by Courtenay Monfore | Nov 4, 2019 | Anxiety, Blog, Brainspotting, Therapy, Trauma
“Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.” Haruki Murakami We all know from popular drama (TV shows, movies, etc.) that traumatic events are often forgotten by the person who suffers from them. People who experience a devastating event such...
by Courtenay Monfore | Oct 21, 2019 | Blog, Therapy, Trauma
Have you even been in a social gathering with friends, family, strangers and a bunch of cute kids? Have you ever over heard one of those cute kids quietly ask her mother or father for something and heard the parent explode and yell hysterically at the child? You might...
by Courtenay Monfore | Oct 14, 2019 | Blog, Therapy, Trauma
The word grief has come to be understood solely as a reaction to a death. But that narrow understanding fails to encompass the range of human experiences that create and trigger grief. Here are four types of grief that we experience which have nothing to do with...
by Courtenay Monfore | Oct 7, 2019 | Anxiety, Blog, Brainspotting, Therapy, Trauma
Romantic relationships are inherently complicated. When you’re dating someone with PTSD, more emotional baggage is involved in the relationship. In fact, one of the most damaging aspects of this disorder is the effect it has on social interactions and in...
by Courtenay Monfore | Sep 30, 2019 | Anxiety, Blog, Therapy, Trauma
If you’ve ever felt like something is off in a close relationship or casual encounter—you’re being pressured, controlled or even feel like you’re questioning yourself more than usual—it could be manipulation. “Manipulation is an emotionally unhealthy psychological...
by Courtenay Monfore | Sep 23, 2019 | Anxiety, Blog, Therapy, Trauma
As humans, many of us loathe the idea of talking about the worst things that have happened to us. Discussing a painful experience can feel humiliating or terrifying. We think we’ll break down and never recover. We think that we’re the only ones to experience anything...
by Courtenay Monfore | Sep 16, 2019 | Anxiety, Blog, Brainspotting, Therapy, Trauma
“I’ve been fine for years. Now I have nightmares every night and can barely function at work. What’s going on?” “I thought I was over it. I even went to therapy as a kid! Why is it all coming back again?” “I feel like I’m falling apart, but the abuse was years ago....
by Courtenay Monfore | Aug 19, 2019 | Anxiety, Blog, Therapy, Trauma
Many people I work with have either just had an awakening, or are about to. I have the honor of being a witness to these awakenings. Awakenings are not like in the movies.You know, where the protagonist experiences their quantum shift with elegance and grace, leading...
by Courtenay Monfore | Jul 29, 2019 | Brainspotting, Therapy, Trauma
We all know that rejection hurts, but neuroscience has concluded that it does in fact, literally, hurt. While the brain does not process emotional pain and physical pain identically, the reaction and cascading events are very similar, and a natural chemical...
by Courtenay Monfore | Jul 22, 2019 | Trauma
Maybe your partner doesn’t hit you. Maybe their violence doesn’t leave visible scars. The cleverness of an abuser knows where to draw the line. At some point, you realize they have actually been in control—it wasn’t a senseless rage—and was doing...
