emotional trauma treatment

Understanding (& Overcoming!) Abandonment Issues

If you had healthy, secure relationships in childhood, particularly with your parents or caregivers, you’re likely to have a healthy view of how they work. However, if you experienced emotional neglect or traumatic loss as a child, fear and anxiety may be the driving factors in your adult relationships. The fear of being hurt or left by someone you love may cause you to take drastic measures to prevent the loss of loved ones. This can lead to a whole host of issues in relationships. Read More

Scars: What Lies Beneath Physical Abuse

A child that’s being abused doesn’t stop loving its parents, it stops loving itself. As young people come into the Claudia Black Young Adult Center with addictions, mental health and trauma issues we often find that beneath those are the scars of physical abuse. Read More

When Parents Have a Distorted Sense of Boundaries

Excerpted from the book Changing Course by Claudia Black, Ph.D., Senior Fellow at The Meadows Many times abandonment issues are fused with distorted, confused, or undefined personal boundaries. We experience abandonment when parents have a distorted sense of boundaries, their boundaries and ours. They want us to like what they like, dress like they dress, and feel as they do. If we in any way express differences from our parents, or make different choices than they would, we know we run the risk of rejection. Read More

All of the Feels: Accepting the Gifts of Emotion

By Brenna Gonzales, MS, LPC, Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows Therapist In our culture, we are taught that certain feelings are off-limits. There is a general sense that if you’re not happy most of the time that you’re doing life wrong. Read More

If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

Natalie felt lost. She didn’t quite understand why, but everything just felt wrong somehow. Even though it was hard for her to admit that she needed help, she reached out. She found The Meadows Survivors workshop where, for the first time, she began to understand where she came from, where she was going, and where she wanted to be. Read More

Man Rule #1: No Crying

By Dan Griffin, Senior Fellow at The Meadows “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about!” “What? Are you going to cry like a little girl?” “Crybaby.” And, of course, the meaningless and obtuse: “Man the f#@$ up!” Rare is the man who has not had at least… Read More