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hidden cause of perfectionism
Childhood Trauma, Narcissistic Abuse, Self Esteem

The Hidden Cause of Perfectionism That Most Therapists Miss

June 28, 2026
11 Views

Most articles about perfectionism say the same things. High standards. Fear of failure. Wanting to…

Tom Foster
scapegoat and ongoing anxiety
Childhood Trauma, Narcissistic Abuse, Self Esteem

Why You Can Only Relax After It’s Over: The Scapegoat’s Delayed Relief Response

June 28, 2026
9 Views

I noticed something about how I move through the world. Good things happen. Conversations go…

Tom Foster
4 elements of internal support
Childhood Trauma, Narcissistic Abuse, Self Esteem

The 4 Elements of Internal Support That Scapegoats Were Never Taught

June 27, 2026
12 Views

There’s a specific kind of fear that doesn’t go away even when nothing is wrong.…

Tom Foster
perfectionism trauma
Childhood Trauma, Narcissistic Abuse

Why Mistakes Feel Catastrophic: The Trauma Behind the Perfectionism

June 27, 2026
12 Views

It took 45 minutes to record a five-minute tutorial. Not because the content was difficult.…

Tom Foster
dragon ball z and emotional neglect
Childhood Trauma, Narcissistic Abuse, Self Esteem

What Dragon Ball Z Taught Me About Childhood Emotional Neglect

June 17, 2026
17 Views

You’re watching a show. A cartoon, even. And out of nowhere, a scene stops you.…

Tom Foster
feeling bad after fawning
Childhood Trauma, Healing, Narcissistic Abuse

How to Overcome Fawning: Two Steps That Actually Work

June 11, 2026
17 Views

If you’ve ever found yourself in a situation where you wish you’d stood up for…

Tom Foster
barbell moment and self abandonment
Childhood Trauma, Narcissistic Abuse

The Barbell Moment: How Self-Abandonment Gets Triggered in Everyday Life

June 6, 2026
16 Views

It wasn’t a big moment. That’s the point. At the gym, mid-workout. A barbell left…

Tom Foster
invalidation as a trauma trigger
Childhood Trauma, Narcissistic Abuse

Why Being Dismissed Feels Like an Attack — The Scapegoat Trauma Trigger

June 6, 2026
23 Views

It happened in a video game. A character — a woman leader in a cave…

Tom Foster
Childhood Trauma, Narcissistic Abuse, Self Esteem

How Your Nervous System Recreates the Past (Without Telling You)

May 18, 2026
23 Views

There’s a particular kind of insight in trauma recovery that arrives not as liberation but…

Tom Foster
JADE trauma response
Childhood Trauma, Frame Control, Narcissistic Abuse

Why Do I Always Justify Myself? The Trauma Response Behind Over-Explaining

May 18, 2026
27 Views

There’s a pattern that looks like poor communication but is actually something more specific and…

Tom Foster

Latest posts

hidden cause of perfectionism

The Hidden Cause of Perfectionism That Most Therapists Miss

June 28, 2026
11 Views
scapegoat and ongoing anxiety

Why You Can Only Relax After It’s Over: The Scapegoat’s Delayed Relief Response

June 28, 2026
9 Views
4 elements of internal support

The 4 Elements of Internal Support That Scapegoats Were Never Taught

June 27, 2026
12 Views
perfectionism trauma

Why Mistakes Feel Catastrophic: The Trauma Behind the Perfectionism

June 27, 2026
12 Views

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