When You’re Doing Everything Right… and Still Feel Overwhelmed Many survivors carry a quiet belief, even if it’s never spoken aloud: “If I heal enough, life will finally feel easier.” It’s an understandable hope. After years of surviving, adapting, and pushing through, the idea of reaching a calmer, more stable … Continue reading
Book Review: No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz — A Compassionate Guide to Healing Through Internal Family Systems Published: 23 November 2023 Author: Richard Schwartz Format: Paperback, 240 pages For many survivors of childhood abuse, the inner world can feel like a battleground — competing emotions, harsh self‑criticism, and long‑standing … Continue reading
The Invisible Load: How Survivors Carry Stress Without Realising It I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately — partly because I’m a year on from losing my dad, and I’m still discovering how grief quietly adds to the weight I carry. It doesn’t announce itself. It just settles in, … Continue reading
Healing the Anger and Self‑Hatred of “Not Fighting Back” One of the heaviest burdens survivors carry isn’t the abuse itself, but the anger and self‑hatred that grows from what they believe they should have done. “I didn’t fight back.” “I only screamed ‘No’.” “I ran, but not far enough.” “I … Continue reading
Internal Boundaries & the Foundations of Self‑Worth Most survivors grow up learning how to protect themselves from the outside world. We become experts at reading danger, anticipating moods, and adjusting ourselves to stay safe. As adults, we often hear about the importance of boundaries — saying no, protecting our time, … Continue reading
When the Past Echoes: Understanding the “Second Wave” of Healing For many survivors, the early years of adulthood bring a kind of forward momentum. Careers begin, families form, and life seems to stretch ahead with possibility. It can feel like the past has finally been left behind. And then, often … Continue reading
The Power of Small Wins: Celebrating Everyday Victories in Recovery Recovery from abuse is often portrayed as a dramatic transformation — a single moment of clarity, a breakthrough in therapy, or a sudden reclaiming of one’s life. But for most survivors, healing doesn’t arrive in sweeping cinematic moments. It unfolds … Continue reading
Injustice Trauma: When the Scales Tip Against Us Understanding Injustice Trauma Injustice trauma arises when individuals experience harm not only from the original abuse or violation, but also from the systems, communities, or relationships that fail to acknowledge, validate, or protect them. Survivors often describe this as a “second wound”—the … Continue reading
2025 Books for Survivors: Transform Your Journey I’ve come across some powerful new reads this year that really speak to the survivor experience in fresh ways. Whether you’re navigating intergenerational trauma, hidden abuse, or just looking for a workbook that meets you where you are — there’s something here … Continue reading
When the Darkness Feels Too Heavy: A Message for Those Thinking of Ending It All Sometimes the pain is so loud, so constant, so unrelenting, that the idea of ending it all doesn’t feel dramatic — it feels like relief. If you’ve ever found yourself searching for ways to disappear, … Continue reading
