Liz Danbury, Counselor

12/20/2025

Acknowledge your hard work 🤍

12/07/2025

12/06/2025

What it took to survive has created a bind. It was adaptive ‘then’ to avoid comfort or self-compassion, to shame and self-judge before attachment figures could find them lacking, but now it has come to feel believable that others deserve or belong or are worth more – while, at the same time, it also feels that these ‘others’ are not to be trusted; they are dangerous.

12/03/2025

Gaslighting

11/25/2025

Your brain's middle finger to people-pleasing

11/25/2025

HOW YOUR TRIGGERS REVEAL YOUR INNER WOUNDS
(A Buddhist perspective on healing and awareness)

Every reaction you have… every moment you feel overwhelmed, anxious, angry, or hurt… is not just a mood. It’s a message.
In Buddhism, we learn that nothing arises without a cause. Your triggers are not flaws — they are teachers pointing you toward the parts of yourself that still need compassion, understanding, and healing.

✨ If you get defensive when corrected
It often comes from past criticism that made you feel “not enough.”
Buddhism teaches Right View — to see clearly without ego. Healing begins when you learn to listen without taking every word as an attack on your worth.

✨ If you panic when people pull away
This rise of fear is the echo of old abandonment wounds.
The Buddha taught that attachment brings suffering. Healing doesn’t mean you stop caring — it means you stop believing that someone leaving means you are unlovable.

✨ If you hate being ignored
This comes from childhood neglect or feeling unseen.
In Buddhism, the practice of metta (loving-kindness) helps you give yourself the attention, respect, and love you never received.

✨ If you overreact to small mistakes
This is perfectionism rooted in shame.
The Dharma reminds us: Everything is impermanent. Mistakes are just passing clouds — not your identity. Be gentle with yourself.

✨ If you feel anxious when others are upset
You may have grown up walking on eggshells.
Buddhism teaches calm abiding — the ability to stay centered even when the environment is turbulent. Their emotions are theirs. Your peace belongs to you.

✨ If you fear saying “no”
This comes from people-pleasing and rejection trauma.
Boundaries are an act of compassion — both for yourself and others. Even the Buddha said “Protect your own mind first.”

✨ If you get jealous easily
These feelings arise from low self-worth and comparison wounds.
The Buddha taught that comparing yourself steals your joy. When you understand your own unique path, jealousy dissolves into gratitude.

✨ If you shut down in conflict
This often comes from unsafe environments where speaking up led to pain.
Healing requires relearning safety. Communication infused with mindfulness becomes a path to freedom, not fear.

✨ If you crave constant reassurance
This grows from insecurity and old betrayals.
In Buddhism, true security comes from within — through self-trust, inner stillness, and knowing your own heart.

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Your triggers are not your enemies.
They are your guides.
They show you where your heart is still asking for healing.

Every time you pause, observe, and soften rather than react, you walk the Buddha’s path — a path of awareness, compassion, and liberation from old suffering.

Heal gently.
Grow patiently.
And remember: The mind can be your greatest prison or your greatest freedom — depending on how you train it.

11/17/2025

When you no longer need approval from others, like the air you breathe, the possibilities in life are endless.

What an interesting little prison we build from the invisible bricks of other people's opinions. ❤

Jacob Nordby

11/17/2025

One tool of mindfulness that can cut through our numbing trance is inquiry. As we ask ourselves questions about our experience, our attention gets engaged. We might begin by scanning our body, noticing what we are feeling, especially in the throat, chest, abdomen, and stomach, and then asking, “What wants my attention right now?” or “What is asking for acceptance?” Then we attend, with genuine interest and care, listening to our heart, body, and mind.

11/15/2025

🔎 What is Chronic Illness? By definition chronic illness is a condition or disease that persists for a long time or constantly recurs.

🩺 Chronic illnesses are conditions that require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both and typically cannot be cured. Chronic illness can range in severity in each patient and no two patients’ experiences are the same.

Drop a 💙 if you can relate to people NOT understanding your chronic illness.

11/04/2025

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is caused by prolonged or repeated exposure to extremely threatening events. These events can include:

🩵 Childhood Abuse
🩵 Dometic Violence
🩵 Intimate Parter Violence
🩵 War
🩵 Torture
🩵 S*x Trafficking
🩵 Slavery
🩵 Genocide
🩵 Kidnapping
🩵 Imprisonment
🩵 Medical Abuse

Traumatic stress can change your brain's chemistry and structure. Studies suggest that trauma is associated with permanent changes in key areas of your brain, including your:

🧠 Amygdala: the part of your brain that processes fear and other emotions.
🧠 Hippocampus: the part of your brain that's largely responsible for learning and memory.
🧠 Prefrontal cortex: The part of your brain that's involved in executive functions, such as planning, decision-making, personality expression, and controlling social behavior.

If you have experienced any of these events and are experiencing any of the listed symptoms, you may have CPTSD. A trauma-informed therapist can help you process what you've been through and teach you tools to manage these symptoms.

Healing is possible and you are not alone. 🫶🏻