How to understand the freeze response and its purpose

Have you been in situations where looking back you should have felt intense fear but instead felt nothing? Did you minimize or deny rather than assess the circumstance accurately? This upside down response to threat is part of the freeze response. We often talk about the fight or flight response to threat, but the freeze …

3 myths about boundaries and how to navigate them

When you start healing from dysfunctional family dynamics, you learn the importance of setting boundaries. But those lessons from well-meaning people often re-inforce myths about boundaries that hinder your progress. The mainstream approach to boundary setting is highly strategic. It consists of a set of steps laid out in a one-size-fits-all fashion. When you’ve never …

How to not should on yourself while you heal

Tara Brach is a mindfulness teacher and psychologist who says when you should on yourself, you argue with reality. The word ‘should’ shows a lack of acceptance and a disconnection with yourself. I would add that it’s mean to should on yourself. I hear so many people on the healing journey who criticize themselves for …