This article reflects my perspective as a psychotherapist who has worked with children, parents, and adults—both in the prevention of sexual abuse and early education, as well as in the healing of sexual and relational trauma.

Many professionals, sooner or later, come to face secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, or burnout. These translate into very real experiences: emotional exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, irritability, detachment from loved ones and more.

In healing from trauma, finding balance between time with ourselves and time with others is essential. We need moments of stillness, reflection, and reconnection—to our bodies, to our emotions, to who we are beyond our wounds.

Most psychological traumas do not happen in isolation. They unfold in relationships. Close relationships—within family, romantic partnerships, or friendships—are where we form, attach, and shape our identity. Sadly, they can also be where our deepest wounds are inflicted.

I chose to write about this because I often see how easily we blame ourselves for feeling stuck—when in reality, what we’re experiencing is a survival response.