Wellness Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/tag/wellness/ Interventions & Treatment Consulting Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:47:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://heatherhayes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-HH_logo-32x32.png Wellness Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/tag/wellness/ 32 32 Why Lived Experience Alone is Not Enough in Leadership Roles https://heatherhayes.com/why-lived-experience-alone-is-not-enough-in-leadership-roles/ Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:15:13 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7494 What do we need from our leaders?  This is an important question to consider, for all of us, but especially for those seeking to take up a leadership role. When providing guidance to others and making decisions, we need a strong knowledge base as well as considerable determination. To provide good guidance and leadership we […]

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]]> The Difference Between Emotional Regulation and Emotional Suppression https://heatherhayes.com/the-difference-between-emotional-regulation-and-emotional-suppression/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:30:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7477 Emotional management is one of the key skills we all need to develop over the course of our lifetimes. Feelings are a crucial part of the human experience, yet no two emotional experiences will be exactly the same. You might feel hurt and sadness in a very different way than I do, and my best […]

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]]> The Ark of the Covenant: Psychological Containment, Ethical Power, and Why Uncontained Systems Collapse https://heatherhayes.com/the-ark-of-the-covenant-psychological-containment-ethical-power-and-why-uncontained-systems-collapse/ Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:56:39 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7279 Introduction: Why an Ancient Object Still Speaks Across millennia, cultures, and belief systems, few symbols have retained the psychological gravity of the Ark of the Covenant. Often reduced in popular imagination to a mystical relic or cinematic artifact, the Ark is far more enduring and far more relevant than myth alone would suggest. Psychologically, the […]

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]]> Gender-Responsive Interventions: From Disconnection to Open-Hearted Aliveness https://heatherhayes.com/gender-responsive-interventions-from-disconnection-to-open-hearted-aliveness/ Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:45:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7199 “In the face of intense yearnings for connection and in order to remain in the only relationships available, we develop strategies that keep more and more of ourselves out of connection.” Carol Gilligan (1991); Gilligan, Lyons & Hammer, 1990 At the core of gender and trauma-responsive practice lies what Carol Gilligan called the Central Relational […]

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]]> Your Mind, Your Health: Understanding the Connection Between Body and Brain in Healing https://heatherhayes.com/your-mind-your-health-understanding-the-connection-between-body-and-brain-in-healing/ Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:15:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7192 In 1637, French philosopher Renee Descartes famously wrote that “Je pense, donc je suis”, which translates to “I think, therefore I am.” This phrase, which was originally meant to highlight the importance of the thinking mind to human beings’ lives, has informed a widespread assumption, especially in Western cultures, that our minds and bodies are […]

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]]> ChatGPT Psychosis: What it is, how it develops, who’s at risk, and how to build a healthy relationship with AI https://heatherhayes.com/chatgpt-psychosis-what-it-is-how-it-develops-whos-at-risk-and-how-to-build-a-healthy-relationship-with-ai/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7175 First, a reality check. ChatGPT psychosis is not an official diagnosis. It’s a shorthand people use for psychotic-like episodes (or relapse/worsening of symptoms) that appear temporally associated with intense engagement with AI chatbots. The science is new, but several streams of evidence are relevant, including early case reports and newsworthy medical cases, cohort studies linking […]

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]]> ADHD, Trauma, and the Nervous System: Making Sense of the Connection https://heatherhayes.com/adhd-trauma-and-the-nervous-system-making-sense-of-the-connection/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:39:11 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7118 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Originally, ADHD was a diagnosis given only to children who struggled to pay attention, especially in school; however,  in recent years, the criteria have been expanded to include adult diagnoses, and many individuals from all walks of life are making […]

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]]> Women, Substance Use, and Mental Health: A Historical and Relational Perspective https://heatherhayes.com/women-substance-use-and-mental-health-a-historical-and-relational-perspective/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7112 The experience of women who are in substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) treatment has long been shaped by cultural norms, historical stigma, and systemic barriers. From the marketing of “women’s tonics” in the 19th Century to modern critiques of treatment models designed primarily for men, women’s struggles and triumphs in recovery reflect […]

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]]> Building Family Connection and Secure Attachment: Foundations, Disruptions, and Tools for Healing https://heatherhayes.com/building-family-connection-and-secure-attachment-foundations-disruptions-and-tools-for-healing/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:00:53 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7100 Healthy families are built on two fundamental pillars: connection and attachment. When these are strong, family members feel safe, seen, and valued, which fosters emotional resilience, trust, and overall well-being. When disrupted, however, individuals can struggle with lifelong emotional regulation, relational difficulties, and mental health challenges. Below, we explore the foundations of family connection and […]

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]]> The Importance of Safety in Healing Family Dynamics: Insights from Judith Herman and Steven Porges https://heatherhayes.com/the-importance-of-safety-in-healing-family-dynamics-insights-from-judith-herman-and-steven-porges/ Wed, 17 Sep 2025 07:00:33 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7091 Safety is a fundamental prerequisite for healing within any family system, particularly for members who have experienced emotional abuse. The pioneering work of Judith Herman and Steven Porges highlights the critical role of safety in the recovery process. Their essay explores the importance of safety, drawing on Herman’s work on trauma and recovery and Porges’ […]

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]]> The Power of Expectation: Bowlby’s Theory, Coping Patterns, and the Family System https://heatherhayes.com/the-power-of-expectation-bowlbys-theory-coping-patterns-and-the-family-system/ Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:00:28 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7065 “What cannot be communicated to the [parent] cannot be communicated to the self.” — John Bowlby, Attachment and Loss (1980) British psychoanalyst John Bowlby, best known for founding attachment theory, proposed that the expectations children form about themselves and others are deeply shaped by early relational experiences. Often overlooked within his broader framework is his […]

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]]> Family Systemic Therapy and the Role of Family Involvement in Adolescent Treatment https://heatherhayes.com/family-systemic-therapy-and-the-role-of-family-involvement-in-adolescent-treatment/ Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:00:30 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7059 Family Systemic Therapy is a therapeutic approach that views the family as a system in which each member affects the others. This framework, largely developed by pioneers in the field such as Salvador Minuchin, Carl Whitaker, and Jay Haley, emphasises the importance of involving family members in therapeutic interventions, especially when treating adolescents.  Adolescents often […]

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