Shelley Bradley-Scholey Fortitude Psychological Therapy

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Shelley Bradley-Scholey Fortitude Psychological Therapy

13/11/2025

Leaving the military isn’t just a career change. It’s an identity shift, and for many, it feels like you are stepping into a world that you don’t understand.

In service, you belong to something bigger than yourself.
You speak the same language.
Live by shared rules.
Move with a team.

Then one day, you’re expected to fit back into a world that you are no longer familiar with.

Working with veterans, I saw this again and again, and I even felt it myself a bit after leaving.

Life after service often means learning who you are without the uniform. And that transition isn’t always easy.

Come and talk to a therapist who understands. We have a range of therapists with military’s and veteran experience who will totally get where you are at.

11/11/2025

When I say military culture shapes the whole person, I don’t mean metaphorically.

I spent 14 years working in the military as a trauma therapist, on operations, in the UK, in field hospitals, and with troops returning from deployment.

Here’s what’s often misunderstood:

1️⃣ Cohesion over individuality
You’re taught to put the mission and the team before yourself.
Needs? Feelings? Those come second.

2️⃣ Emotions are seen as threats to performance.
You learn to push feelings down.
Later in therapy, we ask the opposite... “Open up.”
No wonder that feels unsafe.

3️⃣ The body doesn’t forget.
Hypervigilance, numbness, scanning…
That’s not “overreacting.”
That’s training.

So if you feel like you don’t fit back into “normal life,”
or therapy feels uncomfortable because you’re asked to be vulnerable, nothing is wrong with you.

You adapted to an environment that demanded strength over softness.

And now… you’re learning how to be human again, not just functional.

✨ You’re not broken.
✨ You’re trained.
✨ And you can heal.

If you want more trauma-informed content from someone who’s been inside the system, on both sides of the uniform, you’re in the right place.

07/11/2025

At this time of year I want to take a minute to talk about the experiences of military veteran population might be having. Did you know that I spent 14 years in the armed forces working as a therapist?

One thing I learnt during my service was that not all injuries from military experiences leave a scar that you can point to.

Sometimes it shows up as the inability to sleep.

The need to sit facing the door in every room.

The sudden sound that sends the nervous system into battle mode.

The difficulty letting anyone get close because closeness feels unsafe.

The memories that show up inside your head (especially at this time of year)

For many, the war didn’t end when they came home. It simply moved to a place inside their mind.

Remembrance isn’t about glorifying war, it is a time to acknowledging the cost for some of us, the psychological and emotional, and sacrifices that are made.

To every veteran who carries the weight of this…

We see you.
You are not alone.

Let’s show our veterans some love and tag someone you want to thank for their service ❤️‍🩹

30/10/2025

Many people carry guilt or shame because they didn’t fight back or didn’t run during a traumatic moment.

Here’s what you were never told:

🧠 The freeze response happens when the brain decides the safest option is to become still.
⚡ It’s a reflex driven by the nervous system, faster than conscious thought.
❌ It’s not consent, compliance, or passivity.
✅ It’s protection.

When fight or flight aren’t possible, your body chooses freeze to reduce harm, reduce detection, and get you through the moment.

Your body didn’t betray you.
It protected you.

If this resonates, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.
EMDR and trauma-informed therapy can help you release the shame and reconnect with your power.

✨ Save this post for when self-blame creeps in.
✨ Share with someone who needs reminding: freeze kept you alive.

26/10/2025

🎉 It’s GIVEAWAY time! 🎉

We’ve had so many requests to bring my EMDR Therapy Workshop with online, and it’s finally happening… and to celebrate, I’m giving away two free places on my guest list!

🗓️ Monday, December 8 | 6:30–8:30pm (GMT)
🎓 Includes Live Q&A and CPD certificates (provided by Seed Talks)
💻 Recording available after the event

✨ To ENTER:

1️⃣ Follow if you aren’t already
2️⃣ Like this post and share it to your story. Don’t forget to tag me so I can see it :)
3️⃣ Tag a friend in the comments. Each tag counts as an extra entry!

This giveaway is open to UK residents aged 18 and over and will close at midday (GMT) on 30th November 2025. Two winners will be selected at random and contacted via direct message. If no response is received within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

We will need your full name and email address to reserve your spot. This information will be shared with Seed Talks for ticket processing.

20/10/2025

When something frightening happens, and you find yourself replaying it over and over…

“Why didn’t I say something?”
“Why didn’t I fight back?”
“Why did I just freeze?”

It’s easy to judge that stillness as weakness. But freezing isn’t failure. It’s biology.

When your nervous system senses threat, it scans for the fastest route to safety.
Sometimes that means running (flight).
Sometimes that means fighting.
And sometimes it means going completely still, freezing, because movement could make things worse.

Your body didn’t betray you; it protected you.
That moment of paralysis wasn’t a lack of strength. It was your brain choosing survival over action.

So if you’ve ever blamed yourself for how you responded, please know this:
You didn’t do anything wrong.
You did what your body needed to keep you alive.

17/10/2025

Ever felt like parts of your memory just… don’t add up?

Maybe you remember certain details vividly but can’t recall the full event. Or you feel an emotion in your body with no clear story attached.

That’s called fragmented memory, and it’s incredibly common after trauma.

When we experience something overwhelming, the brain’s priority shifts from recording to survival. The result? Our memories can store like scattered snapshots rather than a continuous film reel.

In therapy, we don’t force those fragments together. We help them reconnect gently, at a pace that feels safe.
Because remembering isn’t about reliving; it’s about reclaiming your story in a way your nervous system can handle.

👀 Are you ready to do the work it takes to get past the things that have happened to you? Stay tuned for details about my upcoming on-demand course!

16/10/2025

We’ve had so many requests to bring this talk online, and it’s finally happening!

Join me for a deep dive into the psychology of trauma and discover how EMDR helps unlock the brain’s natural healing processes. Whether you’re a therapist looking to strengthen your trauma knowledge or simply curious about EMDR, this workshop offers practical insight and real-world applications.

🗓️ Monday, December 8 · 6:30–8:30pm.
🎓 CPD Certificates available | Includes Live Q&A
🎟️ The countdown is on. Tickets are live now!

Secure your spot via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/emdr-therapy-workshop-with-shelley-bradley-scholey-tickets-1782056371579?utm_source=Venue_speaker&utm_medium=Venue_speaker&utm_campaign=na&utm_content=na

Follow and for more updates!

13/10/2025

When something traumatic happens, your brain doesn’t store it like an ordinary memory.

Instead of filing it neatly in the “past,” it keeps the sensory fragments like sights, sounds, smells and body sensations as if they’re still happening right now.

That’s why trauma memories can feel vivid, emotional, and physical. It’s not your imagination. It’s your brain trying to keep you safe by staying alert to danger.

Healing helps your nervous system learn that the memory belongs to the past, and that you’re safe in the present.

Therapy approaches like EMDR or trauma-focused CBT can help your brain reprocess and file these memories more accurately.

✨ You’re not “stuck in the past.” Your body just needs help realising the danger is over. Sign up for My Trauma Toolbox free via the link in bio. It’s packed with grounding strategies and insights to help you steady your mind.

Address

Titchfield

Website

https://www.fortitudepsychologicaltherapy.co.uk/

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