Resilience as Path Did you know that only 8% of individuals exposed to trauma develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Most people respond with resilience and some report feeling stronger or having grown in some way in response to the traumatic … Continue reading
Transformational Parenting Our family just returned from 10 days in the wilderness. With our 9 and 11 year olds, my husband and I hiked over 40 miles, shared one small tent, told stories, sang songs, and pressed the reset button … Continue reading
Relationships, Loss, and Vulnerability One of the common reasons that clients come into therapy is the experience of pain associated with the loss of an important relationship; such as the ending of a marriage, the death of a family member, or repeated … Continue reading
Getting Unstuck from PTSD One of the painful repercussions of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the experience of a lack of control that can occur when you feel trapped by feelings of anxiety, panic, overwhelm, or despair. Polyvagal theory, the work … Continue reading
Trauma and Your Health The connections between unresolved trauma and the immune system provide insight into a wide array of medical symptoms. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are meant to work in a rhythmic alternation that supports healthy digestion, sleep, … Continue reading
Shadow Integration We all have parts of ourselves that are split off, hidden, or denied. Living in the world cut-off from these parts can leave us feeling empty, as if we are going through the motions of our lives rather than … Continue reading
Embracing Your Shadow The process of working with the shadow takes many different forms and ultimately broadens our range of available responses to the world. In my experience, there have been times I was called to put on boxing gloves … Continue reading
Trans-generational Healing and Your Family Ancestry We are all aware of the impact of stressful or traumatic events in our lives such as the death of a loved one, facing a life-threatening illness, or unexpected job loss. Most of us … Continue reading
Billy’s Story* How EMDR can Change your Child’s Life *Billy is not an actual person, but a composite of several patients Dr. Schwartz has seen over the past several years. Identifying details have been changed to protect their privacy. The … Continue reading
Are Children Naturally Resilient? We want to trust our children’s capacity to handle life’s difficulties and swe do not want to over-protect them. If we, as parents, jump in too quickly to solve problems for our children we may hinder … Continue reading