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.

12/23/2025

Winter can be a powerful season to simplify—not as a self-improvement project, but as a form of care. Many people feel better when they create a little more predictability: steadier sleep, warmer meals, fewer late nights, more recovery time between “output” moments.

If you want a supportive winter routine, start small: choose one anchor that helps your body feel safe (like a consistent bedtime or a short walk), and one anchor that helps your mind feel clear (like a 10-minute tidy or a morning check-in). Then protect those anchors like they matter—because they do.

, , , , , gentlerhythm, traumainformed, mindbodyconnection

12/21/2025

The solstice is a sacred kind of pause—the moment the wheel turns, even if you can’t see it yet. If you’ve felt slower, more emotional, more inward, or simply worn down… I want you to know: nothing is wrong with you. This is a season that asks us to listen more closely and ask less of ourselves.

If you’d like a simple ritual: place a hand on your body and breathe slowly for one minute. Then ask, “What am I ready to release?” and “What do I want to grow as the light returns?” Let the answer be small. Let it be honest. Let it be kind.

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12/19/2025

This time of year can feel like a series of inner weather changes—fine one moment, overwhelmed the next. Instead of judging the swing, see it as information: your system may be asking for steadiness, softness, and fewer demands. The true self doesn’t disappear in winter—it often gets quieter, waiting for you to slow down enough to hear it.

Try choosing one small daily ritual that tells your body, “You’re safe with me.” Consistency—more than intensity—is what helps the nervous system settle.

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12/17/2025

Right before the Winter Solstice, many of us feel more tender—sleep, mood, motivation, and cravings can shift when the light gets scarce. If you’ve been feeling up and down, you’re not doing anything wrong. This is a season that asks for honest listening.

A simple practice: don’t push past your body’s signals. Let your pace soften. Let your “enough” be smaller. When you treat your body like something sacred, you stay connected to the true self underneath the hustle—the part of you that doesn’t need to prove anything to be worthy of care.

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12/12/2025

Many of us pressure ourselves to “just forgive and move on,” especially if we’re afraid of being seen as bitter or stuck. But real forgiveness grows out of emotional honesty—letting yourself acknowledge, feel, and tend to the wound first. Self-compassion is the container that makes this possible, whether you’re healing from someone else’s actions or your own.

Is there a situation in your life where you might soften the pressure to forgive and instead offer yourself understanding and care first?

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12/09/2025

Change doesn’t ask our permission; it just arrives. When it does, we often brace, push through, or criticize ourselves for not “handling it better.” Self-compassion offers another path: small, consistent gestures of care that help your body and mind find steadier ground again. You don’t have to do it perfectly—you just have to begin.

When you feel unsettled, what is one small, concrete act of self-compassion you could offer yourself today?

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12/05/2025

Everyday life can stir up powerful expectations—about how you “should” show up, what you “should” agree to, and how available you “should” be for others. That pressure can easily pull you away from your authentic self and back into old patterns of pleasing, overcommitting, or ignoring your body’s signals. If you’re noticing that tension, it’s a sign of awareness, not failure.

What if you experimented with listening to yourself first? Before saying yes, check in with your body. Before pushing yourself to keep up, ask what pace actually feels kind for you. Adjusting plans, leaving early, changing your mind, or saying “not right now” are all legitimate ways to care for your nervous system. Each small boundary you set from a grounded, honest place is an act of self-respect—and a step toward a life that feels more real, more sustainable, and more aligned with who you truly are.

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12/02/2025

After holidays, many sensitive people feel more tired, tender, or overwhelmed than they expected. Even if nothing “went wrong,” the social energy, travel, family dynamics, and schedule shifts can leave your nervous system buzzing or completely drained. If you’re noticing irritability, sadness, numbness, or exhaustion this week, nothing is “wrong” with you—your system is simply asking to be acknowledged.

This is a good moment to turn your attention back toward your true, authentic self. Gently notice what’s happening in your body right now. Ask yourself, “What do I honestly need today?” and choose one small, compassionate action that honors that need. You don’t have to earn rest or prove your gratitude by pushing through. You are allowed to land, to soften, and to come home to yourself after the holiday.

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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.

, , , selfconnection, authenticself, boundaries, mentalhealthawareness, selfcare

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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Address

3727 Buchanan Street
San Francisco, CA
94123

Telephone

+14158786463

Website

http://DrBabbel.com/

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