Category: Inner Conflict
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This Is Hard To Talk About
Tips from a chronic pain recovery therapist Content note: This post addresses the topic of childhood sexual trauma. It does not go into detail; rather, the focus is on the healing challenges that we face when we have experiences that are hard to talk about — as well as how to overcome those challenges. Stress…
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Anger: The Missing Ingredient to Chronic Pain Recovery
Time and time again, when I experience a period of pain and anxiety flares, the trail of clues that I receive when I listen to my body leads me back to this one underlying theme: Feeling guilty about feeling angry. Do you relate? Anger can be an empowering, expansive emotion — an embodiment of our innate life force. Karla…
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What’s the Point of “Feeling Your Feelings?”
Tips from a chronic pain recovery therapist A question I get often is: “What’s the purpose of feeling my feelings, when bringing them to the surface just makes me feel worse?” Great question! We feel our feelings for two reasons: First, to release the pressure that gets built up when we suppress emotions. Second, to…
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This Is How Emotional Invalidation Can Lead to Chronic Pain — And How To Heal
When our emotional wounds aren’t acknowledged and tended to with care so that they can heal, our nervous system produces armor to protect us from further harm. Armor can look like… The armor is designed to protect us from harm. And in the short term, it can do just that. But armor doesn’t heal our…
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Beliefs That Block Recovery From Chronic Pain
Tips from a chronic pain recovery therapist One of the most common blocks to chronic pain recovery is the culturally reinforced habit of invalidating our own emotional wounds. Pain is a danger signal that’s created by the nervous system when it feels unsafe. Sometimes the danger is a physical wound, like a broken arm. But…
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Forgiveness Isn’t the Only Way to Heal
Tips from a chronic pain recovery therapist There’s a ton of talk in wellness communities about the healing powers of forgiveness, including from chronic pain recovery specialists. And I can understand why. Oxford Languages’ definition of forgiveness begins like this: “[To] stop feeling angry or resentful…” Forgiveness is one route — and only one of many routes —…
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Is Your Fear of Anger Holding Back Your Healing?
Tips from a chronic pain recovery therapist A theme I’ve noticed with clients is that they want to start using expressive writing as part of their chronic pain recovery, but they feel so much resistance to the activity that they just can’t get themselves to write. When we peel back the layers of their resistance…
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How To Release Painful Memories
Tips from a chronic pain recovery therapist Do you struggle with rumination (incessant thoughts that never seem to bring resolution) about painful memories? Especially the ones you’re afraid to talk about — or the ones that have been minimized by others when you did tell someone? It’s very common to fixate on traumatic memories. Especially…
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What’s Your Mind-Body Relationship Status?
If the answer is “complicated,” read on… Mind-body therapy is a lot like relationship therapy for your body and mind. Yes, your mind and your body do have a relationship with each other! And the issues that can come up between them are a lot like the issues that come up between family members, partners,…
From Chronic Pain to Passion 