Healing Your Inner World: How Parts Work Supports Trauma Recovery
Lara Murphy Lara Murphy

Healing Your Inner World: How Parts Work Supports Trauma Recovery

Ever feel torn between moving forward and feeling stuck in the past? That inner conflict may be your nervous system trying to protect you. In this blog, we explore how trauma-informed therapies like Internal Family Systems (IFS), Ego State Therapy, Structural Dissociation, and EMDR work together to help your inner parts feel safe, connected, and ready to heal.

Read More
What is EMDR and How Does It Work?
Lara Murphy Lara Murphy

What is EMDR and How Does It Work?

Curious about EMDR therapy and how it helps with trauma, anxiety, or PTSD? EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a powerful, evidence-based approach that helps rewire the brain to heal from painful memories and emotional distress. In this post, you’ll learn how EMDR works, who it's for, what happens in a session, and why it’s one of the most effective trauma therapies available today. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, past trauma, or feeling stuck, EMDR could be the key to moving forward.

Read More
How Trauma Affects Thoughts, Beliefs, Emotions, and Feelings: A Therapist's Guide to Healing the Inner World
Lara Murphy Lara Murphy

How Trauma Affects Thoughts, Beliefs, Emotions, and Feelings: A Therapist's Guide to Healing the Inner World

Trauma impacts more than just memories—it reshapes how we think, what we believe, and how we experience emotions and feelings. In this post, we explore the differences between thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and feelings, and how trauma affects each one. Learn how understanding these inner processes can support your healing, increase your window of tolerance, and help you reclaim your story with compassion and clarity.

Read More
How Trauma Affects the Brain: A Closer Look
Lara Murphy Lara Murphy

How Trauma Affects the Brain: A Closer Look

Learn how trauma impacts key areas of the brain—including the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex—and why understanding these changes is essential to healing. Posted in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Read More
Autism in Women and Girls: Updated Insights for Awareness and Support
Lara Murphy Lara Murphy

Autism in Women and Girls: Updated Insights for Awareness and Support

Autism in girls and women often goes unseen, hidden beneath years of masking, misdiagnosis, and quiet resilience. In honor of World Autism Month—and inspired by my own autistic daughter—this post explores how autism presents differently in females, why so many are overlooked, and what we can do to better support them. It's time to unmask the truth and embrace the beautifully diverse ways autism shows up in the world.

Read More
Understanding Triggers:  What They Are and How to Manage Them
Lara Murphy Lara Murphy

Understanding Triggers: What They Are and How to Manage Them

Triggers are more than just feeling upset—they are deeply rooted responses tied to past trauma. Experts like Dr. Janina Fisher and Dr. Gabor Maté describe triggers as "body memories" and "wounds that have not yet healed," causing our nervous system to react as if we’re reliving past pain. While it’s natural to want the world to accommodate our triggers, true healing comes from learning to manage them ourselves. This blog explores the difference between being upset and being triggered, the importance of radical acceptance, and practical strategies—such as grounding exercises and expanding your window of tolerance—to regain control. Healing is possible, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Read More