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Grief That Never Finishes: Why Unprocessed Loss Shapes Everything

Grief That Never Finishes
Posted on , updated on by John Hawkins Jr., M.S., L.M.H.C., M.C.A.P.

Most of the grief I encounter in my office does not present itself as grief. It shows up wearing other names. Depression that will not lift. Anxiety without an obvious source. A relationship that has quietly grown distant. A muted emotional life where there used to be more. A persistent sense that something is missing… Read More

Emotional Safety in Relationships: What It Actually Means and Why Most Couples Are Missing It

Emotional Safety in Relationships
Posted on , updated on by John Hawkins Jr., M.S., L.M.H.C., M.C.A.P.

If a long-term relationship is thriving over decades, one factor matters more than any other. Not compatibility. Not shared values, though those help. Not chemistry, not communication skills, not the frequency of date nights. What matters is emotional safety, and most couples have never been given a clear picture of what that means or how… Read More

Complex PTSD vs. PTSD: What’s the Difference?

Complex PTSD vs. PTSD
Posted on , updated on by John Hawkins Jr., M.S., L.M.H.C., M.C.A.P.

A significant portion of the people who come into my office carrying what they call PTSD do not actually have PTSD in the way that term is most commonly used. They have something related, often more pervasive, and frequently harder to recognize because it does not look the way trauma is typically portrayed. They have… Read More