We believe we understand ourselves by first being understood.

Understanding one of the nervous system’s most protective responses

Dissociation is something I talk about a lot.

And one of the things I find most interesting about it is how often people don’t actually know they’re dissociating.

Sometimes it looks the way we might expect.

I don’t feel real.

The room looks strange.

I feel like I’m watching myself from somewhere else.

I lost time.

But sometimes it’s much quieter.

You were feeling something and suddenly… you’re not.

Someone asks what you’re experiencing and your mind goes completely blank.

You’re telling a painful story, but you can explain it almost like you’re giving a presentation.

You realize you’ve been nodding through a conversation and haven’t taken in a word.

You know you’re upset, but you can’t actually find the feeling anymore.

You feel foggy.

Far away.

Very, very tired.

Or perhaps you’re completely functional.

You’re working. Talking. Parenting. Answering emails. Getting things done.

And yet somehow, you’re...

Welcome to Sitting With Lauren

Over the last few years, the way I understand healing has changed quite a bit.

Not because I suddenly discovered one new modality or framework that explained everything. If anything, it has been the opposite.

The deeper I've gone into trauma work, the nervous system, somatic experiencing, parts work, attachment, movement, and my own experience of being human, the more I've found myself coming back to something surprisingly simple:

Healing happens in relationship.

In our relationships with other people, yes. But also in the relationships we develop with our bodies, our emotions, our protective patterns, and eventually, ourselves.

And I think this is part of why Sitting With Lauren feels like the right name for this next chapter of my work.

Because I'm becoming less interested in asking, How do we get rid of this?

And much more interested in asking:

Can we sit with this for a moment?

Can we get curious about what's happening?

Can we understand wh...