Thanksgiving… Kind of
This holiday ritual invites people to name three things that brought them joy or calm.
What is a gratitude practice?
True or false: Trauma responses are always “fight or flight.”
What is false? (Freeze and fawn also exist.)
This technique uses your senses to name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear…
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique?
In SAFE, this word means recognizing your internal weather without judging it.
What is awareness?
This singer publicly shared her PTSD and chronic pain after a traumatic event at her 2017 Manchester concert.
Who is Ariana Grande?
his classic November dish takes the longest to cook — sometimes hours — teaching patience whether we want it to or not.
What is the turkey?
This part of the brain becomes overactive during trauma, making safety feel distant even when it isn’t.
What is the amygdala?
When anxiety spikes, this breathing pattern (longer out-breath than in-breath) signals the body to settle.
What is parasympathetic breathing?
This “E” word describes the process of regaining your choices, voice, and autonomy.
What is empowerment?
This actor and wrestler has been open about depression, loss, and the emotional fallout of childhood instability
Who is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson?
For many people, large gatherings can activate this nervous-system response, leading to tension, irritability, or the desire to leave early.
What is anxiety or hyperarousal?
This trauma response looks like giving in, appeasing others, or abandoning your needs to avoid conflict.
What is fawning?
This object — which you can hold, roll, or put in your pocket — can anchor you to the present moment.
What is a grounding stone or fidget tool?
This term describes the moment your nervous system shifts from chaos toward steadiness.
What is regulation?
This Olympic gymnast spoke openly about trauma, mental health breaks, and saying “my brain and body aren’t safe.”
Who is Simone Biles?
This term describes setting boundaries before entering a family gathering — choosing what topics you’ll engage in and what topics “stay in the oven.”
What is a pre-planned boundary?
This type of memory can show up as sensations, emotions, or fragments rather than clear stories.
What are implicit memories?
This coping skill involves scheduling time to feel emotions and then transitioning out intentionally.
What is contained emotional processing?
This word refers to the ability to see your patterns clearly, including what used to protect you but no longer helps.
What is insight?
This singer wrote an entire album about healing from emotional abuse and public breakdowns, reclaiming her narrative with visual symbolism.
Who is Beyoncé (for “Lemonade”)?
Though Thanksgiving is marketed as upbeat and cozy, mental health professionals remind us that many people experience mixed emotions — a reminder that these two feelings can coexist.
What are gratitude and grief?
This phrase describes the process of re-training the brain to respond differently to reminders of trauma.
What is neuroplastic healing (or rewiring)?
This strategy comes from trauma-informed therapy and means identifying impulses and choosing a safer alternative action.
What is urge surfing?
This concept captures the moment when a person chooses healing even as discomfort hums in the background.
What is courageous recovery?
This late civil rights icon turned the trauma of losing her son into a movement that shook the nation awake.
Who is Mamie Till-Mobley?