Inner Balance Therapy, LLC

02/21/2026

How Trauma Shows Up in the Body

If trauma isn’t always obvious, and its effects show up in protective patterns, and those patterns are rooted in how the brain responds to threat, then it makes sense that trauma is also experienced in the body.

Many people notice trauma not as memories, but as physical symptoms:

chronic tension, fatigue, pain, digestive issues, sleep disruption, or a constant sense of being “on edge” or shut down.

These responses aren’t random—and they aren’t signs of weakness. They’re signals from a nervous system that learned to stay alert in order to survive.

Healing isn’t about forcing the body to calm down. It’s about helping the body feel safe enough to let go—so trauma doesn’t continue to limit how fully you can live.

02/16/2026

Why Trauma Can Make Change Feel So Hard

If trauma isn’t always obvious, and its effects often show up as protective behaviors, the next piece is understanding why those patterns can feel so hard to change.

Trauma affects how the brain processes safety and threat. When the brain stays on high alert, survival responses take priority over reflection, planning, and flexibility.

This is why people often say, “I know what I want” or “I know what would help”—and still feel stuck. It’s not a lack of insight or effort. It’s the nervous system doing its job.

Trauma-informed healing works with the brain and nervous system to restore choice, so trauma doesn’t get to decide what your life looks like moving forward.

02/11/2026

“If trauma doesn’t define me… why does it still feel like it’s running things?”

If trauma isn’t always obvious, its impact often isn’t either.

Many people don’t feel “traumatized.” Instead, they feel stuck, overwhelmed, disconnected, or exhausted—without a clear reason why.

Trauma can quietly shape behavior through patterns meant to protect you:

staying constantly busy, avoiding conflict, numbing emotions, over-functioning, or shutting down when things feel too much.

These patterns aren’t flaws or failures. They’re adaptations your nervous system learned in order to cope.

The goal of healing isn’t to get rid of these defenses—it’s to understand them, soften them, and create space to choose differently so trauma doesn’t get to run your life anymore.

02/06/2026

Trauma isn’t always the obvious or extreme events people picture.

It can come from chronic stress, emotional neglect, repeated invalidation, loss, or experiences where you had to adapt without enough support.

Because of that, many people don’t realize trauma is influencing their choices—they just know something feels harder than it should.

The stages of change remind us that readiness for growth isn’t about motivation or strength. It’s about safety, timing, and nervous system capacity.

Trauma doesn’t define who you are.

It reflects what you lived through—and what your system learned to survive.

Healing is about loosening trauma’s grip so it doesn’t get to decide the life you’re allowed to want. And support can help you do that at your own pace.

11/16/2025

🎁 Helping Kids Manage Holiday Stress (and Supporting Your Own Peace in the Process)

The holidays can be magical for children — but they can also be overstimulating, full of changes in routine, and emotionally overwhelming. When kids feel dysregulated, the whole household feels it too.

Supporting your child’s emotional balance isn’t just good for them — it also protects your mental health. Helping them slow down, express their feelings, and find calm moments can reduce tension and create more meaningful family connection.

Small steps like keeping consistent routines, building in quiet time, and talking openly about feelings can make a big difference.

Check out our simple, family-friendly tips to help your child (and yourself) navigate the season with more ease and joy. If you need extra support and an understanding environment, don't hesitate to reach out today.

https://care.headway.co/providers/leslie-zarker

11/13/2025

Protecting Your Peace: Setting Boundaries This Holiday Season

The holidays often come with expectations — family traditions, social gatherings, gift exchanges — and while connection is important, so is your comfort.

Setting boundaries isn’t about being distant or difficult; it’s about showing up in ways that are healthy and sustainable for you. When you say “no” to what drains you, you create space to say “yes” to what truly matters.

💬 Try reminding yourself:
→ “It’s okay to leave early.”
→ “It’s okay to decline an invitation.”
→ “It’s okay to take a break when I need one.”

Healthy boundaries allow you to enjoy the season with more peace, presence, and authenticity. 🌿

✨ To learn more about how to set boundaries that support your well-being, check out this article.

https://www.hearthcc.com/blog/setting-boundaries-around-holidays

Learn therapist-recommended strategies to set boundaries around food, body image, time, and commitments this holiday season. Safeguard your mental health and embrace the joy of the season with practical tips for reducing holiday stress.

11/09/2025

🎁 Managing Holiday Stress — Start Small, Start Early

The holidays can be joyful and draining at the same time — and that’s okay.

Preparing ahead can help you move through the season with more peace and presence.

A few simple shifts can make a big difference: slowing down, setting boundaries, and remembering to care for yourself the way you care for others.

Here are a few quick tips to help you manage holiday stress and stay grounded.

✨ You deserve a season that feels balanced, not burned out.

11/05/2025

The Holidays Are Coming — Let’s Talk About Stress and Anxiety Before It Arrives

The holidays often bring moments of joy, connection, and celebration — but they can also stir up stress, pressure, and emotional exhaustion. Between family dynamics, financial strain, social expectations, and disrupted routines, even the most wonderful time of the year can feel overwhelming.

Many people notice an increase in anxiety, fatigue, or irritability around this season — and that’s not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign that your body and mind are reacting to change and demand.

The good news? You don’t have to wait until you’re in the middle of it to start coping. Now is the perfect time to create a plan that supports your emotional well-being during the busy months ahead so you can enjoy more of it.

✨ In the next few posts, we’ll be sharing tools and strategies to help you prepare — from setting healthy boundaries to managing expectations and protecting your peace.

Start by asking yourself:
👉 What tends to drain my energy during the holidays?
👉 What helps me feel grounded and calm?

Awareness is the first step toward a season that feels a little lighter this year.

📖 Want to dive deeper? Check out this article on how holidays can impact our mental health, how to recognize these impacts, and some tips for managing it.

https://blog.calm.com/blog/holiday-anxiety

If you're looking for extra support to navigate the upcoming months, feel free to reach out today for a free consultation while spots are still available! Most major insurances accepted. https://care.headway.co/providers/leslie-zarker

Taking care of your mental health is essential during the holidays. Explore 10 self-care tips to help you cope and how to avoid common triggers of holiday anxiety.

11/01/2025

When Old Beliefs Hold You Back

Sometimes it’s not the situation that stops us — it’s the story we’ve been telling ourselves about who we are.

Negative self-beliefs like “I’m not capable,” “I always ruin things,” or “Good things don’t last for me” often grow from past experiences that left an emotional mark. Over time, these beliefs can quietly shape how we see ourselves and what we think we deserve.

That’s where self-sabotage comes in. When those old beliefs get triggered, we might pull away from opportunities, delay progress, or find subtle ways to confirm the story we’ve already been telling ourselves. It’s not because we want to fail — it’s because the familiar story feels safer than the uncertainty of change.

The first step is noticing the pattern. Ask yourself:
➡️ What do I believe about myself in moments I start to hold back?
➡️ Whose voice does that belief sound like?
➡️ What would it mean to see myself differently?

Awareness is where change begins — because when you start questioning the old narrative, you make space to write a new one.

Curious to know more? Check out this article about self-sabotage and if you're ready to start writing your new narrative, reach out for a consult today!

Are you sabotaging yourself in your career or relationships? Learn why you might be self-sabotaging, and ways to stop the cycle so you no longer undermine yourself.

10/28/2025

Triggers vs. Emotions — Knowing the Difference

Have you ever noticed how some moments instantly make you feel small, defensive, or not good enough — even when you know the situation doesn’t really call for it?

That’s often the difference between a trigger and an emotion.
🔹 A trigger is a reaction linked to something old — an experience, belief, or memory that’s being reactivated in the present.
🔹 An emotion is what we naturally feel in response to what’s happening right now.

When we don’t recognize the difference, triggers can take over our self-view. We start to believe the old story: “I’m too much,” “I’m not enough,” “I always mess things up.”

But what’s really happening is that an old wound has been reopened — not proof that those beliefs are true.

Learning to pause and ask, “Is this about now, or something from before?” can be a powerful way to step out of automatic self-blame and start responding with awareness instead of reaction.

Understanding this difference doesn’t erase pain, but it helps you meet yourself with more compassion — and that’s where healing starts.

10/24/2025

We all have that inner voice — the one that says “You’re not ready,” “You’ll mess this up,” or “Why even try?”

It can sound convincing, even protective, but here’s the truth: that voice isn’t always reality.

Often, it’s an echo of old fears, past experiences, or self-doubt that’s been repeated so many times it feels like fact.

When we start believing those thoughts without questioning them, they quietly shape our choices — keeping us from taking action, pursuing what we want, or even seeing what’s possible.

So where do you start when that inner voice feels loud or convincing?

Really anywhere, but this morning you can start with some relatable motivation with this video from Josh Green.

Take the first small steps toward a more balanced, supportive inner dialogue.

You don’t have to silence your fears to move forward — just stop letting them hold the map.

Josh Green shares a powerful and relatable journey of self-discovery through juggling. By recounting his audition experience as a novice juggler, Josh delves...

09/19/2025

“No matter how heavy the moment feels—overwhelmed, anxious, insecure, or helpless—there are always small steps you can take toward relief.”

Life doesn’t wait for us to “have it all together.” Stress, self-doubt, and anxious thoughts can sneak in at the worst times, leaving us stuck in the spiral of too much, too fast, too heavy.

But here’s the truth: you don’t have to fix everything at once.
Sometimes, relief comes from one small step.

✨ If you’re overwhelmed → break tasks into micro-steps or give yourself permission to cancel something.
✨ If you’re anxious → grounding exercises or a warm drink can help regulate your body and mind.
✨ If you’re insecure → write yourself a kind letter or celebrate three wins.
✨ If you’re helpless → do one tiny task, reflect on a past success, or ask for support.

These actions don’t solve everything—but they shift the moment. They remind you that you’re not powerless, even when life feels like too much.

And if you find yourself living in these feelings more often than not, you don’t have to go through it alone. At Inner Balance Therapy, LLC, we support clients in building tools, setting boundaries, and creating lasting relief.

👉 Book a consultation today—let’s take the next step together.