8 min read
KD & Marielle, Brynne Angelle, LCSW, PMH-C: Sep 12, 2026, 9:12:09 AM
1. What Is Trauma? Trauma is the result of an event that overwhelms an individual's nervous system and ability to cope. It causes emotional distress that continues long after the event(s). Trauma can be caused by a single event such as a near death experience or ongoing stress such as emotional abuse and manipulation.
6 min read
KD HOLMES, LPC, EMDR CERTIFIED, BTTI TRAINED: Jul 16, 2026, 7:46:00 AM
There is a moment in complex OCD treatment that every ERP therapist eventually meets. The client understands the model. They can explain the OCD cycle beautifully. They know reassurance does not help long-term. They can name their compulsions, identify their triggers, and even agree that avoidance is shrinking their life.
7 min read
KD HOLMES, LPC, EMDR CERTIFIED, BTTI TRAINED: Mar 15, 2026, 5:05:41 PM
Trauma doesn't always look like hypervigilance, flashbacks, or a clear stress response — and in neurodivergent clients, it often doesn't. Masking, sensory overwhelm, shutdowns, rigid routines, or what reads as "just autism" or "just ADHD" can be the trauma response itself, hiding in plain sight. Missing this distinction doesn't just delay...
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4 min read
Monet David, MS, LPC, ADHD-CCSP: Mar 2, 2026, 11:36:50 AM
In the modern therapy room, a specific type of clinical impasse is becoming increasingly common. It involves the client who is insightful, motivated, and perhaps even a high-achiever, yet remains trapped in a cycle of unexplained burnout, chronic overwhelm, and executive dysfunction. Despite months of cognitive restructuring, attachment...
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7 min read
Whitney Storey, MS, LPC, ASDCS: Mar 2, 2026, 11:33:40 AM
Mental health professionals are trained in a way that leads us to spot the "obvious" cases of autism: the children who struggle with eye contact, who have high support needs, or who exhibit the classic externalized behaviors we learned in the media, our textbooks, and the DSM. But what happens when the signs aren't obvious? What happens when our...
7 min read
People throw around the phrase "you are being a narcissist" a lot these days. But there is a real difference between someone acting selfish once in a while and a diagnosable mental health disorder. This guide covers the narcissistic personality disorder symptoms clinicians look for, what causes NPD, how it differs from borderline personality...
5 min read
KD HOLMES, LPC, EMDR CERTIFIED, BTTI TRAINED: Jul 26, 2025, 9:10:46 AM
My Relationship with AI: A Tool That Grows with Me Let me begin with a confession: I use AI every day. This is not a theoretical endorsement-I am the monkey with the stick, fishing ants from a log, using this tool not because it’s perfect, but because it works. It’s simple, effective, and-when wielded intentionally-it changes how I live, how I...
4 min read
KD HOLMES, LPC, EMDR CERTIFIED, BTTI TRAINED: Jul 20, 2025, 10:41:31 AM
When Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) intersect, clinicians often find themselves navigating a clinical landscape that demands both precision and compassion. Both disorders are fear-based, yet they express themselves through different mechanisms: OCD through obsessional doubt and compulsive rituals,...
5 min read
KD HOLMES, LPC, EMDR CERTIFIED, BTTI TRAINED: Jul 19, 2025, 4:28:38 PM
OCD is rarely straightforward. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and in many cases, it shows up tangled in a web of other diagnoses-each influencing, masking, or amplifying the core symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you've ever worked with clients who seem resistant to ERP treatment, who present with emotional dysregulation , cognitive...
5 min read
In this blog, three therapists examine therapist development through the lens of discomfort in therapy, exploring how moments of tension, uncertainty, and vulnerability shape clinical growth and, when navigated skillfully, are not harmful to clients.
