Kathryn Anne Flynn

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Canada
Ottawa, ON
Kathryn Anne Flynn

Registered Psychotherapist · Author · Yogi
🧠 Trauma, relationship + neurodiversity
🫶🏻 Psychology, somatics + mindfulness
⬇ Therapy + Resources ⬇

11/24/2025

Read or listen to my newest blog post, “Being the Partner I Want My Partner to Be” - a piece about why our childhood imprints sneak into our adult relationships, and how we can show up with more self-awareness, accountability, and actual partnership (rather than parent–child dynamics… which, uncomfortably, most of us slip into unconsciously sometimes).⁣
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Read the full post or listen to the full audio version on kathrynanneflynn.com - link in bio!⁣
Whichever way you take it in, I hope it gives you something useful.⁣
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Share with your person if you’d like to open the door to meaningful conversation. ⁣
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11/21/2025

Stillness is often romanticized in yoga, but for many of us, especially those carrying anxiety, trauma, or a chronically activated system, stillness feels threatening or just “unlikeable”.⁣
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Let’s walk through why some folks find restorative or quiet postures overstimulating, and how small, supportive additions can expand your capacity without forcing yourself into shutdown or overwhelm.⁣
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We can train felt safety gently - in fact there are so many additions/adjustments we can make that this is Part One of Two. ⁣
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Save for your next home practice, or share with someone who’s felt confused by their discomfort in “relaxing” yoga.⁣
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11/19/2025

A barred owl sat on a hydro line and faced the woods this morning - it turned its head to peer at me behind it. I took it in until it floated to a further branch to hunt in peace. ⁣
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Returning to the house I yelled, “I saw a barred owl! You can’t have a bad day when you start your day with an owl!” This is my own belief derived of nothing more than the magical presence of wildlife, especially the ones that grace our woods infrequently.⁣
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I’ve been trying to get more sleep lately and have been successfully “sleeping in” - sometimes all the way to 6:30! The darkening days certainly help getting and staying in bed earlier and later. Since I’m prioritizing sleep over other practices - *you can’t have it all… at the same time* - I’m infusing the mornings with small, intentional gestures to heighten intention and make the space feel nurturing. Even if there’s a pile of library books, bits of yesterday’s lunch, etc., - every morning has a special candle lit or I walk through the house with a rose incense and silently whisper prayers for my family for the day. ⁣
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Nature helps me step into reverence, absolutely. And since I can’t command the owl to visit every day, I make a small, heartfelt effort to infuse our indoors with the same felt sense.

11/17/2025

It’s a complicated answer that should be individualized, but here’s a starter…⁣
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If running is safe and yoga feels unsafe, how do you make the journey to integrating yoga and establishing a wider spectrum of safe experience in your system?⁣
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I recommend thinking about what makes running feel safe…⁣
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- being alone? No audience?⁣
- the feelings produced by running, which in the ABSENCE of, it’s hard to feel regulated?⁣
- the option to talk and in the absence of it’s hard to feel safe?⁣
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Start here and set yourself up with supports - including a teacher or therapist you trust - to explore. Congratulate yourself on trying something that feels difficult ☺️⁣
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11/16/2025

High-intensity workouts aren’t “just fitness” for every nervous system. For some trauma survivors, the sensations that comes with elevated heart rate signals to their brain that threat is present and active.⁣
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Your body isn’t confused. It’s protecting you.⁣
When the internal signals of exertion overlap with the internal signals of fear, your system may sound the alarm even when you’re simply working out.⁣
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There’s no shame in this. You’re not “out of shape” or “too sensitive.” Your body is responding exactly as it learned to stay safe. With pacing, titration, and nervous system support, intensity can become tolerable - or even empowering!⁣
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11/14/2025

Restorative yoga is the best/worst for calming your nervous system - which side do you fall on?⁣
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Restorative yoga looks gentle from the outside, but for many people it removes the very strategies that helped them survive: staying busy, staying braced, staying ahead of the next threat. When the body finally gets quiet, old sensations and emotions surface… and that can feel anything but restful.⁣
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There’s nothing “wrong” with you if stillness is uncomfortable. Your system is trying to protect you the only way it knows how. Healing is learning to meet those moments with curiosity, pacing, and support - so that rest can become something your body trusts again. ⁣
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11/08/2025

When you find yourself saying, “I can’t believe they didn’t…” - if you can catch yourself, this could be a fruitful moment! Often what’s beneath the frustration isn’t malice or neglect, but mismatched assumptions.⁣
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Many couples and families live by unspoken expectations instead of functional agreements. The difference? Expectations live in our minds. Agreements live in conversation.⁣
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The invitation is to move from mind-reading to mutual clarity - to “adult” together, to co-create the systems that hold your shared life with more care.⁣
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Share with your person and a clear expression of need - “I want more clarity and less agitation in our relationship, could we schedule time to chat this weekend?”⁣
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10/06/2025

There’s still time to join me for Reunite: Cultivating Quiet Within — a weekend of sweet, supportive practices (including someone else doing the cooking!), reconnecting with your body, and remembering your place in the living world.⁣
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This image is from a “bird meditation,” one of my favourite moments of every retreat — a simple act of stillness and trust that always feels magical to me.⁣
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If you’ve been craving quiet, reflection, and community, this is your invitation.⁣
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✨ Registration closes October 10.⁣
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📍 October 17–19, 2025⁣
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🪶 Galilee Centre, Arnprior⁣
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Link in bio or visit kathrynanneflynn.com/offerings⁣
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09/29/2025

I love couples therapy, but I’d like to rename it 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. Relationship work isn’t just about fixing what feels broken. It’s about learning to show up for each other with more presence, care, and understanding.⁣
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Whether you’re navigating conflict or simply wanting to deepen your connection, couples work can be a profoundly healing process / for the relationship and for each partner individually.⁣
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09/23/2025

A new **free** meditation is now available on Insight Timer - designed for those moments when relaxation feels like a distant dream.

This track guides you into a very detailed body scan, designed to hold your attention more steadily than practices with long stretches of silence. I wrote it with my clients healing through CPTSD in mind, but regardless of our experience, we can all need a little extra support at squirrelly times.

I share these practices on Insight Timer for clients and beyond because the platform is both free and intuitive.

✨ Browse my meditations for children and adults on Insight Timer here: https://insighttimer.com/kathrynanneflynn

09/11/2025

When autistic and "neurotypical" people communicate, there’s a higher chance of misunderstanding - not because either group is “bad” at communication, but because cross-neurotype relating is like cross-cultural relating.

Research shows that mixed groups playing “telephone” distorted the message 25% more often than either **autistic-only** or **neurotypical-only** groups. That’s powerful evidence that communication differences are mutual.

This lens can bring relief and validation to couples navigating cross-neurotype dynamics. Therapy offers a space to slow down, untangle misunderstandings, and build ways of relating that honour both partners.

✨ If this resonates, reach out to connect about relationship work (i.e. "couples therapy") with me at The Wren Centre

09/08/2025

Being together and on retreat makes for a special container for practice and resourcing. I'm so excited to spend this time together.

Reunite is a 2-night retreat designed for the liminal space of autumn. Programming includes movement, meditation and breath work practices alongside guided talks, journaling and group work. No prior experience necessary.

This retreat program includes:
- Gentle yoga and meditative movement to support grounding and presence
- Guided talks and discussions on the neurobiology, psychology and philosophy of mind/body connection
- Guided and free time in nature
- Creative expression including art and guided journaling to reconnect you with your inner voice and clarity
- Opportunity to cultivate stillness, experience shared silence, and shared reflection

Reach out with your questions or learn more at www.kathrynanneflynn.com/offerings

Address

2900 Carp Road #1
Ottawa, ON
K0A1L0

Website

http://www.kathrynanneflynn.com/

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