A compassionate explanation of shame through a trauma-informed, neuroscience-based lens. Shame is quiet, but its voice can echo louder than any other emotion. I remember the first time I truly felt its weight. It wasn’t just the sting of embarrassment or regret. It was the heavy ache that settled deep inside and whispered that something…
Life has a way of presenting challenges that test our strength, patience, and resolve. From daily stressors to life-altering traumas, these experiences can feel overwhelming, leaving us wondering how we’ll ever move forward. But here’s the empowering truth: our brains are wired for resilience. Because our brains are neuroplastic, we have the capacity to build…
Mental health is a topic that has gained more attention in recent years, as discussions and conversations about it become more common. However, despite this progress, the stigma surrounding mental illness still remains prevalent in our society. There is a widespread belief that seeking professional help for mental health issues is a sign of weakness…
Why Educating Yourself About Mental Health Is Important Recent statistics show that millions of people around the world are affected by various mental disorders. It’s not just a small segment of the population. Mental health challenges impact individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. And the numbers continue to rise. Despite the prevalence…
Let’s talk Fear and get to know our Fear Brain: “Amy” the amygdala. Did you know that as humans, 90 percent of our present moment is informed by experiences from our past? These are the good, the bad, the ugly and even the unconscious! This is often not a bad thing, because a split-second decision…
As with many health practitioners in these times of safer-at-home orders, we are constantly asked whether we are still offering mental health services. The answer is definite: “Yes! We are here for you.” We at the Trauma Counseling Center of Los Angeles (TCCLA) are continuing to provide expert trauma therapy and counseling safely through telehealth…
By Dr. Kate Truitt In our practice we have been talking a lot with our patients about being overcome by a strange new constellation of emotional experiences. They share the optimism they once had. They’re concerned they’re not living up to the expectations of other people in their personal and professional lives—much less the expectations…
By Dr. Kate Truitt In June 2009 after being together with a man for 10 years, I returned home late at night from my bachelorette party to unexpectedly and devastatingly find that my fiancé had collapsed, and I could not make him breathe. One week later, our wedding guests became funeral guests, and our wedding…
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During the past month, a tsunami has been unleashed into the streets of our nation. May we dare to say, dream, that this time and this wave are different? This time, it seems this wave is not made of water, and…
It’s very painful to see a loved one hurting, no matter the reason. We want to know they are OK, always. But recovering from a traumatic experience takes time. And it often can’t be done alone, which is why you may be asking, “does my loved one need counseling?” Everyone will answer that question differently,…