Holistic Therapy Center

06/21/2025

It’s the First day of Summer! ☀️
May your days be sunny and bright 😎

05/02/2025

Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!
Your mental health matters every day- not just in May 🌸

Help is available! Call or email Holistic Therapy Center for help or to set up an appointment.

03/20/2025

Happy Spring! 🌷 More sunshine on the way.

01/05/2025

It's a New Year 🥳 Here's some tips to have the best year...

12/20/2024

Happy Holidays from the Holistic Therapy Center 🎄 and best wishes for the New Year! 🎉

11/07/2024

When we experience trauma, our brain shifts into "survival mode" to keep us safe. This shift, meant to protect us in dangerous situations, can become the brain’s default mode in people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Let’s explore what that survival brain looks like and how it shapes behavior.

In trauma, our brain is wired to respond with fight, flight, or freeze to protect us from perceived danger. This response can be life-saving during the trauma, but when it becomes constant, as in PTSD, it deeply affects behavior and thinking. In PTSD, the brain may remain on high alert, scanning the environment for potential threats, even in safe situations.

How it reflects in daily life:

1. Hypervigilance and Overreactivity: People with PTSD often feel on edge, anticipating danger at any moment. This "always-on" mode can make it hard to relax, feel safe, or focus on everyday activities.

2. Emotional Triggers and Flashbacks: Memories related to the trauma can resurface unexpectedly, leading to intense feelings, flashbacks, or emotional numbness. Everyday sounds, smells, or images can become triggers, bringing past trauma into the present moment.

3. Difficulty with Memory and Concentration: Trauma can make it difficult to remember information or keep attention on tasks. This can be frustrating for people with PTSD, impacting work, school, or personal relationships.

4. Impulsivity and Emotional Outbursts: With survival brain in control, emotional regulation becomes challenging. People might feel out of control with anger, sadness, or fear, or find themselves reacting impulsively to perceived threats.

5. Exhaustion and Physical Health Issues: Survival brain keeps stress hormones high, which can lead to fatigue, sleep problems, headaches, and other health issues. Long-term stress affects both mental and physical well-being.

With trauma-focused therapies, mindfulness, and self-regulation practices, it’s possible to retrain the brain, calming the survival responses. Over time, the brain learns to feel safe again, helping people with PTSD regain control over their lives and emotions.

Survival brain is an adaptive tool for life-threatening moments. But in the context of PTSD, understanding it can help guide us toward resilience and healing.

Illustration credit: Hairy Plish

09/27/2024

Help is available and recovery is possible. Please reach out and call 304-680-7003 if you or a loved one are ready to take the next step toward recovery.

08/20/2024

can be exciting and also challenging for students and parents 🏫 Especially if you are starting out in a new school in a new environment.

Contact the office at info@holistictherapyctr.com if you or your student needs help with the transition

08/02/2024

It has gotten better before....and it will get better again.
Help is available.

The only way through is through - you can do this. 💙

04/23/2024

Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992 to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern-day stress epidemic. It is the time when we have an opportunity for an open conversation on the impact of stress. Here are some reminders to help relieve stress.