If our emotional and physical needs are met as children, we grow up believing that we have a right to be here and that we are capable, lovable and able to take care of ourselves. But often, getting these needs met depends on how well the needs of the family have been met. For example, …
Reenactment and Trauma
In his book ‘Homecoming: Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner child‘, John Bradshaw relays a story of how, as a grown adult on holiday with his wife and children, something didn’t go his way, and before he knew it, he had stormed out of the accommodation, and was pacing up and down in a new hotel …
What Is Toxic Shame?
A lot of us are walking around carrying toxic shame, without even knowing it, or realising just how big an impact it is having on how we function day to day. You may withdraw, become angry without understanding why. You may become a perfectionist, in order to avoid more criticism or shame. Either from others …
What is a Trauma Bond?
Trauma bonds are emotional bonds with an individual that arise from a recurring, cyclical pattern of abuse perpetuated by intermittent reinforcement through rewards and punishments. The process of forming trauma bonds is referred to as trauma bonding or traumatic bonding. Trauma bonding occurs when an abuser repeats a cycle of abuse with a victim which …
What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘trauma’? Or PTSD?
For me, I had always associated these with a war veteran, or someone who had had an obvious, massive, life-changing event. ‘Trauma’ is a bit of a buzzword at the moment, but it’s very real, and very important, and most of us are walking around carrying trauma, without even realising it. Being trauma-informed means to …
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Welcome! From Me (and My Inner Child)
Welcome to The Healing Nest. My name is Andrea Clark. I have gone from codependent and broken after years of toxic relationships and friendships, to now helping others to heal. I was severely codependent; a magnet for attracting narcissistic and toxic personalities into my life. I’ll be talking a lot on this site about ‘Inner …