Dr. Kate Truitt

A tool or exercise I do with my clients quite a bit is to have them notice the difference between the statement, I am an anxious person versus I am experiencing anxiety. As humans, we tend to label ourselves. And when we give ourselves big emotional labels, it's hard for our mind and our body system to dig ourselves out of that label. I am bad. I am depressed. I am unlovable. I am unworthy.

A tool or exercise I do with my clients quite a bit is to have them notice the difference between the statement, I am an anxious person versus I am experiencing anxiety. As humans, we tend to label ourselves. And when we give ourselves big emotional labels, it's hard for our mind and our body system to dig ourselves out of that label. I am bad. I am depressed. I am unlovable. I am unworthy.

I am powerless. Our brain buys into that as a self-identifying component of self. As opposed to saying, I'm feeling powerless in this moment, which then creates space for the brain and the body to go, oh, I can do something to feel more powerful right now. What might that be? Oh, I can control my breath. Oh, I have control over that.

I am powerless. Our brain buys into that as a self-identifying component of self. As opposed to saying, I'm feeling powerless in this moment, which then creates space for the brain and the body to go, oh, I can do something to feel more powerful right now. What might that be? Oh, I can control my breath. Oh, I have control over that.

I am powerless. Our brain buys into that as a self-identifying component of self. As opposed to saying, I'm feeling powerless in this moment, which then creates space for the brain and the body to go, oh, I can do something to feel more powerful right now. What might that be? Oh, I can control my breath. Oh, I have control over that.

Or I am experiencing anxiety, which creates the opportunity to zoom out a little bit. And say, why am I feeling anxious, which immediately starts a positive neuroplastic experience of being curious, which gives us dopamine and opens up our visual sphere, both internally and externally, to seeing a larger picture around us.

Or I am experiencing anxiety, which creates the opportunity to zoom out a little bit. And say, why am I feeling anxious, which immediately starts a positive neuroplastic experience of being curious, which gives us dopamine and opens up our visual sphere, both internally and externally, to seeing a larger picture around us.

Or I am experiencing anxiety, which creates the opportunity to zoom out a little bit. And say, why am I feeling anxious, which immediately starts a positive neuroplastic experience of being curious, which gives us dopamine and opens up our visual sphere, both internally and externally, to seeing a larger picture around us.

And the value in that is there's space for curiosity and even possibly beginning to move into a state of self-compassion and deeper self-awareness and self-acceptance, which fundamentally is a critical part of healing through trauma.

And the value in that is there's space for curiosity and even possibly beginning to move into a state of self-compassion and deeper self-awareness and self-acceptance, which fundamentally is a critical part of healing through trauma.

And the value in that is there's space for curiosity and even possibly beginning to move into a state of self-compassion and deeper self-awareness and self-acceptance, which fundamentally is a critical part of healing through trauma.

A common label that I hear is the idea of, I am a victim, or the polarizing opposite, I'm not a victim. And I can see a lot of damage potentially being done on either side of the aisle. If we are a victim, and that is the label that we're putting on our mind-body system, it can feel, what we call in psychological terms, very much having an external locus of control.

A common label that I hear is the idea of, I am a victim, or the polarizing opposite, I'm not a victim. And I can see a lot of damage potentially being done on either side of the aisle. If we are a victim, and that is the label that we're putting on our mind-body system, it can feel, what we call in psychological terms, very much having an external locus of control.

A common label that I hear is the idea of, I am a victim, or the polarizing opposite, I'm not a victim. And I can see a lot of damage potentially being done on either side of the aisle. If we are a victim, and that is the label that we're putting on our mind-body system, it can feel, what we call in psychological terms, very much having an external locus of control.

Things happen to me, I am powerless, and I cannot create change in my world. And for the amygdala's core values, you can possibly tune in there that Amy's going to hate that. And when she really feels powerless or weak, she's going to create a way of interacting with that statement for the good, the bad, or the ugly, however it shows up for her to keep us safe.

Things happen to me, I am powerless, and I cannot create change in my world. And for the amygdala's core values, you can possibly tune in there that Amy's going to hate that. And when she really feels powerless or weak, she's going to create a way of interacting with that statement for the good, the bad, or the ugly, however it shows up for her to keep us safe.

Things happen to me, I am powerless, and I cannot create change in my world. And for the amygdala's core values, you can possibly tune in there that Amy's going to hate that. And when she really feels powerless or weak, she's going to create a way of interacting with that statement for the good, the bad, or the ugly, however it shows up for her to keep us safe.

Oftentimes that can mean isolating or creating ways of being in interpersonal relationships that are not preferable or are unhealthy for us. The flip side of I am not a victim, again, great if you're not a victim, that's fine. But if that's a trauma reaction, it can bypass the reality of things happen out of control. Scary and difficult, painful things did happen. And the

Oftentimes that can mean isolating or creating ways of being in interpersonal relationships that are not preferable or are unhealthy for us. The flip side of I am not a victim, again, great if you're not a victim, that's fine. But if that's a trauma reaction, it can bypass the reality of things happen out of control. Scary and difficult, painful things did happen. And the

Oftentimes that can mean isolating or creating ways of being in interpersonal relationships that are not preferable or are unhealthy for us. The flip side of I am not a victim, again, great if you're not a victim, that's fine. But if that's a trauma reaction, it can bypass the reality of things happen out of control. Scary and difficult, painful things did happen. And the