Tara Farazian, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

01/22/2026

Trauma is not a one-size-fits-all experience.

In clinical work, trauma is often understood in three primary forms:
Big T trauma, little t trauma, and complex trauma.

• Big T trauma refers to discrete, identifiable events that overwhelm the nervous system (e.g., assault, severe accidents, natural disasters, sudden loss).
• Little t trauma reflects relational or developmental disruptions—often involving unmet emotional or physical needs—that shape attachment, self-worth, and regulation over time.
• Complex trauma develops when trauma is chronic, relational, and involves repeated threats to safety, particularly during childhood, impacting identity, boundaries, and nervous system functioning long-term.

From a trauma-informed lens, trauma is defined not solely by the event, but by how the nervous system experiences, processes, and adapts to perceived threat.

Understanding the type of trauma helps guide effective, compassionate care.

01/02/2026

In 2026, relational health is less about fixing each other and more about understanding what happens between us.

We’re naming emotions earlier—before they turn into reactivity or shutdown.
We’re slowing conversations down enough to notice patterns, not just disagreements.
We’re setting boundaries to protect connection, not to create distance.

We’re recognizing survival responses as learned, adaptive, and context-dependent.
We’re paying attention to what activates them—and choosing responses with intention.

We’re also recognizing that consistently practiced thoughts, emotions, and behaviors shape the emotional tone of our relationships.
We’re reinforcing positive, regulating patterns—not through denial of difficulty, but through repetition, awareness, and choice.

We’re prioritizing emotional safety as the foundation for repair.
We’re valuing consistency, predictability, and attunement over urgency or intensity.
We’re allowing space for difference without treating it as threat.

This is mental health work.
This is relational health.
This is sustainable change.

12/19/2025

The holidays can be difficult not because you’re ungrateful, but because they’re intense.

There is often more noise, more responsibility, more comparison, and less rest. When people feel emotionally off during this time, they often blame themselves — but what they’re experiencing is a normal response to cumulative stress.

You are not required to feel joyful or productive to be “doing the holidays right.”
You are allowed to redefine what this season looks like for you in ways that protect your well-being.

Gentle choices, realistic expectations, and intentional pauses can make a meaningful difference.

12/04/2025

11/12/2025

There’s a kind of distance in marriage that isn’t about leaving — it’s about slowly drifting apart.
I often see couples who are still “together,” but emotionally, they feel miles away.

Marriage isn’t one long, straight path — it happens in phases. Each of us keeps growing, changing, and becoming new versions of ourselves. The real work is learning how to find each other again in every new chapter.

As the Gottman Method reminds us, emotional connection doesn’t sustain itself — it’s something we nurture through curiosity, small moments of turning toward, and choosing each other again and again. ❤️

11/12/2025

There’s a kind of distance in marriage that isn’t about leaving — it’s about slowly drifting apart.
I often see couples who are still “together,” but emotionally, they feel miles away.

Marriage isn’t one long, straight path — it happens in phases. Each of us keeps growing, changing, and becoming new versions of ourselves. The real work is learning how to find each other again in every new chapter.

As the Gottman Method reminds us, emotional connection doesn’t sustain itself — it’s something we nurture through curiosity, small moments of turning toward, and choosing each other again and again. ❤️

10/29/2025

Do you have goals but can’t seem to follow through?
You’re not lazy — your brain just needs structure and safety, not pressure.

Studies show that when you work with your energy and stay grounded, focus and consistency come naturally.

Try this:
🌿 Do one grounding activity daily (walk, meditate, journal — whatever centers you).
⏰ Notice when you feel most alert — plan key tasks then.
💭 Set a small daily intention like “Today, I’ll focus on progress, not perfection.”

You don’t need perfection — just presence and intention.

✨ Productivity starts when your mind and body feel aligned.

10/23/2025

Ever catch yourself tiptoeing around your partner just to avoid conflict?
That constant tension isn’t “normal.”
It’s a sign you might be stuck in a fear-based dynamic, not a love-based one.
You deserve to feel safe being you. 💛 #

10/21/2025

Children are often far more insightful and intuitive than we give them credit for.
Teens, especially, have a deep understanding of themselves and the world around them — even when they can’t always put it into words.

When parents dismiss or undermine that insight, it can quietly erode trust and connection.

And sometimes, when teens go quiet or stop sharing, it isn’t because they don’t care — it’s because they feel unheard, misunderstood, or unsafe to express themselves.
Their silence can be a form of protection, not defiance.

Listen. Validate. Empower.
That’s where healing relationships begin. 💙

10/14/2025

The anger isn’t about them.
It’s the echo of what you needed and never received.Be gentle with yourself. Healing takes time. for the heart, mind, and the unseen wounds.

10/10/2025

When we operate from fear, our choices are rooted in protection, not progress.
Pause and ask yourself — is this decision coming from fear or from trust?

10/07/2025

You’re not wrong for losing it. Your body’s just in defense mode. 🚨
Emotional flooding is a sneaky saboteur: when overwhelm takes over, even kind intentions can spiral into hurt.
One tool you can try tonight: a silent pause cue — a hand signal, a phrase, whatever you both agree on. When one of you feels steam rising, you hit pause, calm down, come back.