
The world feels unhinged right now. Every day brings more chaos—political tension, social unrest, uncertainty about the future. If you have a history of complex trauma, this kind of instability can hit even harder.
You’re not imagining it. You’re not overreacting. And you’re not alone.
As a trauma therapist, I work with people who carry deep wounds—grief, loss, betrayal, things they shouldn’t have had to survive. And while I can’t change the world overnight, I can give you real, science-backed tools to help you navigate these times with more clarity, strength, and steadiness.
1. Your Nervous System is Not Broken—It’s Overloaded
When the world feels unsafe, your body reacts. Tension. Racing thoughts. Feeling constantly on edge. That’s not weakness. That’s your nervous system working overtime to protect you.
Try This: The Power of Rhythmic Movement
Your body craves rhythm to regulate itself—walking, swaying, stretching, or even rocking in a chair can help settle an overwhelmed system.
Take a slow walk (even just around your home). Feel the movement in your feet.
Rock back and forth gently in a chair. Let your breath match the motion.
If you have access, swimming or even floating in water can be incredibly regulating.
Small, steady movements tell your brain: I am here. I am safe enough to move.
If your nervous system feels stuck in survival mode, EMDR therapy helps reprocess past trauma so today’s stress doesn’t hit quite as hard. I offer in-person and virtual EMDR intensives—learn more here: EMDR Intensives.
2. Your Brain is Playing Tricks on You—Here’s How to Call It Out
Trauma rewires the brain to expect danger everywhere. You might notice thought spirals that make things feel even heavier.
Common Trauma-Driven Thoughts & How to Shift Them:
❌ "Nothing ever works out for me." → ✅ "Some things are hard right now, but I have survived every hard day before."
❌ "The world is doomed." → ✅ "The world is struggling, but small acts of care and change still exist."
❌ "I can’t handle this." → ✅ "I don’t like this, but I can take it one step at a time."
Your thoughts are not always facts. Learning to notice and reframe them is one of the most powerful skills in trauma recovery. Want a full checklist of thought distortions? Grab it here:
3. The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Method
When anxiety spikes, grounding pulls you back into the present moment.
Try this right now:
5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
This exercise shifts your focus away from fear and into right now—where you have more control than your brain might believe.
4. You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone
Healing doesn’t mean forcing yourself to be “strong” all the time. It means knowing when to lean on support.
If you feel like your past is making today’s stress harder to handle, that’s not a personal failure—that’s trauma doing what trauma does. The good news? It doesn’t have to stay this way.
What Therapy Can Do (That Self-Help Can’t)
Help your nervous system stop overreacting to stress
Rewire your brain to stop expecting danger everywhere
Give you a safe, structured space to process what’s weighing you down
EMDR therapy can be especially powerful for healing old wounds so they stop bleeding into your present. Whether you want to try an intensive session or build a steady rhythm of healing, I’m here. Learn more:
BIG NEWS: I Walked the Stage This Weekend! 🎓🎉
This weekend, I officially walked the stage and received my doctorate—a journey of hard work, late nights, and deep commitment to the healing profession.
On top of that, I also became an official EMDRIA Consultant—a big milestone in the EMDR community that allows me to help other therapists get certified in this powerful trauma-healing method.
📸


Moments like this remind me why I do this work—to make trauma therapy more accessible, effective, and life-changing for the people who need it most.
Final Thought: This Moment Won’t Break You
Yes, the world is a lot right now. But you are not powerless in how you move through it.
Small, intentional actions—like shifting your thoughts, grounding in the present, and seeking the right support—can make all the difference.
You deserve peace. You deserve healing. And when you need a space to process it all, I’m here.
For EMDR Clinicians
If you’re a therapist looking to deepen your trauma skills, I recently moved from EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training to EMDRIA Consultant (and trust me, that was a grind). If you’re starting your certification process and need EMDR consultations, I’m here. Learn more:
With you in resilience,
Dr. Arielle
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