Mackenzie Jensen Psychological Services MC., R. Psychologist

01/28/2022

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i began noticing that i was slowly healing from trauma, in a few different ways. i’m not so scared of conflict anymore. it doesn’t feel like my whole world is tumbling down if i’m not agreeable, or if someone is arguing with me. nowadays i think a bit of conflict can really help clear the air and release emotions. i also used to tolerate people treating me poorly; being in friendships where i felt like i was always the punchline of jokes, i went on dates with guys who were condescending towards me, i let my boss be abusive towards me and ended every shift crying in the bathroom. i never got the opportunity to have trauma therapy because i was denied the one i applied for, and after that i felt discouraged. but i have been doing trauma work on my own without even really realizing it. i have been challenging fears and triggers with tools i learnt in CBT, i have been practicing self compassion and i have been writing thousands and thousands of words about my traumas. trauma made me desperately want to be the “cool girl”, the girl who is unbothered and untouchable, the girl who’s always down for everything and doesn’t care if people walk all over her. i tried to be that girl as a defense mechanism for a long time but I realized that i’m not that girl, and i’m not sure she really exists. i’m painfully sensitive and highly opinionated and i am not chill in the slightest haha. and that’s okay. working though my traumas through creative expression and self compassion has helped me grow a lot, but I still have work to be done. i would love to get trauma therapy in the future if i get the chance to, once the pandemic isn’t so smothering, but for now i will keep working on myself in my own pace. my next post will be about signs that you’re healing from trauma, and maybe i’ll go into some more things you can do to help yourself if you don’t have access to care right now. how has trauma affected the way you move in this world ? what do you do to cope ? 💓
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10/30/2021

So many motivated folks come to therapy and say “ok how do I fix this? What do I do to make myself stop ________? How do I feel happier? When will this feeling stop?” Etc etc. I hope this visual can offer some permission to take it slow. It’s a process and it’s all worth it in the end….you’re working towards something lighter, empowering, and life changing. It may take weeks, months and years. Let’s lighten the load, one step at a time ❤️

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I've found this comforting to keep in mind.

When I feel overwhelmed in the moment, I'll often ask myself, "How will this feel in 5 months? In 5 years?" And even if I know the feeling won't have gone away, chances are it will have lessened considerably.


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09/30/2021

They didn’t know we were seeds 🌱

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Every child matters 🧡

September 30th is the Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. If you’re an Indigenous ally, take this day [and every day] to learn more about the historical and current realities of Indigenous Peoples 🪶

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For content on Residential Schools, visit the following sites:

https://legacyofhope.ca

https://nctr.ca/education/teaching-resources/residential-school-history/

https://education.afn.ca/afntoolkit/learning-module/residential-schools/

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Art by Hawlii Pichette on IG

08/17/2021

GOD, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL! TAKE THE TIME TO READ IT ❤️
As someone who writes often, I naturally appreciate epic writing when I see it. This morning, I came across this written piece of art and it moved me deeply, so I had to share it with all of you! Not only are these words true theatre, they also act as sound advice ❤️

my brain and
heart divorced

a decade ago

over who was
to blame about
how big of a mess
I have become

eventually,
they couldn't be
in the same room
with each other

now my head and heart
share custody of me

I stay with my brain
during the week

and my heart
gets me on weekends

they never speak to one another

- instead, they give me
the same note to pass
to each other every week

and their notes they
send to one another always
says the same thing:

"This is all your fault"

on Sundays
my heart complains
about how my
head has let me down
in the past

and on Wednesday
my head lists all
of the times my
heart has screwed
things up for me
in the future

they blame each
other for the
state of my life

there's been a lot
of yelling - and crying

so,

lately, I've been
spending a lot of
time with my gut

who serves as my
unofficial therapist

most nights, I sneak out of the
window in my ribcage

and slide down my spine
and collapse on my
gut's plush leather chair
that's always open for me

~ and I just sit sit sit sit
until the sun comes up

last evening,
my gut asked me
if I was having a hard
time being caught
between my heart
and my head

I nodded

I said I didn't know
if I could live with
either of them anymore

"my heart is always sad about
something that happened yesterday
while my head is always worried
about something that may happen tomorrow,"
I lamented

my gut squeezed my hand

"I just can't live with
my mistakes of the past
or my anxiety about the future,"
I sighed

my gut smiled and said:

"in that case,
you should
go stay with your
lungs for a while,"

I was confused
- the look on my face gave it away

"if you are exhausted about
your heart's obsession with
the fixed past and your mind's focus
on the uncertain future

your lungs are the perfect place for you

there is no yesterday in your lungs
there is no tomorrow there either

there is only now
there is only inhale
there is only exhale
there is only this moment

there is only breath

and in that breath
you can rest while your
heart and head work
their relationship out."

this morning,
while my brain
was busy reading
tea leaves

and while my
heart was staring
at old photographs

I packed a little
bag and walked
to the door of
my lungs

before I could even knock
she opened the door
with a smile and as
a gust of air embraced me
she said

"what took you so long?"

~ John Roedel (johnroedel.com)

07/26/2021

Good take work, and one of the hardest parts of building and maintaining satisfying and supportive relationships is repairing after rupture (i.e. conflict). It's so hard, and conflict is so often avoided, that many of us have never experienced really good repair- or the way that it can deepen and strengthen our connection and trust with another person.

Get a printable PDF of this art through my patreon.com/lindsaybraman or https://lindsaybraman.com/rrpdf or grab a little reminder on Society6: lindsaybraman.com/soc6

This illustration was created while listening to the Story Sage online course by - their site ( theallendercenter.org/ ) is a great place to start if you'd like to learn more about attachment basics and how to build supportive relationships. For my fellow therapists, I've gotta plug their Effective Trauma Care CEU coming up soon- if you like my approach to trauma you'll love their courses. (Not sponsored, I just love the work of this organization ❤️)

More content on coming soon!

07/21/2021

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Good Monday morning ✨
Be conscious in protecting your energy this week! What would you add to the list?
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Registration is open for our 2021 Somatic Experiencing® Virtual Conference!
Link for more info: https://traumahealing.org/SEIntConference2021

Three special days with the leaders in Somatic Experiencing! FEATURING SPECIAL APPEARANCES FROM: Dr. Peter A Levine, Dr. Jack Kornfield, Dr. Edith Eger, Alanis Morissette, Efu Nyaki, Ruth Lanius, Stephen W. Porges, Betsy Polatin, and many more!
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☼

06/25/2021

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Comment below an invalidating statement that has been said to you👇

When we share our struggles with others, we do not always hear what we need or want. And sometimes we hear something that potentially can be harmful.

Therefore, in today’s post I want to give some examples of invalidating statements, things people often say to someone who discusses their struggles and some examples of validating statements

Sometimes these people mean well but say something that the other might feel invalidates their experience. As becoming a therapist is not for everyone, please find some examples of things you can say to someone who confides in you their struggles.

Comment below how you try to validate people when they discuss with you their struggles👇

Follow for more insights on mental health and psychology 🧠.
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06/18/2021

Here’s a few super easy strategies to regulate your nervous system. Try them out and see which you prefer!

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Save this one and use it once a day during your work week! 1 minute of self awareness can change your whole day/mood. 😊

Drop your shoulders down and back. We store a lot of tension here and added technology/phone use increases tension. Move your neck side to side while you’re at it for an added relaxation bonus.

Our jaw is usually one of the first places we tense up. Cue TMJ and tension headaches. Unclench your teeth and relax. Breathe. Relax more. Breathe again. Releasing your jaw will also help your hips relax.

Shake out your hands. Open and close them. Stretch your fingers. Along with technology use, tension and anxiety can manifest here. Shake them. Let all excess energy go!

When we get focused or have a lot of chronic stress/tension, we get tunnel vision. Move your eyes around. Side to side and up and down. This helps prevent migraines and tension headaches.

Relaxing your tongue also helps to relax your jaw and face. Stick it out and exhale through the mouth! Tension manifests mostly subconscious here. We bite our tongues and hold back our words a lot. Relax. Let the stress flow out.

Take 3 deep breaths in and out of your belly. This is the fastest way to reconnect with your body and self. Notice a clearer mind and less tension almost immediately.

Hope this helps! It’s a daily practice I’ve been doing for years and is great for us all to get into a habit of.

Pro Tip!
Set an alarm on your phone for 1 or 2 times per day and do them.
🙏🏽🔥🌙🧚🏼‍♀️
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06/02/2021

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everybody responds to trauma differently, and there are so many ways in which trauma can manifest in our behaviors and thoughts. when i experienced trauma for the first time, i spiraled through all of these - a whirlwind of inner chaos and outer destruction. i’m sending all my love to those of you who are struggling with the aftermath of trauma right now. do you relate to any of these responses ? what are some trauma responses you’ve experienced ? •
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04/29/2021

Many adolescents are struggling socially, emotionally and academically as a result of the impacts of COVID. If you know someone who would benefit from connecting with others and learning strategies to cope with these impacts, please check out this upcoming group.