Understanding Functional Freeze in Trauma

Understanding Functional Freeze Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is a condition that arises from prolonged exposure to traumatic events, often of a repetitive and interpersonal nature . One of the core responses to such trauma is the state of functional freeze. What is Functional Freeze? Functional freeze is a survival response where an individual appears outwardly functional but is internally stuck, numb, and unable to engage fully with their emotions or life. This response is part [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2024-07-17T21:53:19+00:00June 20th, 2024|CPTSD|Comments Off

Honoring Your Feelings Free of Judgment

Do you have a knack for neglecting to honor your feelings? Do you find yourself feeling shame for your emotions, wishing you wouldn’t feel anything at all? Do you notice that you suppress your feelings in an effort not to make others uncomfortable, only to have those emotions rise to the surface in an overwhelming way later? This is categorized as self-abandonment, which is a learned behavior that begins in childhood. When physical and emotional needs [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2020-11-28T15:55:08+00:00December 8th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off

5 Ways to Cope With Negative Family Dynamics This Holiday Season

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the holidays tend to bring up conflict among families. In addition to compromised family dynamics that might already exist from past wounds, tensions could be especially high this year: Discussions might gravitate towards politics; arguments may ensue about the current global health crisis (please visit the CDC website for how to safely gather this year); and anxiety tends to be triggered about unrealistic expectations surrounding the [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2020-11-28T15:14:33+00:00December 1st, 2020|Anxiety|Comments Off

The (Long Lost) Art of Trusting Yourself

It just takes one. One person might break your trust, and next thing you know, you no longer trust yourself either. Instead of developing mistrust for that one individual in that one situation, you might instead become skeptical of everyone who crosses your path… And you cross your own path quite frequently, don’t you? Although you might have ultimately developed this self-doubt as a way to protect yourself from getting hurt again, this projection of mistrust [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2020-09-21T17:30:10+00:00October 27th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off

3 Helpful Strategies for “Unblending”

The last couple of weeks, we have discussed the inner self at length. It can come as quite the surprise that you, at you very core, are broken up into different parts, each one competing for your attention and often standing in the way of your Inner Self. Your Inner Self is your most calm and restorative being, but if a part of you (i.e. the anxious part, the annoyed part, the depressed part) stands in [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2024-06-15T02:21:46+00:00October 20th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off

4 Ways to Understand Your Sub-Personalities

Allow me to introduce you to your sub-personalities, the parts of you that all compete for your attention and strive to be the ringleader. Envision a scenario with me: You’re in a steady relationship with your significant other. You love each other deeply, and you’re certain that you’d like to spend the rest of your lives with each other. But every once in awhile, when you’re laying in bed at night or on your early morning [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2020-09-16T16:48:17+00:00October 13th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off

Getting to Know Your Inner Self

Have you ever found yourself conflicted? A part of you wants to do one thing, but another part of you would like to do something entirely different? Say hello to the workings of your inner self. Take this for example: You’re offered a new job that is significantly more in line with your hopes and dreams than your current job, but offers a little less financial security. You have nothing against your current job, but it [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2020-09-16T15:49:50+00:00October 6th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off

Fear of Abandonment: 6 Steps to Breaking the Cycle

When a person hears the term “abandonment,” they typically think of someone physically leaving their side— a child separated from their mother in the grocery store or a significant other deciding to call it quits, for example. But abandonment actually takes hold in a much more prevalent way.Emotional abandonment can be one of the driving forces in a relationship, even as the person is sitting right next to you. Fear of abandonment is an innate, primal [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2020-09-23T16:25:51+00:00September 22nd, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off

Key Ways Towards More Assertiveness

Assertiveness often gets a bad rap. People tend to equate it with pushiness or arrogance. Truth be told, there can be a fine line between being assertive and being aggressive. But make no mistake, assertiveness is not an intrinsically negative quality. When you are assertive, you are respectfully expressing your personal power. You’re not being selfish but you’re also not being passive. This is possible because it is possible to be forthcoming about your needs. At [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2020-08-31T20:19:18+00:00September 15th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off

Understanding Your Inner Critic’s Motivation + How To Work With It

It’s one of the most frustrating aspects of being a human. We can often be our own worst critic. Inside each and every one of us, there’s an internal monologue. It talks to us, guides us, warns us, and yes, it critiques us. This inner critic is a part of you but it is not you. The key to not letting a negative internal monologue dominate you is to understand who and what this inner [...]

By Cristina Smugala|2020-08-22T07:16:04+00:00August 25th, 2020|Recent|Comments Off