👉🏽 Subscribe for thoughtful, bite-sized emails — from Liz Zhou, a neurodivergent therapist — on how to take care of your nervous system & understand your brain.
How do we heal when painful things keep happening in the present?
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There’s a lot happening in the world. And while that’s always been true, maybe it’s feeling especially true for you in this moment, this season, this year. To name a few things — we have ICE targeting immigrant communities in the US. Humanitarian crises, genocides. Loss of freedoms, rights, safety. And much more. This is in addition to the personal struggles (& yes, joys) that each of us is already navigating on a daily basis. So, with everything going on, with your nervous system hanging on by a thread… what does it mean to heal? How do we heal from the past when painful things keep happening in the present? If you know me, you know that I don’t often give simple answers. But here’s what comes up for me. I think about how, when it comes to healing our nervous systems, things heal in the order that makes most sense. If we’re feeling deeply unsettled by what’s happening in the world right now, then that is what our nervous systems are going to focus energy on processing. If we’re feeling deeply impacted by things that happened to us at 5 years old, then that is what our brains will focus on. And sometimes, we find ourselves in a moment where we’re needing to both heal from the past and sustain ourselves through the intensity of the present. Sometimes, healing is not about what happened back then, but also about what’s happening now and how do we get through it. So, this is my way of validating that if you’re feeling unsettled right now, and painful experiences from the past are jumbling with painful experiences in the now, you are not alone. In fact, you are joined by many of us in this collective human experience. And my hope is that we continue to sustain and heal together. And if your nervous system needs some support in these times, get in touch with me to talk about a Nervous System Healing Intensive — 3 90-minute sessions dedicated to deep processing through gentle yet powerful brain-body therapies (Brainspotting and IFS). This is the work I love to do, and I am here with you and for you if you need it. Talk soon, P.S. Interested in working with me 1:1? I offer Nervous System Healing Intensives — short-term, accelerated support for highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults, available online worldwide. Click ​HERE​ to learn more. And if you want to get an Intensive on the books, contact me ​HERE​. ​ P.P.S. Know someone who needs to hear this? Forward it along. New readers can subscribe ​HERE​. I help highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults heal their nervous systems & connect with their authentic selves.
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​Liz's Neurodivergent Letters
👉🏽 Subscribe for thoughtful, bite-sized emails — from Liz Zhou, a neurodivergent therapist — on how to take care of your nervous system & understand your brain.
While on a hike recently, I came across a sign that said: 🚫 If you see a bear, don’t make eye contact (which the bear may perceive as a sign of aggression) Which was right next to another sign: 👀 If you see a mountain lion, DO make eye contact (which shows the lion that you are aware of its presence & not afraid) These signs made me feel a bit spooked, reminding me of the possibility of encountering these creatures. (Though, to my relief, a third sign in the vicinity stated that the last...
Every single day, our brains are processing countless pieces of input. Notifications from five different apps. The ping of incoming text messages The microwave timer going off. Emails piling up in your inbox. The physical pile of letters & bills on your desk. Phone calls & voicemails. The to-do list that keeps growing. 🧠Due to the sheer amount of stimulation around us, it can be hard for our brains to discern what is actually urgent vs. what seems urgent but is not a true emergency. The...
There’s a book on my shelf that I’ve been reading for... what feels like forever. Every week or so, I’ll pick it up & read through another chapter. The content of the book is complex, so I can only process one chapter at a time. Then, my brain gets tired and needs a break. (The book, for the record, is called A Disability History of the United States, and it’s definitely not a “light read.”) My point is: the slow pace of reading a physical book - feeling the material in my hands, turning each...