Category: self-compassion

• The F-Word Was Father’s Day: A Poem of Reclamation

  

  A healing poem about reclaiming Father’s Day from trauma through self-love, fatherhood, and inner reparenting. A tribute to self-fathering and growth.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  June 14, 2025

  Addiction, Attachment, Change, children, Codependency, Connection, CPTSD, Fun, Grief, IFS, Inspiration, Parenting, Poetry, Recovery, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Sexual Addiction, Shame, trauma, writing

  breaking generational cycles, compassionate self-love, emotional healing, father wound, father’s day, fatherhood journey, forest benedict, grief and growth, healing, healing from childhood trauma, healing poem, IFS, IFS therapy, inner child healing, Internal Family Systems, LMFT blog, men’s healing, mental health, parenting and trauma, poetry for healing, recovery, Religious trauma, reparenting, self-compassion, self-connection, self-fathering, trauma, trauma recovery

• Oh Mother, My Self! – A Dr. Seuss-Style Poem on Self-Mothering

  

  A heartfelt Dr. Seuss-style poem honoring all forms of motherhood—offering healing, validation, and a powerful reminder that the love we longed for can still be given by the one who knows us best: our Self.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  May 11, 2025

  Attachment, Connection, CPTSD, IFS, Inspiration, Parenting, Poetry, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Shame, writing

  Attachment Repair, Dr. Seuss Style Poem, emotional healing, Gentle Parenting Yourself, Healing from Childhood Wounds, Healing Through Poetry, IFS, inner child healing, Inner Nurturing, mental health, Mother’s Day Healing, Motherhood and Self-Compassion, Reparenting Yourself, self-compassion, Self-Compassion Poem, self-connection, Self-Love Practices, Self-Mothering, trauma, trauma recovery

• Changing Your Niche & Improving Self-Connection Skills: Consultation Now Available

  

  Discover two newly added areas of expertise to my consultation offerings—Changing Your Niche and Self-Connection Skills. Learn how these powerful additions, along with updated focus on betrayal trauma and purity culture, reflect my deep experience supporting therapists and healing professionals.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  April 22, 2025

  IFS, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Therapists

  coaching, consultation, guide, IFS, mental health professionals, Religious trauma, self-connection, therapists

• Afraid to Set Boundaries? Why People-Pleasing Is Costing You More Than You Think

  

  Afraid to set boundaries? Discover how people-pleasing and self-silencing are trauma responses—and how healing through IFS therapy can help you reclaim your voice, set healthy limits, and live more authentically.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  April 18, 2025

  Anxiety, Change, Codependency, Connection, IFS, partners, Recovery, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Shame, trauma

  codependency, fawning, healing, IFS, mental health, people-pleasing, recovery, Religious trauma, self-compassion, self-connection, trauma

• A Poem for the Children Who Survived

  

  A Poem for the Children Who Survived Trauma

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  April 16, 2025

  children, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Shame, trauma

  ACA, CPTSD, mental health, poem, Religious trauma, trauma

• The Flame Within: A Hope Ritual for Troubled Times

  

  A powerful, non-religious IFS ritual to awaken hope, reclaim power, and stay grounded through the chaos of today’s political climate. We are not alone.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  April 14, 2025

  Change, Faith, Grief, IFS, Inspiration, Politics, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, trauma, writing

  hope, IFS, inner compass, inner flame, inner power, inner strength, innercompass, inspiration, mental health, political anxiety, politics, power, Religious trauma, ritual, self-compassion, self-connection, trauma

• Solo Sex as Self-Love: Healing Shame and Reclaiming Pleasure

  

  Struggling with shame around masturbation due to religious or cultural conditioning? Learn how to reframe solo sex as an act of self-love, self-connection, and healing. Discover the science-backed benefits of mindful masturbation and how to overcome sexual shame.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  February 17, 2025

  Health, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Sexual shame, sexuality, Shame

  health benefits, masturbation, Religious trauma, self-compassion, self-connection, Sexual shame, solo sex

• Why Politics Feels Like Church Again: Religious Trauma Triggers and How to Cope

  

  If politics is triggering your religious trauma, you’re not alone. The fear, control, and oppression you left behind in fundamentalism are showing up in today’s political landscape. Learn why this happens, how it impacts your mental health, and what you can do to reclaim your power and heal.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  February 15, 2025

  Anxiety, Faith, IFS, Politics, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, trauma

  IFS, mental health, political anxiety, Religious trauma, self-compassion, self-connection

• My Going Inside Podcast Interview: Religious Trauma, Sex Addiction, Masculinity, & IFS

  

  Explore healing and authenticity in the latest Going Inside Podcast episode with Forest Benedict. Dive into religious trauma, sex addiction recovery, toxic masculinity, and the transformative power of Internal Family Systems (IFS). A must-listen for anyone seeking freedom and self-connection.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  December 9, 2024

  Addiction, IFS, pornography, Recovery, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Sexual Addiction, Sexual shame, sexuality, Shame, trauma

  group therapy, IFS, masculinity, mental health, recovery, Religious trauma, self-connection, sex addiction, Sexual shame, trauma

• Orgasms Are Great: The Surprising Benefits of the Big “O”

  

  Discover the science-backed benefits of orgasms, from stress relief and better sleep to enhanced mental clarity and immune support. Learn how embracing pleasure can be a powerful form of self-care, boosting both physical and emotional well-being.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  November 9, 2024

  Health, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Sexual shame, sexuality

  health benefits, masturbation, orgasm, pleasure, self-compassion, self-connection, sex, sex positive, sexual health, Sexual shame