Category: trauma

• The Shame of Being Seen: Reclaiming Our Deepest Human Desire

  

  Explore the hidden shame of wanting attention through Jungian psychology and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Learn how reclaiming your desire to be seen can lead to deeper self-love, authenticity, and healing.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  May 10, 2025

  Codependency, CPTSD, IFS, Inspiration, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergence, Religious trauma, Self-Connection, Sexual shame, sexuality, Shame, trauma

  attention seeking shame, authenticity, be seen, desire to be seen, IFS, IFS therapy, inner child healing, Internal Family Systems, Jungian psychology, mental health, no shame, Religious trauma, self-compassion, self-connection, self-expression, shadow work, shame, shame and trauma healing, visibility and vulnerability

• 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

• Black Swan, Shadow Work & Self-Reclamation: A Fierce Invitation to Embrace Your Hidden Parts

  

  What if the parts of you you’ve been taught to fear—your rage, desire, wildness—were actually the keys to your freedom? This cinematic blog explores Black Swan through a trauma-informed, IFS lens, inviting you into a powerful story of healing, shadow integration, and unapologetic self-expression.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  April 17, 2025

  IFS, Religious trauma, Self-Connection, Shame, trauma, writing

  authentic self, authenticity, black swan, healing, IFS, mental health, perfectionism, Religious trauma, self-connection, Sexual shame, sexuality, shadow, white swan

• 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

• You Don’t Have to Do This Alone: Why Inner Work Is So Hard—and Why It’s Okay to Ask for Help

  

  Feeling stuck in your healing journey? You don’t have to figure it all out alone. This post explores the power of being witnessed and supported through inner work—and how working with a therapist can help you come home to yourself.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  April 7, 2025

  Anxiety, Change, IFS, Inspiration, Religious trauma, Self-Connection, trauma

  healing, IFS, mental health, Religious trauma, self-connection, therapy, trauma

• The Trauma of Trump: How Fawning Fuels Political Submission

  

  Explore how the trauma response of fawning manifests in today’s political landscape under Trump. Learn how fear, appeasement, and submission shape political loyalty and what it means for democracy. Read more on the psychology behind political fawning.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  February 28, 2025

  Anxiety, Politics, Religious trauma, trauma

  fawning, mental health, political anxiety, politics, Religious trauma, trauma

• 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

• Transgender Day of Remembrance: Honoring Lives Lost to Hate and Violence

  

  Learn about the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to honor lives lost to anti-transgender violence. Discover its significance, the impact of transphobia, and ways to show love, compassion, and solidarity. 🌈

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  November 20, 2024

  Change, Grief, Religious trauma, Self-Connection, trauma

  allied, End Transphobia, Equality For All, Honor Their Memory, LGBTQIA, Love And Compassion, mental health, Religious trauma, self-connection, solidarity, Stop Trans Violence, TDOR, Trans Rights Are Human Rights, Trans Visibility, Transgender Day of Remembrance, trauma