STAIR Narrative Therapy: 3. Emotional Regulation — Working with the Body

STAIR Narrative Therapy: 3. Emotional Regulation — Working with the Body

by Lisa HarrisNo Comments
STAIR Narrative Therapy: 3. Emotional Regulation — Working with the Body Exploring how self-care, sensory awareness and body-based coping skills can support emotional wellbeing following trauma. Have you ever noticed your body reacting before you have had time to understand what you are feeling? Perhaps your shoulders tense, your breathing changes or your heart begins to race. You might feel restless, overwhelmed or completely drained. At other times, you may find yourself disconnected from your body or unaware of how much stress you are carrying. Our physical and emotional experiences are closely connected. Learning to recognise this connection can help us understand our responses to distress and explore different ways of coping. In this third article in my STAIR Narrative Therapy series, I explore emotional regulation through the body and some of the approaches that can help people develop healthier ways of responding to difficult feelings. What is emotional regulation? Emotional regulation describes the ways we respond to and manage our emotional experiences. It does not mean suppressing...
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STAIR Narrative Therapy: 2. The Resource of Feeling — Understanding Emotional Awareness

STAIR Narrative Therapy: 2. The Resource of Feeling — Understanding Emotional Awareness

by Lisa HarrisNo Comments
STAIR Narrative Therapy: 2. The Resource of Feeling — Understanding Emotional Awareness Exploring how recognising and naming our emotions can help us understand ourselves, our experiences and our relationships. Have you ever been asked how you feel and found yourself unable to answer? Perhaps you know something is wrong, but you cannot quite put it into words. Maybe you experience emotions so intensely that they feel overwhelming, or you find yourself feeling numb and disconnected from what is happening inside you. For some people, identifying feelings comes naturally. For others, particularly those whose emotions were ignored, dismissed or difficult to express in earlier relationships, it can take time to develop this awareness. In this second article in my STAIR Narrative Therapy series, I explore emotional awareness: why feelings matter, how we can begin to recognise them, and how understanding our emotional experiences can support recovery following trauma. Why do our feelings matter? Our emotions are an important source of information. They can alert us to potential danger, help...
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STAIR Narrative Therapy: The Resource of Hope

STAIR Narrative Therapy: The Resource of Hope

by Lisa HarrisNo Comments
STAIR Narrative Therapy: The Resource of Hope Introducing a therapeutic approach to trauma recovery, emotional wellbeing and healthier relationships. Starting therapy can be a significant step, particularly when you have spent a long time trying to manage difficult experiences on your own. You may know that you want things to change without knowing exactly what that change might look like. You may feel hopeful about beginning therapy, apprehensive about what it might involve, or uncertain whether anything will really help. All of these responses are understandable. In this article, the first in my series exploring STAIR Narrative Therapy, I introduce the approach and consider why hope, collaboration and developing practical skills can be important parts of trauma recovery. What is STAIR Narrative Therapy? STAIR stands for Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation. Developed by Marylene Cloitre and colleagues, it is a structured therapeutic approach designed to help people develop skills for managing emotions and improving relationships following trauma. It is recognised as a strong, empirically supported...
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Life After Domestic Abuse: Rebuilding Trust in Yourself

Life After Domestic Abuse: Rebuilding Trust in Yourself

by Lisa HarrisNo Comments
Life After Domestic Abuse: Rebuilding Trust in Yourself Exploring identity, grief, boundaries and the gradual process of rebuilding confidence and a sense of safety after an abusive relationship. Leaving an abusive relationship, or recognising that a relationship has been abusive, can mark the beginning of a very different chapter in someone's life. From the outside, people may assume that once the relationship has ended, the hardest part is over. There may be relief that the immediate situation has changed, encouragement to move forward, or an expectation that life should gradually return to normal. But psychological recovery is rarely that straightforward. The effects of domestic abuse can continue long after a relationship has ended. Someone may find themselves questioning their judgement, struggling to trust others, feeling anxious in situations that previously felt comfortable or grieving a future they had imagined would be very different. They may feel relieved to have more freedom while simultaneously experiencing sadness, anger, loneliness or uncertainty. They may even find themselves asking a difficult...
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