The Eeyore Complex

Most are familiar with the character Eeyore, a friend of Christopher Robins in the Winnie the Pooh Tales. He is negative about everything. “Bad things always happen to me.” “Why me?” “My tail fell off again.” We all suffer sometimes from bouts of the Eeyore complex. I myself have...

Trauma-Informed Care, Neuroplasticity and Mindfulness

The entire series in January will be focusing on how trauma-informed care can help adults overcome the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). However, to understand the process of healing, we must first explore what happens to the brains of traumatized children, and how neuroplasticity and mindfulness aid us...

Affect of Trauma on a Child’s Brain

  ‘Orazio, S. J. (2016). “Assessing the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Brain Development.” Inquiries Journal, 8(07). Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1429 Assessing the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Brain Development By Stephen J. D’Orazio 2016, VOL. 8 NO. 07 Abstract In this paper, I review the course of...

It’s Okay To Put Your Health First, You Know?

Your health is not something that you can just wing. We understand that you may be thinking that because you’ve done it in the past, this means that you can continue on the way that you have been. If you think about it though, that doesn’t make any sense....

Increasing Your Emotional Intelligence

What is Emotional Intelligence?   Emotional intelligence (EI) (aka emotional quotient or EQ) describes one’s ability to use, understand, and manage emotions in positive and effective ways to relieve stress, defuse conflict, and overcome challenges.   Emotionally intelligent people build strong relationships, succeed in their endeavors, and achieve personal...

Two Important Life Lessons That Can Be Discovered in Psychotherapy

Two of the purposes for which clients enter psychotherapy are recovery after a traumatic event has plunged them into an abyss of negative emotions, and the human capacity for misconceptions about others with whom we have associations. These two problems often fog our ability to get and maintain relationships...

Ruminating Thoughts

Living with the after-effects of childhood trauma is a daunting task. Healing can take decades and the scars remain for a lifetime. However, there are two human activities that make matters worse for those who wish to move on from an abusive childhood; ruminating. This article will examine ruminating...

Self-Love

This morning I was surfing a social media website when I ran across someone’s post that broke my heart. This person, a woman, was saying how much she wished she could love herself but that she hated everything about her life, her personality and her past. In effect, she...

Life Isn’t Easy, Life Isn’t Fair

There are two basic facts about life that many people either were never taught or they try to say do not apply to themselves: Life isn’t easy and life isn’t fair. These two concepts are true for everyone, no matter your financial status, your ethnic background, your sexual orientation,...

Self-harm and Complex Trauma

This article includes an honest discussion about self-harming behavior, a topic that is highly triggering to some. Caution is advised.   Self-harm is something people do when they are so overwhelmed by emotions that they do not know what to do. Indeed, self-harming behavior does bring a measure of...