Addiction, Trauma & the Brain Addiction can be difficult to understand — both for the person experiencing it and for the people around them. My approach looks at addiction through both neuroscience and psychology, recognising that addictive behaviour can involve changes in the brain’s reward, motivation, learning, stress and self-regulation systems. Addiction can involve alcohol, recreational drugs… Read More Addiction, Trauma & the Brain
The risks we don’t always think about Today, getting almost anything delivered to your door can take just a few taps on a phone. Food. Alcohol. Painkillers. Cold and flu remedies. Sleep aids. Allergy medication. Convenience can be wonderful — particularly when you’re unwell, exhausted or unable to get to a pharmacy or shop. But… Read More When Alcohol, Medication and Instant Delivery Become a Dangerous Combination
Understanding the hidden effects of trauma, stress and emotionally difficult relationships Have you ever said to yourself: “I know I’m safe. So why don’t I feel safe?” Perhaps the relationship has ended. You have moved away from the situation. The person who caused you distress is no longer part of your daily life. Logically, you… Read More Why Does Your Body Feel Anxious When Your Mind Knows You’re Safe?
Trauma-Informed Practitioner | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Women’s Empowerment Specialist I specialise in helping women understand and recover from the emotional and psychological impact of difficult relationships, emotional abuse, coercive control, trauma and major life transitions. My approach combines trauma-informed practice, neuroscience, emotional intelligence, nervous-system regulation and personal empowerment, creating a space where women… Read More Linda CJ Turner
There is a very human instinct to feel compassion when someone tells us they are seriously unwell. Cancer, chronic illness and serious health difficulties naturally evoke concern, empathy and a desire to help. But what happens when illness becomes repeatedly used to gain sympathy, attention, forgiveness, financial assistance or exemption from accountability? This is where… Read More When Illness Becomes a Source of Sympathy: Be Careful What You Wish For
From a neuroscience perspective, abuse involves changes in the brain and nervous system of both the person being abused and, potentially, the person carrying out the abuse—but we have to be careful not to suggest that there is a single “abuser brain.” People become abusive through complex interactions among learning, personality, emotion regulation, beliefs, environment and… Read More What can happen in the abuser’s brain during abusive behaviour?
The central finding is that child sexual offenders are a heterogeneous population. There is no single psychological or personality profile that identifies a child sexual abuser. A major review of the literature specifically concludes that existing typologies have useful descriptive value but also significant methodological limitations. 1. Groth’s typology — early motivational model Groth’s work was… Read More Research-based typologies of people who sexually abuse children
One of the first signs I noticed that I was truly healing wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t a single breakthrough or a life-changing event. It was something much quieter. I stopped feeling exhausted all the time. For years, I lived as though I was running on empty. No matter how much I slept, I woke feeling… Read More When You Stop Feeling Constantly Exhausted
For years, I didn’t realise how deeply trauma had affected my sleep. I could fall asleep exhausted, yet wake feeling as though I hadn’t rested at all. My body slept, but my nervous system remained on guard, never quite believing it was safe enough to switch off completely. Many survivors of prolonged stress, domestic abuse,… Read More When Your Sleep Changes: A Quiet Sign Your Nervous System Is Healing
One of the most unexpected gifts of healing has been the awakening of my senses. The other evening I drove home through the mountains with the windows open. The cool night air gently brushed against my skin as the unmistakable scent of wild fennel drifted in from the roadside. It was such a simple moment,… Read More When Healing Awakens Your Senses
