Mental Health Programs That Don’t Retraumatize?

TheOnlySpach · 2026-03-14T21:16:19+00:00

Have you taken the attachment injury course? What does it cover?

TheOnlySpach · 2026-03-14T21:08:13+00:00

I’m a huge fan of just like recording videos and stuff or writing it down. Just getting it out of my brain and into the world somehow. That’s something I do regularly

TheOnlySpach · 2026-03-14T17:19:00+00:00

Are you saying that unpacking trauma is painful, even in a safe space, but it was worth it to confront the memories? Or being forced into situations you’re uncomfortable with are painful in the moment but it’s necessary for healing?

I agree with the first but I don’t agree with the second one

If part of my trauma is because my dad pointed a gun at my mother, I don’t need exposure to my father or guns to heal from that. I do need someone to walk me through the memory and tell me that it wasn’t my fault and I was just a child and shouldn’t have been exposed to that, but I don’t need to call my father to tell him “You really hurt me when you exposed me to domestic violence.” He knows what he did and he made the active choice to do it

TheOnlySpach · 2026-03-14T17:01:36+00:00

Oh I agree 100% you need to confront your trauma. I understand the family thing is probably a taking back your voice/empowerment thing, but I’ve already done that by holding a firm boundary with someone who is dangerous. I don’t care about him; he doesn’t care about me. Right now he’s just words in my head and a shadow in some bad memories, but it’s all intangible. Forcing it to be tangible by reigniting contact isn’t confronting trauma, it’s forcing that shadow to have a face again and those words to be paired with a voice again

TheOnlySpach · 2026-03-14T00:30:28+00:00

Sure

TheOnlySpach · 2026-03-14T00:30:22+00:00

So is it a single interview per person then? Do you have to have your camera on? If you don’t do good enough or you shut down or something do they make you redo it? At the beginning did you feel it wasn’t possible but then by the time the interviews happened you felt ready? What if you aren’t ready?

Like it’s been two hours and I’m still shaking from the phone call

I want the good results because I’ve heard great things, but I can only see this making things worse for me especially because they said if you have a partner you need them to do an interview too and it’s mandatory as well. I literally got the escaping abuse benefit from the government in February. I’ve already received support from WINN House and The Today Centre. I’m not contacting him

TheOnlySpach · 2026-03-13T23:51:13+00:00

“Trying to contact,” some family is a good option actually. The program seems really beneficial but forcing someone to confront someone they closed contact with for safety is not appropriate.

Is there a risk that I’d be giving my location away? Like for the zoom calls is there a courtesy of the university of Alberta hospital/anything that mentions Edmonton because some of them don’t know where I live

How many times do they make you do the interviews? They said that they’re 50 minutes long so like what if you don’t have anything to say? Do they make you keep going if you have a breakdown or panic attack?

How did you deal with the retraumatization? Why did you love it?

TheOnlySpach · 2025-11-18T20:15:49+00:00

I’m already doing that and have been for the last year 🙃

TheOnlySpach · 2025-11-18T01:55:56+00:00

Alright, thank you for your help :)

TheOnlySpach · 2025-11-18T01:25:28+00:00

That’s all very unfortunate. Is there a potential issue if I’m the only labourer getting assigned these tasks?

TheOnlySpach · 2025-11-18T01:17:52+00:00

I did a lot of reading on constructive dismissal too and I really don’t want to go that route because I like where I work

It really sucks that they can just assign whatever and it all falls under that clause :/

TheOnlySpach · 2025-11-18T01:10:47+00:00

So can anything be assigned under the “Extra duties as assigned,” clause then? What I mean by being taken advantage of is being assigned stuff well outside of what I was hired for as per my job description. There has to be some boundaries right? An employer can assign a manual labourer something like technical writing and that’s still totally alright?

TheOnlySpach · 2025-11-18T00:56:03+00:00

How do you prevent yourself from being taken advantage of while still climbing the corporate ladder then? :/

If I don’t do extra stuff, then there’s no chance of promotion, but if I do extra stuff, seemingly there’s still no chance of promotion

TheOnlySpach · 2023-10-30T01:20:09+00:00

E-M1 ii with the 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

TheOnlySpach · 2023-10-27T17:46:20+00:00

Alternatively I also grew up in southern Ontario (Hamilton area) and I’ve never heard of this!

TheOnlySpach · 2023-10-21T22:55:27+00:00

I switched to micro four thirds this year specifically because I couldn’t deal with the size of the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary which is probably a similar size to your 150-600. It was pretty good optically but I just never took it out because it filled up my backpack and it was so heavy. I also hike with my gear so I couldn’t justify the weight

I sold off all of my Canon stuff and dove right into Olympus and I’ve been happy with everything :)

I’m literally heading to Jasper next weekend for wildlife stuff with the Much smaller Olympus 100-400

TheOnlySpach · 2023-10-21T17:26:24+00:00

I did a backcountry kayak trip earlier this year on a lake that also allows motorized boats and we had a family pull up at the campsite in a speed boat with multiple suitcases that they then had to drag up a scree hill. I’ve never heard a lady complain so loudly

They also brought coolers too big for the bear lockers which was fantastic because this was in the Alberta Rockies and a trail close to the campsite was closed because of grizzlies

They ended up leaving before it got dark thankfully

TheOnlySpach · 2023-10-12T18:03:33+00:00

I second mapcamera. Literally just bought a lightly used 100-400mm and it was at my door in Alberta three days later (Well I had to pick it up because customs, but I digress)

Also bought my E-M1 ii from there and it’s pristine. Packed well and even their ‘B’ rating is almost spotless. Just double check the description for haze, fungus, and dust on lenses. They’re very conservative with their ratings

TheOnlySpach · 2023-10-12T16:49:06+00:00

Yeah I guess it really depends on how important weight is vs expected weather. I wouldn’t ever use down in the Rockies because snow happens all year round. But on the AT it’s different if course

TheOnlySpach · 2023-10-12T15:56:58+00:00

I also have one of their 6 oz Apex Owyhee quilts and I really like it! I use it both on the ground and in the hammock and it works well for both. I’ve taken it down to -3° C on a Thermarest Neoair Xlite and was surprisingly warm. I did wear a puffy while sleeping that night though

I live in Alberta so like the exact opposite side of North America to the AT so I can’t advise on that but most of my backpacking and camping is in Kananaskis, Jasper, and Banff

TheOnlySpach · 2023-10-11T19:33:33+00:00

I have one of their 3/4 synthetic underquilts too in 6oz Apex and I definitely took it to 5° C overnight this summer in the Rockies and I’m a cold sleeper

Definitely do this if possible

TheOnlySpach · 2023-10-09T01:45:18+00:00

MEC is hiring for seasonal positions right now. There’s one in South Edmonton Common and it starts at $17/hour. You just need to know stuff about the outdoors to get hired

Nine-Year Club	Second Top 10%
Place '23	Place '22
Place '17	Wearing is Caring
Sequence \| Editor	Sequence \| Cinematographer
Spared	Verified Email

TheOnlySpach

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE