Spectrum Blog

Want to understand the Neurodiversity Spectrum, Anxiety, OCD Spectrum, and/or Relationships? Or simply get advice and reading recommendations? Welcome to Dr. G's blog!

Trauma

Finding Healing From Relationship Trauma

No one gets into a romantic relationship expecting things to go south. If you’re putting your trust in a romantic partner, experiencing emotional, mental, or physical abuse from them can feel like the ultimate betrayal. Depending on the situation and those involved, it can even be traumatic.  Relationship trauma occurs when any kind of abuse exists

Read More »
Trauma

Trauma Responses: Exploring How Trauma Affects Our Behavior

Trauma impacts everyone differently. Some people are able to repress the effects of a traumatic situation for years. Others struggle to deal with the effects of it immediately. One thing most trauma survivors have in common, however, is that trauma can impact behavior for years. This is called a trauma response. From a young age,

Read More »
Trauma

What is Trauma-Informed Care & Why is it Important?

While trauma might not face the stigma other mental health conditions do, people who have experienced it often have a different obstacle to overcome—understanding. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to a traumatic experience, leaving many people to ask things like “what’s wrong with you?” rather than “what happened to you?”.

Read More »
Autism

What is Interoception and Increasing Understanding with Neurodivergent Needs

You may have heard the term interoception before and know what it means, or maybe this is a completely new concept for you to understand. Many neurodivergent individuals with Autism and/or ADHD struggle with interoception skills which, as a result, can negatively impact mental and physical health. I didn’t really learn about interoception until years

Read More »
Autism

EMDR Therapy for Autism Spectrum Trauma Healing

Trauma-informed care is increasingly becoming the preferred standard when working with neurodivergent folks with autism spectrum differences. Autistic individuals tend to experience more trauma for a variety of reasons as they continue to try to adapt to living in a world with neurotypical standards. Individuals with developmental differences, such as autism spectrum, are more vulnerable

Read More »
Trauma

Common Gaslighting Phrases to Watch Out For

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation. It is a means of making another person doubt themselves and what they believe. This tactic is often used by narcissists and abusers in order to generate doubt and confusion in the victim’s mind.  It is also used so that the abuser can plant seeds of uncertainty in

Read More »
Autism

How Trauma Affects Someone with Autism

Trauma can have a serious, long-term impact on anyone who goes through it. Whether it was a one-time traumatic event or complex trauma like abuse or neglect, no one is immune from struggling with the aftermath. However, trauma can affect someone with autism differently. Unfortunately, people with autism are often at a greater risk of experiencing trauma

Read More »
Trauma

Is People-Pleasing a Trauma Response?

Living through a traumatic experience can cause many different reactions. Some people get outwardly angry and resentful, and others become more passive. The action of people-pleasing is generally caused by a traumatic experience and/or complex trauma. It is also known as the 4th response in the fight, fight, or freeze pattern, otherwise called the fawn response.

Read More »
Adult Therapy

You Think You May Have Experienced Childhood Trauma. Now What?

Childhood trauma is more common than many people think. However, many people who experience it—especially at a very young age—try to repress those memories or forget about them as a defense mechanism.  That can work for a while. There are many functioning adults who had to deal with childhood trauma and haven’t had any major

Read More »
Adult Therapy

How Does Complex Trauma Present in Adults

Most people have a basic understanding of trauma. You’ve undoubtedly heard of PTSD and experiences in childhood and adulthood that could lead to trauma symptoms. However, fewer people have either heard of or fully understand complex trauma. The two differ in that complex trauma is something that repeatedly happens over time. Therefore, it’s often referred

Read More »
Scroll to Top