Resilient Roots Counseling

09/12/2025

🌿 Note to Self:
You don’t have to have it all figured out to be worthy, lovable, and enough. Healing happens in small reminders like these—permission to rest, set boundaries, start again, and ask for help when you need it. 💛

09/09/2025

Trauma is often misunderstood as just the painful event itself—but as Dr. Gabor Maté reminds us, it’s actually the wound we carry inside long after the event has passed. This is encouraging, because it means trauma is not a life sentence. Healing doesn’t mean erasing the past, but nurturing the part of us that was wounded. With safety, compassion, and support, we can create space for those inner wounds to be seen, held, and transformed. 💛

09/06/2025

✨Check out the new therapy space! Cozy and conveniently located next to Walmart in Benton!

09/13/2024

✨ Taking New Clients! ✨ Help spread the word! 🗣️ Share this post and comment the word FEELINGS in the chat to receive your free copy of “12 Ways to Manage Negative Emotions” handout in your inbox 📥 !

09/02/2024

Natural vs. Manufactured Emotions: Understanding the Difference

Emotions are a fundamental part of being human, but not all emotions come from the same place. Let’s break down the difference between natural and manufactured emotions.

🌱 Natural Emotions are those that arise from our genuine needs and desires. They guide us to take care of ourselves and our relationships. Examples include:

•Joy when we experience something fulfilling.
•Sadness when we lose something valuable.
•Love when we connect deeply with others.

⚙️ Manufactured Emotions, on the other hand, are responses shaped by past experiences, especially trauma. These emotions often serve as defense mechanisms but can distort our perception of ourselves and the world. Examples include:

•Shame that tells us we’re not good enough.
•Guilt that makes us feel responsible for things outside our control.
•Anxiety that keeps us in a state of constant worry and fear.

These manufactured emotions are often trauma responses. They develop as a way to cope with past pain or abuse but can linger long after the trauma has passed, impacting our mental health and daily lives.

Recognizing the difference between natural and manufactured emotions is a powerful step in healing. When we understand that feelings like shame, guilt, and anxiety are not reflections of our true selves but rather echoes of past hurt, we can start to reclaim our emotional well-being.

Remember: Healing is possible, and you’re not alone on this journey.

Go to the link in the bio or DM me for more information about starting your healing journey!

08/23/2024

🚨 Did you know trauma can change your brain? 🧠

Here are 4 ways trauma affects brain function:

1. Hippocampus: Trauma can shrink this area, making it harder to remember things. 📉
2. Amygdala: You might feel on edge or overly emotional because this part becomes overactive. 😟
3. Prefrontal Cortex: Struggling with decisions or impulse control? Trauma could be affecting this region. 🤯
4. Neurotransmitters: Trauma can throw off your brain’s chemical balance, affecting mood, sleep, and overall well-being. ⚡️

But here’s the good news—healing is possible! 🌱 With the right support, you can start to reverse these changes. 💪

Stay tuned for more information about neuroplasticity and why therapy works!

Contact me in the link above to start your journey to healing!

08/19/2024

🌟 The 5 Stress Responses of the Autonomic Nervous System 🌟

Understanding your stress response can be a powerful tool for healing. Let's break it down:

🔴 FIGHT:
- Self-preservation top priority
- Shouts during conflict
- Pushes others away
- Insulting remarks, smashing, throwing
- Controlling

⚡️ FLIGHT:
- Feelings of anxiety and panic
- Cannot sit still or relax
- Always rushing about
- Runs away or quits
- Over-achiever, avoidant

❄️ FREEZE:
- Wants to hide from the world
- Gets stuck, binge-watching
- Spaced out/numb
- Frequent voicelessness
- Fearful

🤝 FAWN:
- Appeases and self-abandons
- Flatters to avoid conflict
- Overly helpful, compliant
- People pleaser
- Co-dependent

😴 FLOP:
- Hopelessness
- Total submission
- Resignation/apathy
- Faints at the sign of stress
- Deeply shut down/exhausted
- Physically/mentally unresponsive

Those experiencing chronic stress can have a heightened response to perceived "threats." Learning to recognize these states is the gateway to healing from complex trauma. 🌱

08/18/2024

Trauma can have a profound and often subtle impact on various aspects of a person's life. Here are some hidden ways trauma can manifest:

**Emotional Regulation**: Trauma can lead to difficulties in managing emotions, resulting in heightened sensitivity, mood swings, or emotional numbness. Individuals might struggle to identify or express their feelings appropriately.

**Relationship Challenges**: Trauma can influence how individuals interact with others, leading to issues with trust, intimacy, and attachment. People might become overly dependent or excessively withdrawn in relationships.

**Cognitive Effects**: Trauma can affect concentration, memory, and decision-making. Individuals may find it challenging to focus, remember details, or make clear decisions.

**Self-Perception**: Trauma can alter one's self-image and self-worth, leading to feelings of shame, guilt, or inadequacy. Individuals might struggle with self-esteem or feel disconnected from their sense of identity.

**Avoidance**: Individuals may avoid certain people, places, or situations that remind them of the trauma, limiting their experiences and opportunities for growth and healing.

**Hypervigilance**: Trauma can result in a constant state of alertness or anxiety, where individuals are always on edge, anticipating danger or threat.

**Loss of Enjoyment**: Trauma can diminish the ability to experience pleasure or joy in activities that were once enjoyable, leading to withdrawal from hobbies or social interactions.

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms regularly, you could greatly benefit from trauma therapy. There is hope for you! I would love to work with you, please reach out to me today!

08/10/2024

✨The body remembers what the mind forgets. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms together and frequently, your body could be holding onto unresolved trauma.

If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, you could be a candidate for trauma informed therapy.

* Continuous distress without periods of relative calm or rest
* Severe dissociation symptoms
* Intense intrusive recollections that continue despite a return to safety
* Nightmares
* Fear of recurrence
* Anxiety focused on flashbacks
* Depression
* Avoidance of emotions, sensations, or activities that are associated with the trauma

For a free consultation, message me and I’ll be glad to talk about if therapy is a good fit for you!

08/09/2024

Did you know there is a right way to breathe to help you calm down? Actually, there are a lot of right ways to breathe! Which type of breathing works best for you? For more information about any of these breathing styles message me in the chat!

🦋 Butterfly breathing
📦 Box breathing
🦁 Lion’s breathe
🙊 Humming breathing
😤Belly breathing

07/07/2024