Instagram story viewer> @psychotherapy.central> Posts

Jennifer Nurick | Clinical Psychotherapist | Attachment Expert

@psychotherapy.central

171.7K

followers

414

following

Healing Anxious & Avoidant Attachment
Podcast Host | Author |
Relationships | Couple & Trauma Therapist, Energetic Healing, Parts Work, IFS, EMDR

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Healing isn’t just my profession.

It’s been my life’s work.

For more than twenty years, I’ve studied the human psyche, sat alongside people through some of the hardest moments of their lives, and devoted myself to understanding what helps people truly heal. Alongside that has been my own journey of therapy, meditation, spiritual practice and learning from extraordinary teachers.

This carousel is a glimpse behind the scenes of what has shaped my work.

Everything I share is shaped by three things: my own healing journey, more than twenty years of clinical experience, and a deep commitment to understanding both the human psyche and the soul.

I’m still learning.
Still growing.
Still deeply humbled by this work.

Thank you for trusting me with your stories and allowing me to be a small part of your healing journey. It is a privilege I never take for granted.

Love, Jen 🪷

—————-

#psychotherapy #traumahealing #attachmenthealing #selfhealers #mentalhealth taken in Sydney, Australia by @psychotherapy.central

83

21

2 months ago

If you’re new here, welcome.

Over the years, many of you have heard me talk about trauma, attachment, relationships and healing. But I realised I’ve never really shared how I got here. This carousel is my story.

It’s the story of a little girl who grew up on a housing commission estate in England, spent years trying to understand herself, and eventually found her calling helping other people heal.

There have been painful chapters, extraordinary adventures, incredible teachers and so much healing along the way. Looking back, I can see that every experience, even the ones I wouldn’t have chosen, shaped the therapist, teacher and person I am today.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: Our past shapes us. But it doesn’t have to define us.

I genuinely believe every person has an incredible capacity to heal. I’ve witnessed it in thousands of clients, and I’ve experienced it in my own life.

Whether you’ve been here for years or you’ve only just found this page, thank you for being here. It really is a privilege to walk alongside so many of you on your healing journey.

I’d love to get to know you too. Tell me where you’re joining me from and what first brought you to this page. 🧡

Love, Jen

—————-
#psychotherapy #traumahealing #attachmenthealing #healingjourney #selfhealers taken in Sydney, Australia by @psychotherapy.central

172

30

2 months ago

Ever notice that desperate need to make everything okay the moment a conflict ends? That heavy silence after an argument can feel almost dangerous, as if something awful is about to unfold unless you resolve it immediately.

On this episode of Psychotherapy Central, we dig into the deeper roots of this reaction, from how your nervous system gets activated to the attachment wounds driving it all.

Here's what you'll learn:
🔥 Why your body responds to disagreements as though your survival is at stake
🧠 How your past experiences wire your reaction to conflict
❤️ The pursuer-withdrawer dynamic and how it plays out in relationships
🌿 Six practical strategies to soothe your nervous system and interrupt the pattern

This isn't about avoiding arguments, it's about building the capacity to regulate yourself so you can show up from a grounded, secure place.

🎧 Listen here:

https://www.psychotherapycentral.health/podcasts/psychotherapy-central/episodes/2148993639

Love, Jen
______

#therapypodcast #secureattachment #relationshiphealing #healingjourney #healthyrelationships by @psychotherapy.central

0

0

6 hours ago

When someone you love pulls away under stress, it's easy to assume they don't care. But for those with an avoidant attachment style, withdrawing is often a protective response, not a rejection. It's self-preservation, not a lack of love.

🔹 They've learned that closeness can feel threatening.
🔹 Their nervous system equates distance with safety.
🔹 They may suppress their own emotional needs without even being aware of it.

Avoidant patterns aren't about an absence of love, they're about not yet knowing how to stay present without feeling overwhelmed. When we understand this, frustration can begin to soften into compassion. 💛

💬 Have you experienced this dynamic from either side? What helped shift your perspective?

🎧 Want to go deeper into this attachment style? Listen to Ep 2 of the Psychotherapy Central podcast, Avoidant Attachment Explained: https://www.psychotherapycentral.health/podcasts/psychotherapy-central/episodes/2148041419

Enjoy! Love, Jen 🌻
_______
#AvoidantAttachment #AttachmentHealing #CycleBreakers #SecureAttachmentJourney #TraumaHealing by @psychotherapy.central

12

0

17 hours ago

For those times when your thoughts are racing but your body is asking you to slow down.

You don't have to figure it all out in order to feel okay. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let this moment simply exist as it is.

Bookmark this for when everything feels like too much.

Love, Jen 🕊️

Keep Learning — Listen to the Podcast
The Psychotherapy Central Podcast brings you honest conversations about relationships, healing, and personal growth — hosted by Jennifer Nurick. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and take the insights with you wherever you go.
Listen Now: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/psychotherapy-central/id1701257974

#presence #nervoussystemregulation #innerpeace #selfhealing #mindfulliving by @psychotherapy.central

51

8

a day ago

In this session we discuss:
1) scary dreams
2) infertility and trauma

Drop your questions below and I'll address them in my next live!

Love Jen 🌸 by @psychotherapy.central

6

2

a day ago

So many of us grew up hearing things like "stop crying" or "you're being too sensitive."⁣
⁣
Our fear, pain, or sadness was treated as an inconvenience, something to be quieted rather than understood.⁣
⁣
Over time, we internalized that message. We learned to shrink. To question what we felt. To push emotions down before anyone could dismiss them for us.⁣
⁣
But that cycle doesn't have to continue.⁣ You can become the kind of parent, partner, or friend who meets big emotions with openness instead of shutting them down.⁣
⁣
It starts with presence.⁣
With slowing down.⁣
With allowing feelings to simply exist, without rushing to fix or silence them.⁣
⁣
That's where real connection grows.⁣
That's where healing takes root.⁣
⁣
Love, Jen 🪷⁣
________⁣
#cyclebreakers #reparenting #innerchildhealing #emotionallyimmatureparents #nervoussystemhealing by @psychotherapy.central

38

4

2 days ago

Talking about the future with your partner is one of the most powerful yet simple ways to build safety and connection.

When you share what's ahead together, you're communicating something deeply meaningful: I see you here with me. I value what we have. You matter to me.

It doesn't have to be grand or life-altering. Sometimes it sounds like, "I'm already looking forward to our weekend," or "I keep daydreaming about our next trip together." Those small expressions of reassurance can do so much to deepen your bond.

If you're in a relationship, give this a try today. Share one thing you're excited to experience with your partner in the future, and notice how it opens their heart.

Love, Jen 🪷

Couple Therapy
If you and your partner keep getting caught in the same painful patterns, couples therapy can help. I integrate Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), IFS-informed parts work and energy healing to help couples create greater safety, connection and intimacy. I work with couples online in Australia and internationally. Find out more via the link in my bio. 🪷
Couple_Therapy: https://www.psychotherapycentral.health/bookings

#relationshiphealing #healyouranxiousattachment #attachmenttrauma #relationshiptips #cyclebreakers by @psychotherapy.central

83

9

2 days ago

Your biggest emotional reactions might not be coming from who you are today.

They could be coming from a much younger part of you, one that existed before language did. A preverbal part.

These parts don't speak in memories or thoughts. They speak through the body. A racing heart, tightness in your chest, a wave of panic when someone pulls away, or a deep fear of being abandoned.

You might know intellectually that you're safe, but your nervous system tells a different story. This isn't overreacting. It's your body holding onto something your conscious mind has no access to.

Once you start to see this, the question shifts. Instead of "What's wrong with me?" you begin to wonder, "What younger part of me needs my attention right now?" That one shift changes everything.

Healing doesn't mean silencing these parts. It means gently turning toward them with curiosity, compassion and care.

If this speaks to you, save it for those moments when your reactions don't quite make sense. It might also be something someone you love needs to hear.

Love, Jen 🪷

#therapy #attachment #traumahealing #selfdevelopment #personaldevelopment by @psychotherapy.central

12

4

2 days ago

Top-down trauma therapy begins in the brain, specifically the neocortex, the region responsible for thinking, language, and meaning-making.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association for PTSD treatment, helps us reframe traumatic narratives and shift our thought patterns and behaviours. As thinking shifts, the emotional brain (limbic system) and survival brain (brainstem) can start to calm.

✨ Here's what's important to understand: trauma doesn't only exist in the mind, it's stored in the body too.
With repeated or developmental trauma, the thinking brain frequently goes "offline." The body responds before the mind has a chance to catch up. That's why the most effective healing often combines top-down methods like CBT with bottom-up therapies that engage body sensations, movement, and nervous system regulation.

As Ogden, Pain & Fisher note, when top-down management is thoughtfully balanced with bottom-up processing, "the complex effects of trauma are more likely to respond to treatment."

If you're working through trauma, ensure your support honours both your mind and your body. You deserve healing that addresses the whole of you.

Take care,

Love, Jen 💛
________
📖 Ogden, Pain & Fisher (2006), Psychiatric Clinics of North America
. . . #traumahealing #traumatherapy #nervoussystemhealing #holistichealing #somatictherapy by @psychotherapy.central

37

2

3 days ago

A few weeks ago I found myself completely overwhelmed. I took myself out for a walk in nature, hoping it would help, but my mind kept circling back to the thing causing me stress.

So I made a choice. I gently, firmly redirected my thoughts back to the present moment, focusing on gratitude for the trees, the ocean, and everything right in front of me.

After about 5 minutes, something shifted. My mind stopped wandering and my sense of well-being genuinely lifted. I kept waiting for the anxiety to creep back in, but it didn't. That same intensity around the issue just didn't return.

Something close to my heart is volunteering. Antoinette and I have done so much of it over the years, and we genuinely love it. Research by Konrath (2014) shows that volunteering increases psychological well-being across ages and cultures, boosting happiness, empathy and even physical health! For me, contributing to something bigger than myself and helping those who are doing it tough has always been meaningful. Even just thinking about it, I feel energy moving through my heart centre.

Here's another interesting finding: a group called Gratitude Seeds discovered that writing a gratitude letter increases happiness by 2-4%, but calling the person and expressing it verbally boosted it to 19%! What's even more powerful is that the biggest jump happens when you're starting from the lowest point of happiness. So if you're feeling depressed or down, that is actually the BEST time to pick up the phone and tell someone how grateful you are for them.

Much Love and stay safe, Jen 🌻

_____________________
.
#gratitude #selfawareness #mentalhealthtips #selfcompassionjourney #healingspace by @psychotherapy.central

24

2

3 days ago

Some seasons feel impossibly still. You're putting in the effort, staying consistent, showing up each day with hope, and yet nothing seems to shift.

It's tempting to read that silence as a sign, to wonder if something is wrong, if you're stuck, if maybe it's just not meant to be.

But here's what's true: some things are taking longer because they're forming beneath the surface, quietly, carefully, just beyond what you can see. Life is arranging pieces you haven't discovered yet, preparing something meant for you, not just in timing, but in richness and purpose.

And often, the waiting itself is part of it. You're growing into the person who can fully receive what's coming. You're being shaped, stretched, and made ready.

When it finally arrives, when what you've longed for meets you where you are, it will all make sense. You'll see exactly why it couldn't have shown up a moment sooner.

Love,
Jen 🪷

#trusttheprocess #cyclebreakers #selfhealers #trustyourjourney #emotionalhealing by @psychotherapy.central

238

5

4 days ago