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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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👉🏽 Subscribe for thoughtful, bite-sized emails — from Liz Zhou, a neurodivergent therapist — on how to take care of your nervous system & understand your brain.
I’m three weeks into a memoir writing course, taught by the brilliant Stephanie Foo – author of What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma. It’s surreal (and seriously such a gift) to learn about writing from one of my favorite authors. Plus, my nervous system appreciates the care with which sensitive topics are handled in the course. For example: after reviewing excerpts from a number of best-selling memoirs - all of which covered intense topics, like trauma & oppression -...
What does it mean to be human? Years ago, I watched an episode of Black Mirror (a science fiction show) that made me sit with this question in a new way. The episode is called San Junipero. Here’s the premise: 🌊 San Junipero is a town on the beach, where people play, dance, meet with friends & lovers, and live their best lives. The only catch? San Junipero doesn’t actually exist in the physical world. It’s a simulated, digital reality. The people who hang out in San Junipero are: living...
A couple newsletters ago, I mentioned that I recently moved to Oregon. (You can read that newsletter here if you missed it!) Since then, I’ve been observing & connecting with the nature around me - which is the land of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla; Clackamas; Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. (Which I learned through this helpful & important website.) A few things catch my attention when I meander through the forest in my backyard. 🦋 the...