Healing Trauma

Dr. Babbel practices as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Online & Teletherapy are is offered for residents in CA.

Individual therapy sessions are available to adults via in-person sessions located at my private San Francisco office or online.

11/22/2025

For many sensitive people, the days around Thanksgiving bring up mixed emotions—gratitude, grief, obligation, and sometimes old family patterns. You might feel pulled between what’s expected of you and what your authentic self is quietly asking for.

Instead of abandoning yourself to get through the holiday, experiment with creating a soft landing. Name what you truly need, even if it’s different from those around you. Choose one gentle, realistic plan that supports your body and nervous system—a smaller gathering, a shorter stay, a quiet walk, or an early exit. You’re allowed to honor your own truth, even in the middle of tradition.

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11/20/2025

This week before Thanksgiving, many people feel the pressure to say “yes” quickly—yes to gatherings, yes to hosting, yes to emotional labor.

Your system may go along on the outside while quietly bracing on the inside.

You’re allowed to slow this down. Before you answer, take a moment to listen to your body and your heart. Notice what tightens, what softens, what you’re truly wanting and fearing. From there, you can choose the most honest response available to you—whether it’s a full yes, a gentle no, or a “yes, but differently.” Each self-honoring choice is an act of care for your authentic self.

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11/14/2025

Feeling “disconnected from myself” is something I hear often in my work. Many people imagine that self-connection has to be a dramatic breakthrough, a perfect morning routine, or a complete life overhaul.

In reality, it’s usually built in small, repeatable moments: noticing your body, naming one emotion, telling yourself a bit more truth, and offering even a tiny bit of care. These micro-moments help your nervous system learn, “It’s safe to be with myself.”

You don’t have to do all five today. Maybe you choose just one that feels accessible. Over time, these little practices can help your authentic self feel less distant and more present in your everyday life.

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11/13/2025

So many people tell me, “My body is overreacting” or “I can’t trust my feelings.”

From a trauma-informed perspective, your body is often doing the best it knows how with the experiences it’s held. What looks like “too much” from the outside is often a very old, very intelligent survival pattern that once kept you safe.

Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?” you might gently experiment with, “What is my body trying to tell or protect me from right now?” You don’t have to like what you feel to begin listening to it. Simply pausing, noticing, and offering yourself a little compassion can be a profound act of self-connection.

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11/08/2025

As days shorten, isolation can creep in—so pair warmth with connection. Choose one simple weekly ritual with someone you trust: a lunchtime walk, Thursday soup night, or a Sunday tea over FaceTime. Put it on the calendar so it happens even when energy dips. Morning light plus gentle movement supports circadian rhythm; evening check-ins nourish the heart.

Try a shared practice: trade one gratitude and one honest feeling each night. Keep it brief, consistent, and kind. Give yourself permission to do less—leave earlier, simplify meals, say “another time.” This season isn’t a test of productivity; it’s an invitation to tend your nervous system with warmth, friendship, and compassion.

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11/04/2025

If the early darkness is throwing you off, you’re not alone. Our nervous systems track light, temperature, and rhythm, and this shift can bring sleep changes, low energy, or melancholy. This week, honor what your body is asking for: warmth, slower pace, and less pressure to “perform” like summer.

Try a “warmth ritual” an hour before bed—lower the lights, make a cozy drink, slip on socks or a heated wrap, and let yourself soften. Keep meals simple and supportive (think soup with beans or lentils, roasted veggies, or eggs with greens). End the night with tiny gratitude—three specific moments from your day. Small practices, repeated, calm the system.

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10/30/2025

Healing isn’t about fixing yourself — it’s about remembering who you are beneath the noise.

Your body, emotions, and nervous system already know how to guide you back to balance.

When you slow down, feel, and listen within, you begin to recognize that your inner wisdom has been here all along — waiting patiently to be trusted again.

Every breath, every moment of awareness, is a step toward coming home to yourself.

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10/28/2025

As the days shorten, something deep inside us shifts too.
You might feel it in your energy, sleep, or heart — a quiet longing for warmth, a subtle melancholy, or the urge to slow down.

These changes aren’t flaws. Your body is wise — responding to light, rhythm, and season. Yet modern life asks us to keep the same pace, even when nature slows.

This time of year invites balance. When sunlight lessens, our mood and energy can dip. Old coping patterns may reappear, asking for compassion, not control.

Support your body and emotions by:

Getting morning light — step outside or use a full-spectrum or “happy” light.
Listening inwardly — ask, “What do I need right now?”
Moving gently — walk, stretch, or sway to release energy.
Staying connected — share time, warmth, and conversation.
Honoring rest — slow down and let stillness restore you.
Your feelings are weather, not identity.
Notice small beauty: candlelight, a friend’s voice, a cup of tea.

Every act of tenderness toward yourself says, I belong to this season too.

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10/23/2025

Self-connection is the heartbeat of authenticity.

It’s not about doing more—it’s about listening more deeply.
Your body, emotions, and intuition are always communicating, but it takes slowing down to truly hear them.

In therapy, we often explore what it means to stay connected to your truth even when life feels messy. It’s about practicing presence, compassion, and trust in yourself.

When you live from that place, life begins to feel less like performance and more like belonging—to yourself.

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10/22/2025

Authenticity isn’t something we become—it’s something we remember.
Your true self has always been there, quietly waiting beneath the noise of expectations, roles, and old coping patterns.

As therapists, we know that reconnecting with your authenticity is a process of safety and trust. You can’t force it—it unfolds as you begin to listen to yourself with gentleness instead of judgment.

The more you honor your truth, the more grounded and alive you feel. Coming home to yourself is not a destination—it’s a practice.

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10/16/2025

Your body and emotions are gateways to self-connection.
Healing begins when you listen within—when you let your body’s wisdom and emotional truth guide you back home to yourself.

So often, we learn to ignore or override what we feel. We disconnect from the signals that tell us when we’re tired, afraid, or needing care. But your body is always communicating—it holds the truth of your experiences, even when words can’t.

Learning to reconnect isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence. It’s about pausing long enough to notice: What do I feel? What does my body need? What is this emotion trying to tell me?

When we begin to trust the messages from within, we create a deeper sense of safety and belonging inside ourselves. From that place, healing unfolds naturally—moment by moment, breath by breath.

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10/13/2025

Healing is a daily practice of returning to yourself—one mindful moment at a time.

We know that awareness, compassion, and connection are the pathways to authentic healing. You don’t have to rush. You only have to begin, again and again.

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Address

3727 Buchanan Street
San Francisco, CA
94123

Telephone

+14158786463

Website

http://DrBabbel.com/

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