Prefrontal Cortex: Why Cognitive Coping Strategies Don’t Always Work As mental health professionals, we often talk about giving clients “cognitive coping skills” to help them manage stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm. These might include reframing negative thoughts, challenging cognitive distortions, or using self-talk to interrupt unhelpful thinking patterns. And while these tools can be incredibly effective, there are moments when they do not work—not because the clie

Economic insecurity, financial stress, and material hardship affect millions of people worldwide — and emerging evidence shows that financial hardship can itself function as a form of trauma, carrying serious mental-health consequences. When living with continuing financial instability, housing or food insecurity, worry about bills or medical costs, or repeated economic setbacks, many people experience chronic stress, despair, shame, or even post-traumatic stress symptoms. Fo

Reconnecting with joy after trauma Experiencing trauma can profoundly shift how we feel, connect, and experience the world. For many survivors, the aftermath includes not only distress or hypervigilance but also something quieter and often more confusing — a sense of emotional numbness or difficulty accessing joy. Pleasure may feel distant, muted, or even unsafe. The good news? Rebuilding a relationship with joy is possible. Research shows that the brain and body are capable