by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jan 2, 2026 | Psychology
You learned to read the room before you could read books. The sound of a car door closing. The weight of footsteps on the stairs. The particular quality of silence that meant something was wrong. As a child, you developed an exquisitely tuned radar for the emotional...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 26, 2025 | Anthropology and Evolutionary Psychology for Therapy, Somatic Experiencing In Alabama
yo There is a specific, heavy feeling that many therapy clients know intimately but struggle to name. It is not quite sadness, and it is not quite fear. It is a sense of fundamental wrongness—a deep, sinking belief that “I am not just making mistakes; I am a...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Dec 26, 2025 | Uncategorized
Most of us know the classic trauma responses: Fight (aggression) and Flight (avoidance). We even know Freeze (shutting down). But there is a fourth response that is often missed because it looks so polite: Fawn. This is the “people pleaser” response. It is...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Oct 23, 2025 | Brainspotting in Alabama: Revolutionary Trauma Therapy for Deep Healing, Mental Health and Trauma Therapy in Alabama, Therapy Resources for Alabama
When Trauma Is Not a Single Event For many, the word “trauma” conjures images of a single, devastating event: a car accident, a natural disaster, a combat experience. While these are undoubtedly traumatic, there is another form of suffering, one that is...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Aug 20, 2025 | Mental Health and Psychotherapy Resources in Alabama, Mental Health and Trauma Therapy in Alabama, Psychology Topics and Articles
Growing up in a household affected by alcoholism creates ripples that extend far into adulthood. If you’re an adult child of an alcoholic (ACoA), you may find yourself grappling with patterns and challenges that seem mysterious until you understand their...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Jul 13, 2025 | Psychology, Psychology Topics and Articles
When working with trauma survivors, particularly those who experienced childhood trauma, therapists often encounter distinct patterns in how clients assign responsibility for their experiences. This framework, centered around the concept of locus of control, offers...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Apr 30, 2025 | Psychology Topics and Articles, Recovering from Abuse
Understanding the Lasting Impacts of Toxic Relationships The double bind theory, first proposed by Gregory Bateson and his colleagues in the 1950s, describes a type of dysfunctional communication and relationship pattern that can have devastating psychological...
by Joel Blackstock LICSW-S MSW PIP no. 4135C-S | Feb 4, 2025 | Psychology Topics and Articles, Recovering from Abuse, Self Help and Personal Development, Somatic Experiencing In Alabama
“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” Laurell K. Hamilton, Mistral’s Kiss Childhood trauma casts a long shadow. Even if we can’t remember the specifics of what happened to us,...
