Trauma

The Hidden Roots of Control

Alicia Divico, LMHC

Published on: 27/04/2026

This article explores why the need for control develops as a response to anxiety, uncertainty, and early life experiences, and how it often reinforces the very stress it tries to reduce. It also reframes letting go of control as building internal safety and learning to tolerate uncertainty rather than eliminating it.

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Clear Consent

Alicia Divico, LMHC

Published on: 16/04/2026

Rape isn’t complicated. We’ve just been taught to treat it that way. Consent is a clear, ongoing, enthusiastic yes — and it can be withdrawn at any time. Flirting, clothing, past yeses, or coming over are not consent. It’s simple: if it’s not a yes, it’s a no.

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Understanding Fawning

Alicia Divico, LMHC

Published on: 07/04/2026

This article explores the fawn response—a lesser-known trauma survival strategy rooted in people-pleasing and conflict avoidance. It explains how fawning develops, how it manifests in the body, and why it can lead to disconnection, exhaustion, and unmet needs. Through gentle, reflective journal prompts inspired by mindfulness and Internal Family Systems, readers are invited to approach their patterns with curiosity and begin reconnecting with their own emotions, needs, and sense of self.

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THE WOUND BENEATH THE WOUND

Alicia Divico, LMHC

Published on: 20/03/2026

This blog explores how abandonment—whether through loss, emotional absence, or inconsistency—shapes core beliefs, relationships, and the nervous system. It explains how these early wounds lead to patterns like fear of rejection, self-abandonment, and attachment struggles, and emphasizes that healing requires grief, safe relationships, and rebuilding a steady connection with oneself.

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