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Mental Health Blog — Trauma Healing, Nervous System Support & Somatic Wisdom
Explore insights, tips & reflections on therapy, trauma, and emotional well-being
This blog is a space where I share resources, insights, and reflections to support your emotional well-being and healing journey. Whether you are curious about trauma therapy, nervous system regulation, body-based healing like Somatic Experiencing and TRE®, or holistic approaches to mental health, you’ll find grounded, compassionate guidance here.
Explore practical tips for trauma recovery, tools for anxiety relief, and deep dives into topics like boundaries, self-trust, and somatic wisdom. Browse the articles or visit Free Resources for more tools and inspiration on your journey.
What Your Gut Is Trying to Tell You: The Gut-Brain Axis, Trauma & Chronic Health
Many people sense that their gut is “off,” yet their medical tests come back normal. They struggle with bloating, sensitivity, nausea, food reactions, or chronic inflammation without clear answers. What most aren’t told is this: the gut holds an emotional history. The gut-brain axis is one of the most intricate communication systems in the human body, and it is profoundly shaped by trauma, attachment patterns, early stress, and chronic survival states. As searches for “gut tr
Rebecca Rinnert
6 days ago5 min read
Attachment, Relationships & Somatic Healing: How Your Nervous System Speaks Before Your Words Do
Your Body Speaks Before You Do Long before you find the right words, your body is already in conversation.Your breath shortens when you feel ignored, your chest tightens during conflict, your muscles soften when you feel safe. This is your nervous system in relationships — constantly scanning for cues of safety or threat. It’s not weakness or overreaction; it’s ancient biology doing its job. Understanding these signals is at the heart of somatic attachment healing — a body-ba
Rebecca Rinnert
Nov 183 min read
Neuroplasticity Beyond the Mind: How the Body Rewires After Trauma
The Untold Story of Healing: Neuroplasticity in the Body Neuroplasticity has become one of the most exciting words in psychology and neuroscience. It describes the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt, rewire, and form new connections — even after years of pain or stress. But what most people don’t realize is that neuroplasticity isn’t limited to the brain . The entire body is part of this living network of adaptation. After trauma, your nervous system, fascia, muscles, and o
Rebecca Rinnert
Nov 114 min read
Healing Traumatic Grief: What It Is & Somatic Tools for Coping
Grief changes everything. When loss arrives suddenly, violently, or under traumatic circumstances, it doesn’t just break the heart — it overwhelms the entire nervous system. Traumatic grief therapy and somatic grief healing offer pathways to help you move through this pain with compassion, safety, and embodiment. In this article, you’ll learn what traumatic grief is, how grief and trauma intertwine, and which somatic tools can help you find your way back to stability and
Rebecca Rinnert
Nov 45 min read
Sleep, Trauma, and the Body: Why Night Is Hard & How Somatic Rituals Can Help
Why Night Feels Unsafe When You’ve Experienced Trauma If you live with trauma, night can feel like the hardest time of day. When the world gets quiet, your body might do the opposite — staying alert, tense, and ready for something to happen. Even when your mind knows you’re safe, your nervous system may still be in survival mode. This is not “just stress” — it’s a body remembering. After trauma, the amygdala (your brain’s alarm system) becomes overactive, while the prefronta
Rebecca Rinnert
Oct 284 min read
Boundary Healing: How Trauma Impacts Boundaries & 5 Somatic Steps to Reclaim Them
When Your Body Says “No” — But Your Mouth Says “Yes” You promise yourself you’ll speak up next time.But when the moment comes, your heart races, your throat tightens, and your voice disappears. You smile instead, hoping to keep the peace. This is what happens when trauma meets boundaries. For many trauma survivors, saying “no” feels unsafe — not because you lack willpower, but because your nervous system learned that safety meant compliance . Understanding this is the first
Rebecca Rinnert
Oct 214 min read
Trauma & Social Media: How Online Exposure Amplifies Anxiety and What Somatic Practices Can Do
The Moment Your Body Says “Enough” It’s late. You’re lying in bed, phone glowing in your hand, scrolling through a feed that started as...
Rebecca Rinnert
Oct 145 min read
Inner Child Healing: Somatic Exercises to Release Childhood Trauma & Reconnect with Your Younger Self
Why Inner Child Healing Is So Powerful Have you ever wondered why certain situations trigger you more than they “should”? Why you feel...
Rebecca Rinnert
Oct 74 min read
Relearning to Feel Safe: Somatic Therapy Explains the Body-Mind Trauma Connection
Why Safety Can Feel Out of Reach After Trauma You may know you’re safe—but still feel panic, tension, or numbness in your body. That...
Rebecca Rinnert
Sep 303 min read
Why “Processing Trauma” Feels Elusive—and How Somatic Therapy Bridges the Gap
The Buzz Around “Trauma Processing” If you’ve ever searched “how to process trauma” or scrolled through #TraumaProcessing on TikTok...
Rebecca Rinnert
Sep 233 min read
Can You Heal Trauma Online? What Internet-Based Therapies Really Deliver
Can You Really Heal Trauma Online? For decades, trauma therapy was only considered effective in a traditional therapy room. But today, a...
Rebecca Rinnert
Sep 163 min read
Oversensitive & Exhausted? How Nervous System Dysregulation Hijacks Your Well-Being
Why You Feel Overwhelmed and Exhausted Do you often feel like the smallest noise, comment, or change in your day can send you...
Rebecca Rinnert
Sep 94 min read
Why Traditional Talk Therapy Sometimes Isn't Enough – And What to Try Instead
Understanding Why Talk Therapy May Fall Short Talk therapy has been a cornerstone of mental health care for decades, helping countless...
Rebecca Rinnert
Sep 24 min read
6 Things to Expect in Your First Somatic Therapy Session (That You Won’t Find in CBT or Talk Therapy)
Starting a new type of therapy can feel exciting but also nerve-wracking. If you’ve tried Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or...
Rebecca Rinnert
Aug 264 min read
Freeze Response Trauma: What It Is, Fawn vs Freeze, and How to Thaw Safely
When Your Body Can’t Fight or Flight Most people know about the fight-or-flight response — your body’s instinct to confront or escape...
Rebecca Rinnert
Aug 193 min read
Nervous System Fatigue: Signs You’re Not Lazy—You’re Dysregulated
If rest doesn’t fix your exhaustion, your nervous system might be trying to protect you. Have you ever wondered: "Why am I so tired all...
Rebecca Rinnert
Aug 123 min read
Why You Don’t Have to Talk About Your Trauma to Heal It
Have You Been Avoiding Therapy Because You Don’t Want to Revisit the Pain? For many trauma survivors, the idea of starting therapy feels...
Rebecca Rinnert
Aug 54 min read
Polyvagal Basics: Fun Ways to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve & Calm Anxiety
What Is the Vagus Nerve and Why Does It Matter for Anxiety? Have you ever felt your heart racing, your stomach in knots, or like you’re...
Rebecca Rinnert
Jul 313 min read
Online Somatic Therapy: Does Virtual Somatic Healing Really Work?
“I wasn’t sure how this could work through a screen. But during my first online somatic session, I felt calmer than I had in years—like...
Rebecca Rinnert
Jul 294 min read
5 Somatic Exercises to Release Anxiety and Regulate Your Nervous System
Have you ever felt your heart race in a calm room? Or noticed your jaw clenching when nothing’s “wrong”? Your Body Remembers What Your...
Rebecca Rinnert
Jul 153 min read
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