Category Archives: Trauma and the Brain

Is Forgiveness Required for Trauma Recovery?



Trauma psychotherapist, Amanda Ann Gregory, discusses why forgiveness isn’t necessary in trauma recovery.  She walks us through possible messages we are internalizing about forgiveness and five reasons why forgiveness should not be imposed in the process of healing from trauma. Click here to check out her Psychology Today article “Why Forgiveness Isn’t Required in Trauma Recovery”.

Amanda Ann Gregory, LCPC, is a trauma psychotherapist, national speaker, and author. She holds licenses in the states of Illinois, Texas, and Missouri, as well as an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Certification, and a National Counselor Certification. Gregory has provided individual, group, and family therapy for more than a dozen years in outpatient and residential settings and is currently in private practice in Chicago. Her work has appeared in Psychology Today, Psychotherapy Networker, Happiful Magazine, Addiction Professional, Adoption Today, All Creatures, Highlights Magazine, and New Therapist Magazine.

Gregory has served as a presenter for clinical conferences, employee trainings, and community events and has spoken for the ACA (American Counseling Association), NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Symmetry Counseling, the Missouri School Counselor Association, Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, and the Missouri Association of Marriage and Family Therapy to name a few. She tailors all presentations to meet the needs of your audience.

Click here to check out her awesome blog “Transforming Trauma Blog” on her website.


What is Repeat Traumatization?



On this episode of High Heels and Heartache I chat with Dr. Amelia Kelley, owner and supervisor of Kelley Counseling & Wellness, about repeat traumatization. We discuss what happens when a person experiences more than one trauma in their life, how trauma changes the brain, and the role of nature vs. nurture have in repeat trauma. Dr. Kelley also teaches us about synaptic pruning!

Dr. Amelia Kelley, PhD, MS, LPC, ATR-P, RYT is an integrative therapist with 15 years of experience. She is trained in Art Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Yoga Therapy and other adjunctive treatments for trauma such as EMDR, Prolonged Exposure, Imagery Rehearsal Therapy and Trauma Sensitive Yoga.  She is the owner and supervisor of Kelley Counseling and Wellness in Cary, NC. Her practice is part of the Trauma Consortium at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana State University. She is a trained Level I and II Vinyasa Yoga teacher, a Yin Yoga certified teacher and a trained Restorative Yoga teacher. Dr. Kelley provides yoga therapy to individuals facing physical and mental health challenges to help reduce symptoms, address trauma in the body, help reduce addiction, restore balance and increase vitality. Her art therapy group work with the substance abuse population has been featured in the media as well as her advocacy for the licensure of Art Therapy in the state of NC. Dr. Kelley has been featured in the news as an expert discussing addiction to technology. She has also offered blog contributions in the areas of coping with ADHD in marriage as well as podcasts about Art Therapy in mental health. Additionally, she is a trained meditation teacher with a library of her teachings found on Insight Timer. Dr. Kelley is currently working on her first book examining healthy coping for an overactive nervous system in an overactive society.

For more information on Dr. Kelley and her practice, CLICK HERE.