’ll admit—this work isn’t just professional for me; it’s personal. Like many of you, I’ve wrestled with trauma myself. Picture me as someone who’s not only studied the map but also tripped on the roots, gotten tangled in the bushes, and eventually figured out a few paths worth sharing. Those experiences have fueled my passion for helping others find their own sense of direction. One thing I’ve learned along the way is that emotions are a lot like cats. No, really—stay with me here. We often try to stuff them into neat little boxes where we think they belong, but much like cats, emotions are wildly irrational and have their own agenda. You might try to shove them into a “calm” box, but they’re already halfway across the room knocking over a lamp. The best thing we can do is observe them, interact with them on their terms, and, when possible, create a safe space for them to just exist. Fighting what should or shouldn’t be there often leads to more scratches than solutions. https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/tools-for-managing-complex-ptsd-coloring monthly 0.5 2025-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/847d5fd7-fd44-48bf-8342-fd023c22aed2/pexels-photo-7181612+%281%29.jpeg Blog - Tools for Managing Complex PTSD: Coloring - Years ago you started noticing all of these different adult coloring books pop up. All of a sudden, you started hearing of adults managing their anxiety by breaking out colored pencils. I remember scoffing at this and wondering if there was any benefit to simply opening an adult coloring book and enjoying yourself. The reality is, that it does help a lot of people. Coloring can help with creating a trance-like state, which gives you a chance to break free from technology, allowing you to engage more parts of your brain. What’s the deal with coloring? A lot of the time, when you engage in coloring, there are a lot of different things that occur, including: Decreasing anxiety- by giving yourself a few moments to focus on other things than what’s going on in your brain, it helps you release the ruminating thoughts. Interacting with the creative brain—When you activate your creative brain, you can see things beyond what you envisioned. It forces you to be in the moment. Sometimes, when you’re dissociated or need to reconnect, coloring can mobilize your muscles and give you a chance to ground yourself. It can help with talking about complex topics (especially in therapy). By giving the mind something else to focus on, you’re allowing yourself a moment of clarity, allowing you to move away from using just the verbal parts of your brain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/d26db19a-0efd-4f5b-b09f-152b3abfad4f/pexels-photo-9939267.jpeg Blog - Tools for Managing Complex PTSD: Coloring - What Research says One study looked at happiness in veterans. Six group mandala coloring sessions significantly increased happiness compared to other coloring pages. However, it is essential to note that those who colored freely also had a significant increase in their happiness score from baseline. (Nasiri et al., 2024) From what we know about PTSD (most notably, CPTSD), it is essential to acknowledge how we feel pleasure and happiness can help us break through to a part of our brain that is affected by our trauma. When we have been in a shutdown state, having a https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/3afa22ad-2558-4959-92cd-b44db9738f15/ciMVII_shopify_900x1200_hero1_grande.jpg Blog - Tools for Managing Complex PTSD: Coloring - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/2c13ae6f-0d65-4447-bff3-380b00075111/71orBmxs%2BcL._SY466_.jpg Blog - Tools for Managing Complex PTSD: Coloring - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/tools-for-managing-complex-ptsd-hands-on-heart-technique monthly 0.5 2025-02-02 https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/avoiding-impulsivity-tips-for-hungry-angry-lonely-and-tired monthly 0.5 2025-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/57046ee2-e726-4439-bb3d-72108a9f36d2/pexels-photo-18616394.jpg Blog - Avoiding Impulsivity: Tips for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired - Just as important as food is to us, anger can be just as damaging. Anger is often called a “secondary” emotion. We might use anger to manage ourselves because it’s easier than feeling pain, sadness, or annoyance. I find myself saying things I don’t always mean when angry. I remember one time when I was angry, I almost ordered a full “evil queen” outfit to fit the person I thought my friend saw me as. I was angry at her and felt much pain and sadness over what had happened. If I had gone with my anger, I would have spent hundreds of dollars on an outfit that would have been sitting in my closet for quite a long time or until the following Halloween. My impulse would not only hurt my friend if I were to wear the outfit during our talk but would have created an impulsive decision that would cost me hard-earned money when I needed to be penny-pinching. Finding True North: When you feel angry, investing time into recognizing the other emotions and calling on other skills may save you time, pain, or unwanted stress and help you maintain healthy relationships with those you may be lashing out at. Even if the result ends the relationship, it will often feel better, and you will feel more accepting of your responses if you take the time to step back and use your skills before responding. These skills may include just taking a breath, focusing on your surroundings, making a list of your safety and danger cues, or taking a moment to ask yourself what to do next.Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/youre-a-wizard-candace-how-emdr-changed-my-life-then-my-practice monthly 0.5 2025-02-02 https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/breathing-the-simple-powerful-tool-youre-overlooking monthly 0.5 2025-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/1e0a1f70-501b-466a-a86c-56805577e5fb/box-breathing-technique.gif Blog - Breathing: The Simple, Powerful Tool You’re Overlooking - Make it stand out From https://www.noisli.com/blog/the-box-breathing-technique/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/6ec960d3-d6ac-42e2-9ecf-ba79599315ab/4-7-8-breathing.gif Blog - Breathing: The Simple, Powerful Tool You’re Overlooking https://www.cdcounseling.org/blog/turning-complexity-into-clarity-the-mission-of-the-trauma-compass monthly 0.5 2025-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a95b5e50d2430dcff1f787/e8154b22-25fc-447c-bad9-92c771639e5c/turning-complexity-into-clarity-the-mission-of-the-trauma-compass-2.jpg Blog - 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