Am I Making Cowardly Excuses? As counseling continues and I perceive my symptoms more clearly through the frameworks of CPTSD or Bipolar Disorder, a strange sense of debt often settles in. I find myself doubting: “Am I merely blaming my environment or a pathological brain malfunction for all the twists and turns of my life?”…

The Need for “Diagnosis” Beyond Empathy When people think of counseling, they often imagine a scene of being comforted while shedding tears over a warm cup of tea. Of course, emotional support—having someone embrace a shattered heart—is vital. However, through my journey with CPTSD, Bipolar Disorder, and numerous somatic symptoms, I have realized that a…

Questions in the Clinic: The Moment Some Raise Their Shields In the heavy air of the doctor’s office, the physician asks me: “What was your relationship with your parents like during childhood?” or “Were there any physical or emotional shocks you’d rather not remember?” Many people are said to panic or tighten their lips at…

The idea that forming “rapport” is essential for psychotherapy is only half-true. For clients dealing with chronic trauma or mood disorders, “intimacy” can actually be a risk factor to be guarded against. The “honesty for the sake of accurate prescription and coping” that I feel is not evidence of a lack of rapport; rather, it…

Approaching Trauma as a “State,” Not a “Fact” When trauma is suspected in a clinical setting, many assume the first questions should be: “What happened?” “When did it start?” “Who did it?” However, in trauma-informed clinical practice, these questions are often categorized as approaches that increase the likelihood of treatment failure. This is because trauma…