8 min read
KD & Marielle: 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.
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...
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...
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
The phrase “death by a thousand paper cuts” often surfaces in client narratives about narcissistic abuse-and for good reason. When we ask what is narcissistic abuse, we are describing a pattern of ongoing psychological manipulation, control, and subtle invalidation that erodes a person’s sense of reality and self-worth over time. As clinicians, we...
7 min read
What is a Narcissistic person? The Hidden Weight of Shame Shame is a complex and often misunderstood emotion, particularly for individuals with narcissistic traits or Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Contrary to the stereotype of the shameless narcissist—arrogant, untouchable, and self-absorbed—the reality is far more intricate. Shame...
9 min read
KD HOLMES, LPC, EMDR CERTIFIED, BTTI TRAINED: Nov 14, 2024, 3:24:27 PM
Exploring the complexities of mental health, the threads of neurodivergence and dissociation weave together in intricate patterns. For therapists, differentiating symptoms-especially in discussions of PTSD vs autism-is complex and requires careful clinical observation over time. We train our minds to recognize symptom clusters rather than isolated...
6 min read
KD HOLMES, LPC, EMDR CERTIFIED, BTTI TRAINED: May 14, 2024, 8:35:15 PM
Trauma-informed therapy explains the connection between the nervous system and mental health, offering a paradigm shift in treating mental health issues. Central to this framework is understanding thefight or flight response-and providing clinicians with structured fight or flight response training so they can recognize when a client's behavior is...
5 min read
KD HOLMES, LPC, EMDR CERTIFIED, BTTI TRAINED: Jun 29, 2023, 4:06:49 PM
For therapists, trauma-informed care is a primary focus in both training and treatment. This approach, characterized by sensitivity to trauma and its effects, becomes especially critical when working with neurodivergent clients, particularly in presentations involving ADHD and PTSD and other overlapping conditions. Many individuals who are...
5 min read
KD & Marielle: Jun 29, 2023, 4:06:06 PM
Trauma is a word that has been gaining more attention and importance in our society and in the therapy treatment world. We (therapists) all know what trauma is... an overwhelming psychological and emotional response to an event or series of events that causes the brain to “push the panic button”. By now we all know trauma can come in many forms....
