Healing journeys are a roller coaster of ups, downs, and everything in between! In this episode, I'll be chatting about the nonlinear path of healing, embracing the understanding that everything in life is temporary, and sharing personal insights and experiences that highlight this phenomenon. Towards the end, I'll provide journal prompts that have helped me find balance and rediscover myself during challenging times. So take a listen to explore the nonlinear path of healing, find peace in impermanence, and discover the transformative power of journaling to bring us back to our center in ..read more

Trauma can significantly impact a survivor's brain and memory making it difficult to recall details of traumatic experiences, the sequence in which they played out, and sometimes the entirety of the experience. However, there are proven ways to retrieve repressed memories, work through them, and ultimately heal your brain to live a more peaceful reality. In this episode, I chat about how the brain responds to trauma, how explicit and implicit memories are impacted, and most importantly 4 healing strategies to lower the intensity of traumatic memories and move forward in your healing journey ..read more

Sexual assault or abuse can impact survivors' relationship with their bodies through disassociation, negative body image, hypervigilance, and/or difficulties with sexual intimacy. In this episode, I share practical tips, strategies, and coping mechanisms that I've been using and may help other survivors to reclaim a sense of safety in their bodies after experiencing sexual trauma. SAPREA: https://youniquefoundation.org/resources-for-child-sexual-abuse-survivors/ Healing requires energy, vulnerability, and hard work. It’s a lifelong journey and it's never linear. Whatever season you're in on y ..read more

In this episode, I answer questions ranging from overcoming feeling like "damaged goods" to if I've thought about what my life would be like if I never endured child sexual abuse. I also cover a lot on how I've managed to cope from my trauma. Hopefully, some of my insights will help you! Healing Resources! https://youniquefoundation.org/resources-for-child-sexual-abuse-survivors/ Survivor Stories https://www.rainn.org/stories Male Survivors' Stories https://1in6.org/male-survivor-stories/ CPTSD Info https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24881-cptsd-complex-ptsd Healing requires ..read more

Ending child sexual abuse is truly an adult issue. Children cannot be expected to fend off sexual predators. Which means we as adults must do our job to protect our children. The more this topic is discussed, the more people are aware, the more children can grow up in safe environments free of sexual abuse. Find your local child advocacy center https://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/nca-members/?postal_code=&miles=50&search= Darkness to Light https://www.d2l.org/education/5-steps/ Saprea (prevention conversations)https://defendinnocence.org/child-sexual-abuse-risk-reduction/ https ..read more

Unfortunately, child sexual abuse is far more common than society thinks. Knowing the signs of abuse is critically important to save a child from enduring abuse or to stop abuse that a child is already experiencing. Please share this episode with anyone you know who has children of their own or is frequently around children <3 The following sources were used in creating this episode. https://www.rainn.org/articles/warning-signs-young-children https://childusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Delayed-Disclosure-Factsheet-2020.pdf https://www.d2l.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/all_statistics_2 ..read more

By striving towards improving your sense of self, your trust in others, and your perspective of what a healthy attachment truly entails, you will slowly shift to a secure attachment style. It will require trial and error, time, energy, and repetition, but you are SO worth investing in yourself. Source: https://simplypsychology.org/attachment.html Healing requires energy, vulnerability, and hard work. It’s a lifelong journey and it's never linear. Whatever season you're in on your healing journey, hold on to hope. <3 I hope you have a lovely rest of your day! Love, MacKenzie Mae For ..read more

Discovering and exploring your attachment style can be incredibly helpful in understanding yourself better, your view on others, and how you navigate close relationships in your life.  In this episode, you will learn about the attachment theory and the four different attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganzed/anxious-avoidant). I also share my personal experience on how I developed an anxious attachment style and how it's impacted me and my relationships with others. Source: https://simplypsychology.org/attachment.html Healing requires energy, vulnerability, and h ..read more

Perfectionism is holding you back! Listen to this episode to debunk perfectionism and learn how to fall in love with your imperfections instead of being ashamed of them. By internalizing these 4 insights, you will be able to let go of perfectionist tendencies and live a more peaceful life without the burden of attempting to reach the impossible. Perfectionism quiz! https://www.idrlabs.com/multidimensional-perfectionism/test.php NBC Article featuring me! https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/re-banned-olympic-sports-are-coaching-children-rcna25623 Hewitt and Flett research: https://hewittlab.ps ..read more

Disclosing sexual abuse is a complex process with several barriers that can discourage survivors from telling someone about the trauma they’ve endured. Receiving a compassionate response to disclosure is critical for a survivor's healing journey.  In this episode, you will learn about those barriers, the process of disclosing, and how to appropriately and compassionately respond to a survivor disclosing to you.  I used the following sources in this episode. If you’re interested in learning more about disclosing sexual abuse, check them out! https://www.wingsfound.org/resource/decidi ..read more