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Author: Chelsey Fjeldheim

People gathered around campfire under starry night sky representing ancient community trauma healing and the lost art of collective witnessing

What We Lost When We Stopped Sitting Around the Fire

September 8, 2025

Why do we struggle more with trauma than our ancestors? This profound post reveals what we’ve lost: the communal aspect of healing. Our ancestors had space to shake, cry, and be witnessed by their community after trauma. Today we go to work the next day and apologize for being sensitive, interrupting the body’s natural healing process. Learn why healing was meant to be witnessed, not private.

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Silhouetted figure standing beneath full moon against teal sky, representing solitude and the contemplative practice of staying present with emotions

What It Feels Like to Stay

August 25, 2025

What does it actually feel like to stay present with difficult emotions instead of running away? This contemplative piece explores the practice of staying—not managing feelings or reaching for distractions, but simply being with whatever arises. Learn how presence doesn’t mean peace but contact, and how emotions become visitors rather than threats when we stop sending them away.

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Portrait of woman laughing joyfully with head tilted back against starry blue night sky, representing unexpected moments of joy during difficult times

When Joy Sneaks In

August 18, 2025

Joy doesn’t wait for permission or perfect timing. This tender post explores how authentic joy interrupts our darkest moments—not the earned kind that comes after healing, but the unexpected kind that shows up mid-spiral. Learn why it’s okay to laugh while grieving, find lightness in chaos, and trust that feeling multiple things at once is how real healing works.

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Blue-toned artistic portrait of woman with contemplative expression against starry night sky background, representing introspection and emotional depth

What Makes It Traumatic?

August 1, 2025

Why do minor events sometimes feel more traumatic than major ones? This eye-opening post reveals that trauma often stems not from what happened, but from what we decided it meant about us. When shame and identity get involved, even small incidents can create lasting wounds. Learn why healing requires untangling who we thought we were because of what happened.

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Serene twilight landscape with winding river path through dark trees under purple sky, symbolizing the cyclical nature of healing patterns and personal growth journey

This is the loop

July 25, 2025

Why do we keep repeating the same patterns even when we’re loved well? This compassionate exploration reveals how old programming runs in the background despite awareness and support. Learn why loops aren’t failure but familiarity, and how real change happens through noticing, pausing, and choosing differently—even when your body still bends toward what it’s always done.

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Artistic blue-toned illustration showing person facing their shadow self against starry background, representing self-reflection and accountability after causing harm

After You Realize You Caused Harm

July 11, 2025

There’s a moment that can split your life in two. It doesn’t always come with drama.There’s no courtroom.No confrontation.No late-night confession with trembling hands. Sometimes,

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Mystical blue illustration of glowing cocoon hanging from tree branch surrounded by swirling energy and stars, representing transformation and the healing goo stage

The Goo Stage (a love letter to anyone falling apart)

July 7, 2025

Think you’re failing at healing because you feel like a mess? Welcome to the “goo stage”—the necessary dissolution that happens before real transformation. Using the powerful metaphor of a caterpillar melting into soup before becoming a butterfly, this compassionate post validates the disorienting middle phase of growth when nothing makes sense and everything feels uncertain.

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Artistic blue-toned illustration of person with hands covering face and swirling halo above head, representing confusion and disorientation from gaslighting manipulation

Gaslighting Isn’t Just Someone Disagreeing With You

June 30, 2025

Stop calling every disagreement gaslighting. This essential post clarifies what gaslighting actually is—deliberate, repeated attempts to distort your reality—versus normal relationship conflict. Learn why intent and pattern matter, how overusing this term dilutes its meaning for real victims, and what to say instead when you feel dismissed or confused in relationships.

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Tender artistic illustration of adult comforting child in warm embrace against burgundy background, representing self-compassion and emotional healing through inner connection

What If the Feeling Isn’t in the Way—But Is the Way?

June 23, 2025

What if your emotions aren’t blocking you—but actually guiding you? Learn how feelings can lead the way to healing, growth, and presence.

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Artistic portrait of woman with auburn hair surrounded by cosmic swirls, silhouettes, and symbolic imagery including open book and keyhole, representing inner strength and self-discovery after betrayal trauma

What Porn, Affairs, and Addiction Don’t Tell You About Yourself

June 16, 2025

It would almost be easier if it was about you.If they cheated because you let yourself go, or didn’t want sex often enough, or said

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