Selah Trauma Counseling Center

04/02/2026

April showers are upon us and so is month. We attended Child Advocates - CASA of Red River Walk of Knowledge today.

A solemn walk as each step brings you beside tiny shoes representing confirmed cases of abuse and neglect in Wichita Co. Toddler-sized cowboy boots evoke memories of littles smiling and sticky hands reaching out to share nestled right beside another sign and statistic. 439 children whom had their childhood stop when abuse happened. 439 children who didn’t get to splash in the water puddles with their wellies or wear their favorite chanclas to the movies with their friends.

Did you know every hour there are 7 children confirmed as victims of abuse or neglect in Texas? So in the few minutes you’ve been scrolling and paused to read this, 1 child stopped wearing their sparkly sperrys because it reminded them of what happened.

From this point, statistically, there will be more adverse traumatic experiences. It’s rare to only have only a single event (see Aces & Paces). On the other hand, we need one caring adult to make a difference and to challenge that by becoming a protective factor. That’s what CASA volunteers do. They become an opportunity for relational scaffolding.

Invitation: Far too many walk around with those hidden scars. Are you a protective factor for others or yourself? What if you offer kindness or compassion instead of criticism today?

And because those statistics are awful, there’s an opportunity to practice releasing that tension that built. Inhale, pause, extend your exhale. Invite your shoulders to tense intentionally, then release. And repeat if you are able, noticing any shifts. If you find it helpful, repeat any time you notice tension rising.

04/01/2026

03/31/2026

Gentle, rhythmic, predictable sounds help shift your system out of survival mode and into a state where presence can be possible.

This is why intentional moments matter. Not because they fix everything, but because they resource you. They give your nervous system evidence that right now, in this moment, you can drop those shoulders and feel the sun shine on your face or the coolness that follows a drink of water.

Joy comes from information, thoughts & sensory data from the body. When you pause and let something beautiful land, you’re building capacity. You’re reminding your body and brain it can feel something different & it can savor it.
Invitation: Notice what happens inside with the sound of water or the visual of the water flowing.

03/27/2026

03/20/2026

Traumatic grief happens when loss occurs in a way that overwhelms the nervous system's ability to cope: sudden death, unexpected loss, violence, or circumstances that leave us without time to prepare. It isn't just sadness. There's grief and survival happening at the same time, in the same body. It's disorienting and complicated, making the loss that much more difficult.

Grief begins to live in memory and anticipation; the past that was lost, the future that changed, the present that is painful. You don’t have to leave your grief. You don’t have to change anything. It’s enough to let your body and brain know for just this moment, you can be with it, which is why we've included a slide to practice orienting in the present.

Where ever you are in your journey, we're wishing you gentleness.

03/20/2026

You can try to logic and reason your way through to ‘feel safe’ and if your body is tense or you’re nervous system isn’t receiving enough cues of connection, it won’t happen.

Logic and reason are higher order thinking. There’s a misattunement to the deeper parts of the brain. Logic may be right and you can’t force it when it’s not aligned.

You also can’t make someone else feel safe, even if you’re a therapist. Even if all the social media posts in the world claim to be a ‘safe space.’ They may be. That doesn’t mean you’ll experience it that way.

You can get there and sometimes it’s enough to start with ‘safe enough’ or ‘secure enough’. Time, neurobiological understanding, building in capacity and layering strategies, and the ability to experience cues of connection all help.

Reparenting and self-talk have limits — attachment healing and nervous system change happen through real relationship, not insight alone.

03/15/2026

Despite what social media, news, and reality shows put out, we rarely know the depth of what’s happening inside other people’s lives. Some folks put on a great show, exaggerate, or leave out information that may look questionable. Some folks reveal far too much.

In couples work, there’s often assumptions towards the negative and intentionality for hurt. For folks struggling with the long reaching symptoms from trauma, hypervigilance or cynicism may be confused with personality.

Invitation to explore: What if we intentionally assume others are struggling too? What if we give ourselves the same gentleness?

03/12/2026

Whimsy, frolicking, glimmers… the antidote to the heaviness and overwhelm that can creep in. Trauma insists on speed while resilience and healing need a slower pace.

Invitation: inhale, extend that exhale. Make a point to look for something whimsical or a glimmer today. Even if it seems absurd. Savor that moment as you take it in so you can recall it easier when you need it.