It’s kind of become a cliché that it’s good to talk. And in many ways it really is. Being able to share our thoughts and feelings with a trusted other can lighten the load and provide the benefit of a perspective that’s different from our own. And positive human connection in itself, is of course, a wonderful thing. We’re social animals and we’re not meant to be isolated.

And this is why talking therapies can be so helpful. A therapeutic relationship built on trust can be the perfect place to open up, receive support, feedback, and maybe even for some people, and for the first time in their lives, the experience of unconditional positive regard.

So it would be reasonable to assume that when someone is living with the effects of trauma, such as PTSD or C-PTSD, talking about it matters even more. And yet it’s more complicated than that. Understanding how past events have shaped us really does help, but it’s increasingly recognised that trauma can’t be resolved by cognitive methods alone.

Continue reading “It’s good to talk right? Or is it?” →