Robyn E. Brickel, MA, LMFT

Four ways to really take care of yourself in the new year

January 2, 2023 / / Self-care, Trauma-Informed Care

As the world starts a new year, we start a new day — and every day is an opportunity for growth and change. Every day is a good day to take care of ourselves. You don’t have to start on January 1st with a New Year’s Resolution, and you don’t have to wait until next year if you have already missed starting on the first. Give yourself permission to start taking care of yourself every day!  

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How to notice your needs this holiday season with compassion

November 30, 2022 / / Self-care, Trauma-Informed Care

Wow, it’s December — how did we suddenly get here?

Perhaps by not noticing ourselves? By not slowing down to be present in the moments?  Time seems to fly by even faster when we aren’t tuned into our own needs — and guess what? This is a common situation for trauma survivors.

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6 ways to calm your nervous system right now and understand it.

July 19, 2022 / / Self-care, Trauma, Trauma-Informed Care

Do you always feel like you’re on high alert? Or do you just feel numb? Perhaps you bounce back and forth between the two? Have you wondered how to feel calm or peaceful? 

If you find the state of the world today especially triggering, you are not alone! Fortunately, by understanding our nervous systems and trauma responses, we can also understand and adopt new ways of calming our nervous systems to achieve enhanced wellbeing.

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How to be trauma-informed given today’s important issues?

June 7, 2022 / / Trauma, Trauma-Informed Care

One of the hard things we talked about in the last article, strategies for coping with the hard parts of life, was watching the news or dealing with current events. There is certainly a lot going on in the world — and at times, feeling powerless, as it feels more polarized than ever.

In the last several years, when the world has felt so tough, I have dreamed of a world led by someone on a trauma-informed platform. I have even joked with my family and friends that I wanted to run for president on the platform of safety, kindness, and compassion.  And as I’m unable to do that, at least I can do this: Help encourage people to view the world through a more trauma-informed lens. This is the way to bring us closer to safety together, instead of further apart.

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6 signs of trauma after COVID: Finding your path to healing

June 7, 2022 / / Trauma-Informed Care
the trauma of covid

As we approach two long years experiencing the global trauma of COVID, we are hoping things are winding down to allow more manageable challenges. Yet many are experiencing symptoms familiar to those experienced by survivors of any long-term or chronic developmental relational trauma (CPTSD).

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You deserve love and harmony no matter your scars from trauma

January 18, 2022 / / Relationships, Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma survivor love

CDC research shows more than 60 percent of American adults have as children experienced at least one ACE (adverse childhood experience), and almost a quarter of adults have experienced 3 or more ACEs — and this is likely an underestimate. [Source: CDC]

Because emotional trauma is so prevalent, you are likely a trauma survivor; you are in a relationship with a trauma survivor — or both.

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