Understanding Your Survival Response Many people grow up in homes that look functional on the outside but feel deeply unsafe on the inside. A mother who was emotionally overwhelmed, unpredictable, or dysregulated. A father who was absent, distant, or quietly unavailable. For a child, this isn’t simply “hard.” It's devastating. A child’s nervous system is not built to manage emotional chaos alone. When safety, nourishment, and attunement are missing, the body does the only thing it can do: it...

The transition from having one child to welcoming another is one of the most tender shifts in family life. Until now, your firstborn was the center of your world — the one who made you parents, with a rhythm of shared rituals, glances, and connection. And then, the story changes. A new baby arrives — or is growing quietly in the womb — and love expands. For your firstborn, this shift can feel confusing, even heartbreaking. It marks the end of being the only one and the end of receiving your...

Some burdens don’t come from what happened. They come from what never did. I often meet clients who say, “I had a pretty normal...