Trauma isn’t easy for anyone whether it’s first-hand experience or secondary, trauma is trauma. When something hits you out of left field, like a sexual assault, the loss of a loved one, your home was broken into, a dream deferred, your pet died; fill in the blank, friends and family don’t always have the right words to say during a time of grieving.

Therapy, what you do to heal from pain. Mental health therapy deals with not only the mental and emotional aspects of pain from our past, the traumas we’ve dealt with, or maybe even the addictions that are entangling our mind, but also with the physical aspects of pain.

Self-care was something I was taught in grad school, and honestly was never really convinced my own professors knew how to incorporate it into their daily lives. One branch of self-care for a working professional, particularly a therapist is seeking their own therapy!

How often are we aware of what our body is telling us? Do we push the limit because of our competitive nature? Or do we go beyond our limit because we just are not aware of the strain we are causing our body? The answer is probably both. In terms of competitiveness some of us may say we are not, but when it comes down to it in a circle full of other people, we can’t help, but to compare, or even judge ourselves based on who is doing what better.

I have the honor and privilege to come alongside the lives of those that have been impacted by sexual assault. Sometimes our journey together is a few weeks, months, or even years, but no matter how short or long our time is these brave souls have impacted me for the rest of my life.