Blog

Ocean Shapiro, MSW Ocean Shapiro, MSW

How to Safely Talk to Loved Ones About Your Trauma, Part II

So, you have an idea of what you want to say to a loved one about what you’ve gone through. You’ve thought about what might come up for you, and practiced soothing yourself in different ways. So what’s next? Planning for what you might specifically need from the conversation and person you’ll be telling. Let's talk about it.

Read More
Ocean Shapiro, MSW Ocean Shapiro, MSW

How to Safely Talk to Loved Ones About Your Trauma, Part I

So, you’ve accepted that you get triggered pretty regularly because of What Happened, which is huge. It took so long to stop feeling like you were just “acting out for no reason,” and even if you still suspect you’re milking this whole trauma timeline, you also know you deserve a little bit more peace. In this blog post series, we’ll be covering how to have as safe and as containing of a conversation as possible with your loved ones about your trauma.

Read More
Lauryn Lucido, LMFT Lauryn Lucido, LMFT

What’s a Timeout Protocol?

If you often find yourself in conflict with your partner which leads to yelling, there are a few things you can try to help create an environment for more productive conversation can occur. There should be very few reasons for you to yell or be yelled at, so trying a timeout protocol may help limit this way of engaging in conflict. 

Read More
Lauryn Lucido, LMFT Lauryn Lucido, LMFT

Shame: What Is It and What Can We Do About It?

What is shame? The dictionary definition is “a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming or impropriety.” One study even defined shame as “negative emotions in which the feeling of global self-evisceration is experienced.” Global self-evisceration. Oof! Shame is extremely unpleasant and painful, and it can affect one’s identity and self-esteem. 

Read More
Ocean Shapiro, MSW Ocean Shapiro, MSW

Psilocybin-Assisted Trauma Treatment, Part III

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, is probably going to be legalized for therapeutic use in the United States in the next two years, and that’s on trauma treatment progress. Let’s dive into part III in what that may look like for trauma treatment.

Read More
Lauryn Lucido, LMFT Lauryn Lucido, LMFT

How to Maintain Your Relationship in the Midst of Parenting

There are five stages in the family life cycle and the stage of parenting is considered the most stressful. This is the time in which divorce rates are at their highest, sex is at its lowest and couples feel the most disconnected. Here are some ideas to help maintain your relationship during this hectic time.

Read More
Ocean Shapiro, MSW Ocean Shapiro, MSW

Psilocybin-Assisted Trauma Treatment, Part II

We might be only a year or two away from legalizing psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, for therapeutic use in the United States. Let’s talk about what that might look like for future trauma treatment.

Read More
Megan Bakva, MSW Megan Bakva, MSW

5 Common EMDR Myths We Hear at Woven

With the well-earned buzz around this evidence-based approach to healing trauma, there are also plenty of misunderstandings. Let’s take a look at some common myths so that you are prepared to advocate for yourself and make decisions about your mental healthcare. 

Read More
Gabriela Ucrós AMFT Gabriela Ucrós AMFT

Reparenting Your Inner Child: Healing the Past, Embracing the Present

When I ask myself: “What do all human beings have in common?” I always come to the same conclusion: we all have a wounded child that lives within us. That child may have been wounded by different systems and in different ways, but in the end, even if our identities are filled with privilege, we all have been injured, in one way or another in our early relational dynamics and that is part of being human.

Read More
Lauryn Lucido, LMFT Lauryn Lucido, LMFT

What Should You Do With Your “Situationship”?

What is a situationship, you ask? A situationship “is often discussed as being similar to a friends-with-benefits relationship, which usually involves sexual activity without a commitment to be exclusive to each other. The definition further explains that “a situationship is often described as a relationship that is more than friendship but less than a committed relationship.” So what are we to do if we find ourselves in one of these? Below are some ideas!

Read More
Ocean Shapiro, MSW Ocean Shapiro, MSW

Psilocybin-Assisted Trauma Treatment, Part I

We’re in our shrooms era. That’s right. I said it. Psilocybin is having a glow-up in the psychotherapeutic community, and we are excited about what that means for future trauma treatments.

Read More
Gabriela Ucrós AMFT Gabriela Ucrós AMFT

Somatic Awareness: Learning how to read your body’s story

Throughout my practice as a somatic trauma therapist, I see patients whose painful experiences muted their connection to the body. For trauma survivors, focusing on their body sensations - even if only for a brief second - can become extremely overwhelming because it brings them back to their experiences of being neglected, abandoned, or abused.  Let’s explore the concept of somatic awareness and to help trauma survivors understand why this practice holds the key to understanding emotions, traumas, and overall well-being.   

Read More
Megan Bakva, MSW Megan Bakva, MSW

Ask a Therapist: What does healing from trauma look like? With Megan Bakva, ASW

You may be feeling vulnerable, hopeful, anxious, excited, uncertain, fearful, or any combination of emotions as you await your first session. Questions like what to expect during a 90-minute intake, what does a regular 45-minute session look/feel like, or how to plan/prepare for therapy in general may be on your mind (or search history). This is completely normal! Megan Bakva, ASW talks about her approach to trauma therapy.

Read More
Ocean Shapiro, MSW Ocean Shapiro, MSW

Dissociation 101

Have you ever found yourself scrolling on your phone for hours and then not being able to remember what you watched? Or maybe you feel overwhelmed all the time. Or numb. Does this sound familiar? Let’s talk about the freeze response and dissociation 101.

Read More
Lauryn Lucido, LMFT Lauryn Lucido, LMFT

How to Survive the Holidays with your Partner

There are a lot of things happening during the holiday season. Because the holidays are usually very nostalgic for people, it’s almost like our brains are primed to remember all our childhood trauma. So how can we survive the holidays with our romantic relationship intact? JHere are some ideas that might help.

Read More
Megan Byers, APCC, RN Megan Byers, APCC, RN

How Medical Trauma Can Impact Relationships

If you’ve ever experienced a medical trauma, a traumatic experience related to the medical setting, you may have noticed some unexpected effects on your relationships. Maybe it’s more challenging than usual to interact with the people in your life and you’re wondering why. 

Read More
Megan Byers, APCC, RN Megan Byers, APCC, RN

The Connection Between Trauma and Eating Disorders

Research suggests that trauma, particularly in early childhood, can increase the risk the developing bulimia, anorexia, and binge-eating disorders.* This is useful information, not only in treating disordered eating, but also because it can help us to understand more about how trauma impacts a person’s development and healing process.

Read More
Megan Byers, APCC, RN Megan Byers, APCC, RN

What is Medical Trauma?

In the medical setting, the goal is to do no harm and bring healing, but it is rarely this simple. Patients discover they cannot control their circumstances and become vulnerable to the limits of their bodies and the medical expertise of others. Unfortunately, it can be extremely stressful, sometimes to a detrimental degree, to be a patient undergoing medical care.

Read More