Jana Grimes

Maybe you've heard people talk about trauma and immediately thought: But nothing that bad happened to me. You had food. A home. Maybe parents who loved you. You weren't abused. You didn't experience a major disaster. There isn't one terrible event you can point to and say, That's what happened to me. And yet, you might notice things in your adult life that don't entirely make sense. You have a hard time relaxing. You're constantly anticipating what could go wrong. You feel responsible for...

Have you ever wondered why you can't seem to relax—even when life is going well? Maybe you're constantly anticipating the next problem. Maybe your body feels tense for no obvious reason. Or perhaps you finally sit down to rest, only to feel guilty or anxious within minutes. If any of this sounds familiar, it may not be a lack of willpower or a personality flaw. Your nervous system may simply be stuck in survival mode. What Does "Survival Mode" Mean? Our nervous systems are designed to protect...

"I don't think I have actual trauma." It's one of the most common things I hear from women during an initial therapy consultation. Often, what they really mean is: "I wasn't abused." "I had a good childhood." "Nothing terrible happened to me." "Other people had it much worse." And yet, these same women describe living with anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, chronic overthinking, or feeling exhausted from carrying the weight of everyone else's needs....