Healing is a holistic and dynamic process that involves the restoration of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being after experiencing challenges, trauma, or distress. Healing is not just the absence of symptoms; it encompasses a journey toward overall wellness and a sense of wholeness. The path to healing is unique for each individual and may involve a combination of self-care practices, professional support, and personal growth.
Effective therapy hinges on the therapist’s ability to genuinely listen, distinguishing this from merely hearing. True listening requires patience, curiosity, and emotional regulation, allowing clients to express themselves freely. By practicing reflective listening and creating emotional safety, therapists foster understanding, enabling clients to explore their feelings without judgment.… Read More The Art of Being a Good Listener
Self-absorption hinders effective communication by prioritizing one’s own experiences over others’. It leads to poor listening, defensiveness, and misunderstandings, ultimately creating a cycle of frustration and withdrawal. Healthy communication requires empathy and reciprocity, where both parties feel understood, rather than one dominating the conversation.… Read More How self-absorption interferes with communication
Understanding mixed signals in relationships involves recognizing the discrepancies between what individuals say and how they act. Key issues include manipulation, emotional ambivalence, and recurring behavior patterns that reveal underlying intentions. Distinguishing between isolated incidents and repeated behaviors aids in assessing relationship dynamics and making informed decisions without needing to prove others’ motives.… Read More Reading Between the Lines: When People’s Words and Actions Don’t Match
The content explores three emotional responses: bitterness, vengeance, and maliciousness, particularly following experiences like betrayal or conflict. Bitterness involves persistent resentment, vengeance focuses on retaliation, while maliciousness aims to harm others. Understanding these distinctions aids in trauma therapy and relationship recovery, as emotions can overlap but serve different purposes in healing.… Read More Bitterness, vengeance and maliciousness: definitions, characteristics and examples
You are not a template — so why should your support be? When you have been struggling for a long time, sitting down for an hour and talking about what has happened can be helpful. But sometimes, talking is only the beginning. At Linda CJ Turner, we take a different approach. Rather than placing every client… Read More Why Our Approach Is Different: Therapy That Continues Between Sessions
There can come a point after an abusive or deeply controlling relationship when something inside you changes. You think about the person who once occupied so much of your emotional world — and you realise something has happened. You cannot seem to remember what you ever found so wonderful about them. The memories that once… Read More When You Can’t Remember Anything Good Anymore: When Love Turns to Disgust After Abuse
Explore how conditional affection, financial withholding and public generosity alongside private neglect can affect self-worth, emotional safety and recovery from controlling relationships.… Read More The Bare Minimum: When Love, Affection, Generosity and Even Basic Kindness Become Transactions
Secondary gains refer to the indirect benefits someone may experience from trauma, such as avoiding responsibilities or receiving support, which can complicate recovery. While these behaviors may seem beneficial, they often stem from a need for safety or emotional relief rather than manipulation. Therapy should focus on understanding the underlying needs these behaviors fulfill to promote healthy changes.… Read More Secondary Gains in Trauma Treatment: Understanding the Hidden Benefits of Staying Stuck
Sometimes the person experiencing abuse eventually reaches out When you have lived for years feeling that there is no way out, there may come a point when you finally confide in someone close to your partner. You may not even be asking them to confront the person. You may simply be hoping for one thing:… Read More When You Finally Ask the Family for Help: The Psychology of Silence, Denial and Cover-Up Around Abuse
Sometimes you don’t realise you have been isolated until you look back One of the most frightening things about prolonged coercive control is that isolation does not always look like isolation. There may be no moment when someone says: “You are no longer allowed to have friends.” Instead, people gradually disappear. A friend becomes someone… Read More The People Who Disappeared: How Coercive Control Can Slowly Remove Your Support Network
