

Intellectualization: Thinking About Your Feelings Instead of Feeling Them
by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghJuly 29, 2025 adult children of emotionally immature parents, avoiding emotions, childhood trauma, complex post traumatic stress disorder, complex trauma, Intellectualization, intellectualization defense mechanism, intellectualize, intellectualizing emotions0 comments
Intellectualization: Thinking About Your Feelings Instead of Feeling Them
I used to think I was really emotionally aware. When something upset me, I could explain exactly why it upset me, how it fit into a pattern, why my nervous system was responding the way it was. It all made perfect sense. And I thought this made me in touch with my emotions. Turns out I was...Learn More
The Slow Work of Feeling Suppressed Emotions
by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghJuly 10, 2025 disassociate, disassociation, dorsal vagal shutdown, emotional numbness, fight flight freeze, flight or fight, freeze, freeze response, hyperarousal, hypoarousal, nervous system regulation, Parasympathetic nervous system, pendulation, peter levine, shutdown, somatic experiencing, somatic therapy, stress responses, suppressed emotions, sympathetic nervous system, titration, window of tolerance0 comments
The Slow Work of Feeling Suppressed Emotions
Working with emotions—especially when they’ve been buried, shut down, or hard to name—reminds me a lot of orthodontics. It’s not fast. It’s not flashy. But it’s real. You can’t force a tooth into place without risking damage. And you can’t force suppressed emotions into awareness without overwhelming the system....Learn More
Celebrating Black Owned Businesses in Pittsburgh: Juneteenth
by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghJune 18, 2025 anti racism, black ally, black history month, black owned businesses, black owned businesses pittsburgh, black therapist pittsburgh, juneteenth0 comments
Photo credit: “20220814_103323” by 7beachbum, CC BY 2.0 Changes made: Photo cropped and sky made blue.
Celebrating Black Owned Businesses in Pittsburgh This Juneteenth & Beyond
For Black History Month, we shared an Instagram Reel highlighting 11 Black owned businesses in Pittsburgh to celebrate some of the amazing Black entrepreneurs in our...Learn More
An Unlikely Source of Military PTSD
by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghJune 16, 2025 combat veterans, military PTSD, ptsd, PTSD Awareness Month, PTSD in veterans, PTSD Treatment, veterans and PTSD0 comments
An Unlikely Source of Military PTSD
As a Marine combat veteran who has personally navigated the challenges of PTSD, I want to share an important perspective during PTSD Awareness Month that often goes unrecognized, one that could change how we understand and address military PTSD and trauma.
What is PTSD?
Post Traumatic Stress...Learn More
Playing the Victim? A Deeper Look at Victim Mentality
by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghMay 16, 2025 choice theory, emotional invalidation, external locus of control, helpless, helplessness, invalidation, learned helplessness, maladaptive assumptions, maladaptive coping mechanisms, personal power, playing the victim, powerlessness, self protection, victim blaming, victim complex, victim mentality, victimhood0 comments
Playing the Victim? A Deeper Look at Victim Mentality
If you’ve been accused of playing the victim, or if you’re trying to understand why someone you know seems stuck in a cycle of helplessness, you’re not alone. The term “victim mentality” often stirs up strong emotions and assumptions. It’s frequently associated with manipulation or avoidance of responsibility,...Learn More
Functional Freeze vs. Anhedonia vs. Burnout
by Counseling and Wellness Center of PittsburghMay 8, 2025 anhedonia, burn out, burnout, depression, freeze, freeze response, functional freeze0 comments
Functional Freeze vs. Anhedonia vs. Burnout
Life’s challenges often take a toll on our mental health, leading to emotional and physical exhaustion. However, not all forms of mental and emotional struggle are the same. Functional freeze, anhedonia, and burnout are three distinct states of distress, each with unique characteristics, causes, and effects....Learn More