Fawning is a survival strategy that we adopt when we sense that standing out, speaking up, or holding a different opinion isn't safe, and will somehow threaten the relationship or our sense of belonging. If you people-please (my own hand goes up here), then at some point in your life, it was likely true that having your own needs met meant conflict, loss of connection, or loss of a relationship. Being honest or just being yourself felt risky; being likeable and going with the flow felt...

When tension and stress accumulate and we lose the ability to regulate ourselves, our nervous system defaults to survival mode: fight, flight, freeze, or collapse. When this happens, we lose access to our "window of aliveness." This concept is adapted from Dr. Dan Siegel’s work on the "Window of Tolerance," which describes the nervous system’s optimal zone for functioning. When we are inside it, we can think clearly, process emotions, and navigate everyday stressors with resilience. But I...

Exploring the Fight Response and Primal Energy through Storytelling A story has a truly magical way to use words but get underneath thought so that we may be transformed and know our aliveness through the symbols and rhythm we’ve been invited into. Myths have been around before the written word, passed on through word of mouth, sometimes told in quiet, around a fire, in the company of those meant to hear it. They are stories about us and are meant to work on us slowly, like drops of water...