Healing the Wounded Child Within – Inner Child Work for Complex PTSD
Working with Complex PTSD Using Pete Walker's Approach Inner Child Work and Integration of Fragmented Parts This guide outlines how to approach Complex PTSD (CPTSD) using principles from Pete Walker’s work, particularly through inner child healing and the integration of fragmented parts of the self. Walker’s framework blends trauma-informed care with inner child work, emotional processing, and […]
When Does Grief Become Complicated Grief
As a counsellor, I often remind people that there is no single correct way to grieve. Grief is as unique as the love we felt for the person we have lost. While the pain can be intense, most people gradually find ways to live with it, allowing moments of meaning and connection to return over time.
Sometimes, though, grief does not ease. It remains raw, overwhelming and all-consuming, even many months or years later. This may be what is known as complicated grief, sometimes called prolonged grief disorder.
Complicated grief is not simply grieving for too long. It happens when the natural healing process gets stuck. A person may feel as if life has lost all purpose or that they cannot imagine a future without the one they have lost. There may be a constant preoccupation with the death, a deliberate avoidance of reminders, or a complete inability to re-engage in daily life.
It is important to know that complicated grief is not a personal failure. It is a sign that the loss has had a profound impact and may require extra support. This can happen for many reasons, such as a sudden or traumatic loss, the death of someone central to your identity, unresolved relationship dynamics, or cumulative losses over time.
If you suspect that you or someone you care about is experiencing complicated grief, seeking professional help can be a powerful step. Counselling offers a safe place to work through the layers of loss, address the feelings that keep you stuck, and begin to carry the grief in a way that allows for living again.
Grief changes us. Complicated grief invites us to seek support for that change, so that we can carry the memory of our loved one forward while also reclaiming the possibility of joy.
What is Anxiety and When Does it Become a Problem?
Anxiety is a natural part of being human. It’s a response that has evolved to help us survive. When we feel anxious, our body and mind prepare us to deal with perceived danger. Our heart beats faster, we might breathe more quickly, and we become more alert. This can be helpful in the short term, especially in situations where we need to act quickly. But anxiety isn’t just about danger. It can show up in everyday life. We might feel anxious before a big presentation, a first date, or a difficult conversation. These kinds of worries are part of being […]
Trauma and the nervous system: How the body stores trauma
From a trauma therapist's perspective, trauma has a profound and lasting impact on the nervous system. When a person experiences a traumatic event, the body instinctively reacts to threat through the activation of the autonomic nervous system, which includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the fight or flight […]
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