Real victimization exists, and Diane Russell Chrestman does not minimize that truth. But in this candid reflection, she explores what can happen when suffering becomes an identity. Using lived experience, ACE awareness, and Internal Family Systems language, she examines the victim role as a protector, the relief it can offer, and the courage it takes to build a life beyond the worst things that happened to us.

“Sticks and stones” was never the whole truth. In this Author of the Month reflection, Joshua Bennett-Johnson looks back on childhood bullying from both sides: the child who used cruelty to feel bigger, and the child who later felt the sting of public humiliation. The result is a candid, human essay about shame, empathy, repair, and why words can leave wounds long after the moment passes.

Author of the Month Joshua Bennett-Johnson writes that real therapy is not always soft, calm, or comfortable. Sometimes the deepest breakthroughs happen when things become emotionally difficult.

Bullying doesn’t end when it ends—it follows you even into adulthood. Author and therapist Lisa Cavallaro writes about how bullying can become deeply tied to mental health.

Author and counselor Tim Lineaweaver explores the conflict he felt between opening up about his trauma and addiction and remaining anonymous.

Abstinence is only the beginning of recovery. You can quit substances and still feel stuck. Author Michael Cline writes about the next step in your recovery after overcoming addiction.

Ayahuasca ceremonies are gaining attention as a potential path for trauma healing and addiction recovery

Michael Cline shares his journey from heroin addiction to long-term abstinence — and the realization that sobriety alone did not heal his trauma.

A raw account of trauma and nervous system collapse—and the slow, courageous return to safety.

A vivid memoir of heroin addiction in 1980s–90s NYC—trauma, street culture, near-death experiences, and the seed of hope that led to recovery.

A deep reflective piece on walking alone, self-healing, creativity, and reclaiming inner resilience after trauma.

An unfiltered exploration of generational trauma, showing how pain, secrecy, and survival patterns are passed down quietly through families.