Dr. Gillian O'Shea Brown

Dr. Gillian O'Shea Brown ✨Healing Complex Trauma ✨
•Author & Asst. Adjunct Prof at NYU 📚
•IFS ~ EMDR ~ YTT200 🧘‍♀️
•Ft in Vogue, HuffPost, Marie Claire ✍️

Your inner voice has always been there – waiting to be heard, ready to guide, and eager to heal...⁠⁠When we start to lis...
10/27/2025

Your inner voice has always been there – waiting to be heard, ready to guide, and eager to heal...⁠
⁠
When we start to listen to and unburden those fearful, anxious, and insecure parts of ourselves, we gently begin to clear the way for our true inner wisdom to emerge, growing stronger and more certain with each step.⁠
⁠
So this October, let’s cast out the ghosts of worry, self-doubt, and toxic thoughts – and let your inner magic shine brighter than ever! 🎃✨⁠

In the unpredictable landscape of modern romance, terms like ghosting, where a romantic interest vanishes without a trac...
10/23/2025

In the unpredictable landscape of modern romance, terms like ghosting, where a romantic interest vanishes without a trace, and breadcrumbing, where you’re teased with just enough attention to keep you interested but never fully satisfied, make navigating relationships feel like a treacherous reality show where the rules change each week; perhaps most bewildering is zombieing, where someone that you thought was gone for good suddenly resurfaces, reminiscent of a bad horror movie that refuses to end, leaving you both puzzled and wondering how to handle the emotional aftermath— Romanticizing the past can blind you to the reasons for the initial breakup.

The elusive corrective experience you crave can be a dating nightmare that often feels more absurd than romantic but what are the long term for emotional wellbeing and what can you do to preserve your postive self-concept (see above!)

💬 Remember, in a healthy relationship, you should feel valued and empowered, not left questioning your worth. Focus on connections that bring out the best in you and offer clear, respectful communication.

Many of us live with deep-seated wounds, born from experiences that shaped our fears, insecurities, and beliefs. In sile...
10/17/2025

Many of us live with deep-seated wounds, born from experiences that shaped our fears, insecurities, and beliefs. In silence, these wounds can grow familiar, even comfortable. But healing requires acknowledgment and gentle honesty.⁠
Your Achilles heel doesn’t define you it invites you to understand and transform it. The wound might not be your fault, but healing is your responsibility.⁠
⁠

10/15/2025

“Behind every behavior is a feeling.⁠
Behind every feeling is a need.” ✨⁠
⁠
Your triggers are not your enemies — they are sacred messengers.⁠
They rise within you not to punish, but to reveal. Each trigger points to a place within your heart that still longs for tenderness, safety, or understanding.⁠
⁠
When something stirs deep discomfort, it’s rarely about the present moment. It’s the echo of an old wound asking to be seen — a younger part of you that never felt heard, held, or loved the way it needed.⁠
⁠
Instead of judging your reactions, try to listen to them.⁠
Ask gently: What part of me is hurting right now? What does it need to feel safe again?⁠
⁠
Healing isn’t about avoiding triggers — it’s about learning from them.⁠
Every time you pause instead of reacting, every time you choose compassion over shame, you’re bringing light to the very places that once felt dark.⁠
⁠
Your triggers are simply unhealed parts of you, calling you home. 🌿⁠
⁠

10/14/2025

Did you know that Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain? 🍂⁠
⁠
Samhain marks the shift from the lighter half of the year to the darker half. Growing up in Ireland, I learned of the annual battle between the Oak King, who represents light, and the Holly King, who embodies darkness. According to legend, each winter solstice, the Oak King claims victory, and light slowly returns—only to battle again by summer solstice. 🌞🌑⁠
⁠
This folklore beautifully reflects the comfort in life’s cycles. Even in the depths of winter, the promise of light’s return brings hope and reminds us that renewal is always on the horizon. ✨⁠
⁠
⁠ ⁠
🎃👻💀

We all have different “parts” within us , like when you say, “One part of me feels sad, but another part feels mad.” The...
10/10/2025

We all have different “parts” within us , like when you say, “One part of me feels sad, but another part feels mad.” These parts reflect the many sides of our inner world.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps us get to know and befriend these partsso instead of inner chaos, we find harmony.

At our core is an untarnished Self: calm, compassionate, and whole. Our protective and wounded parts each formed for a reason to keep us safe.

When we lead from Self, we hold all parts with understanding. As Michelangelo said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

✨ On this World Mental Health Day, may we honor every part of ourselves with compassion.

Drop a 💓 if IFS has been part of your journey.

We all have different “parts” within us like when you say, “One part of me feels sad, but another part feels mad.” These...
10/10/2025

We all have different “parts” within us like when you say, “One part of me feels sad, but another part feels mad.” These parts reflect the many sides of our inner world.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps us get to know and befriend these parts, so instead of inner chaos, we find harmony.

At our core is an untarnished Self: calm, compassionate, and whole. Our protective and wounded parts each formed for a reason to keep us safe.

When we lead from Self, we hold all parts with understanding. As Michelangelo said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

✨ On this World Mental Health Day, may we honor every part of ourselves with compassion.

Drop a 💓 if IFS has been part of your journey.

10/09/2025

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned by the gods to push a boulder up a mountain for eternity, only to watch it roll back down each time he neared the top. His story is one of endless repetition, struggle without relief.

The Sisyphean Trap mirrors what many trauma survivors experience: a painful cycle of patterns that echo old wounds. Though they do not deserve such a fate, survivors often find themselves reliving the past, attempting to move forward but feeling pulled back into the same anguish.
The path forward begins with awareness and seeing the cycle for what it is.
From there, we can begin to rewrite the narrative of negative self-belief and step into a new story of healing.

10/09/2025

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned by the gods to push a boulder up a mountain for eternity, only to watch it roll back down each time he neared the top. His story is one of endless repetition, struggle without relief.
The Sisyphean Trap mirrors what many trauma survivors experience: a painful cycle of patterns that echo old wounds. Though they do not deserve such a fate, survivors often find themselves reliving the past, attempting to move forward but feeling pulled back into the same anguish.
The path forward begins with awareness and seeing the cycle for what it is.
From there, we can begin to rewrite the narrative of negative self-belief and step into a new story of healing.

Ever notice how we keep repeating the same painful patterns? It’s not random…our souls are drawn to the familiar, even w...
10/08/2025

Ever notice how we keep repeating the same painful patterns? It’s not random…our souls are drawn to the familiar, even when it hurts.

Freud called this repetition compulsion: the tendency to reenact past traumas or circumstances because returning to what we know feels…comfortable.
If we imagine laying all our problems in a circle, most of us would instinctively reach for our own—because it is a pain we recognize, a pain we know we can survive.
The invitation, then, is to become aware of these cycles, to witness them without judgment, and to gently step into new ways of being. True growth often begins when we allow ourselves to face the unknown, rather than clinging to the “devil we know.”

Art by:

Every ache, reaction, and trigger is not betrayal — it’s communication. Your body is never working against you. It is al...
09/26/2025

Every ache, reaction, and trigger is not betrayal — it’s communication. Your body is never working against you. It is always seeking healing, release, and balance.

When we reframe symptoms as signals, we begin to listen with compassion rather than fight with resistance. Your body’s wisdom is sacred. 🌿 Trust it. Honor it. Support it.

Address

New York, NY

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dr. Gillian O'Shea Brown posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category