Trauma-Informed Support for Partners of Survivors
There are costs to loving a trauma survivor. I know this statement may come across as unloving, unkind, and insensitive. It might come across as uncaring, unsupportive, and cruel. But despite the potential misinterpretations of this statement,…
What do partners of survivors read? Over the past year, I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with many partners of survivors. What I’ve learned is that partners are avid readers. We read for inspiration. We…
Life as a partner to a survivor can feel overwhelming, scary, and challenging. This little book for partners acts as a guide to help you navigate the ups-and-downs when your partner has complex Post-Traumatic Stress…
Last week was lost to trauma.* The days and hours of the second week of September passed and the dates on the calendar changed but, in our home, all activities outside of navigating my husband’s…
My husband’s developmental trauma changed me. Seven years ago, my husband of twenty years began to experience a series of visual flashbacks. These emerging memories pointed to a very different childhood than he had previously remembered.…
How do you do it? How do you keep going as the partner to a trauma survivor? From the book: “It’s a question I’m asked a lot and I think it’s worth answering. Why? Because…
My husband has developmental trauma and no one told me about it. After eight trauma therapists, three psychiatric assessments, four general practitioners, two big psychological breakdowns, many smaller breakdowns, three employment leaves, financial loss, one…
Who are your bridge people? It’s been one year since our house sold and we picked up and moved to Eastern Canada. It’s been a year of change, new people and places, challenges, and disappointments.…
Do the stories of partners of survivors matter? I tucked this question into my laptop bag and entered the doors of Humber College summer writing school this past July. I had submitted fifteen pages of…
“What do you do for self-care?” It’s one of the first questions I am asked by other partners. While I know what works for me, my preferred activities may not be what works for you.…
“How do you cope with fatigue as the partner to a trauma survivor?” a friend recently asked. To be honest, the question frightened me. Was I fatigued? Was it a problem? Was I coping? Was…