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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach

@coachcara.bsky.social
108 followers 116 following 172 posts

Leadership, Life, Somatic EMDR Trauma Coach 1-1, groups. Writer. Experienced, intuitive, direct. CPTSD survivor. At one in nature. www.effectivethoughts.co.uk #coaching #EMDR #SOMATIC #cptsd #trauma #IFS

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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Do you sometimes lose the plot? Our inner monologues can be both distracting and fear mongering. They take us away from being fully present, and make us doubt our ability to participate. Try a simple attention adjustment from noticing 'the inner', to noticing 'the outer'. #focus #attentiveness
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Does part of you need to be in control? In this state, we can forget our agency, our personal power. - notice this anxious state & find some compassionate curiosity - regulate ourselves (acknowledge our feelings with compassion and return to our body) - seek support, change or acceptance
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Boring task? What reward would work for you? We can boost motivation with a promise of something rewarding. As adults, we overlook this approach, but our brains still appreciate and respond to reward as it did when we were children.
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Pause more to do more! It seems counterintuitive, but taking breaks helps us to be more effective. We need consolidation time to allow our clarity, regulation, and problem solving. How good are you at consciously pausing and taking a breather? #powerofthepause #reduceoverwhelm
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
The antidote to uncertainty: > Acknowledge feelings. All of them. Notice the emotions and sensations in this moment. Without judgement. > Focus on what you can control. You can make choices that give a greater sense of agency. > You CAN trust yourself. You have navigated uncertainty before.
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
How often do you reflect on your progress? Too often we overlook our growth. We notice our mistakes more than we acknowledge our learning. Taking time to think about what we're doing well reinforces our learning, builds self trust and boosts self confidence.
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Are you choosing the... Comfortable untruth Or Uncomfortable truth? When we speak up/tell our truth, we prioritise authenticity over fear It's not easy. It takes conscious effort. But the alternative is to avoid, repress, and betray ourselves. #effectivethoughts #coaching #trueself
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Acknowledgement = noticing and allowing, without judgement. More than anything, our emotional and physical sensations want to be affirmed to signal safety and help with regulation. Even when those feelings are uncomfortable. #stressreduction #emotionalintelligence #processing
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Other signs.. you: - automatically minimise or justify their poor behaviour toward you - you desperately try to prevent their upset - you tell yourself you're being over sensitive We often choose connection over authenticity, but this leaves us feeling dismissed, resentful and dysregulated.
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Reposted by Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach
𝙱𝚕𝚎𝚞 (𝐵𝑜𝑜!) 🏳️‍🌈 👻 🎃 @heybleu.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Other people's irritation toward your self compassion reflects only on them. Some people will show resentment or annoyance when you drop obligations, set boundaries, advocate for yourself. It's uncomfortable. But staying where you were feels worse. #consciousawareness #authenticity #courage
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Becoming more authentic in life - whether setting boundaries at work or changing expected roles at home - can be met with resistance from others. Whatever creates this response in others has nothing to do with you. #consciouschoice #boundaries #unfawning
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Feeling stuck? Shutdown? We cannot force ourselves to comply by will power or self shaming. The way out starts with the body. 1. Connect to your senses. 2. Acknowledge, without judgement, what you are noticing. 3. Gently try small movements or stretches. #consciousawareness #healing #motivation
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
No matter how difficult and painful it may be, nothing sounds as good to the soul as the truth. - Martha Beck It takes courage, but authenticity is essential to our sense of peace. @themarthabeck #Effectivethoughts #Coaching #trueself #authenticity
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
'Doing your best' is what you can do within your current capacity. Other measures of 'doing your best' can give way to negative judgement. Slowing down enough to check in with ourselves allows us to learn what is realistic for us to achieve. #consciousawareness #judgement #realism
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Nervous System regulation is essentially a reconnection - to the body, to this moment. It's simple, but.. this is important - it takes conscious repetition. The more we regulate/reconnect, the safer we feel; allowing problem solving, connection, calm and compassion. #Effectivethoughts #coaching
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Winter is a time of restoration. For you, how does this sit with societal pressure to set new year goals? - For some, winter will offer space to think, dream, plan - For others, goal and resolution setting will feel wrong when rest comes 1st. Whatever you choose, whatever feels right, it's OK.
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Healing is an evolutionary process - Moving from judging ourselves to being compassionate and curious. The process of healing requires us to really acknowledge what we are feeling, and to be patient. Too often, people deal with their pain and triggers by avoiding the reality.
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Reposted by Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach
✨ Soft Grit Spoonie ✨ @softgritspoonie.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
#trauma #traumasurvivor #cptsd
No one talks about the phrase response because it doesn't look dramatic. It looks like someone who still goes to work. Still replies to texts. Still smiles at the right moments. But inside? Numb. Disconnected. Dissociated. Your body's here, but you're not. It's the trauma response that gets braced because it looks like resilience but it's not resilience is shut down disguised as stability
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Healing starts with honouring. Acknowledging and giving space to our somatic systems is where the magic lies. Adding the #EMDR protocol means that our body can re-experience what was previously overwhelming in a safe way. This is how we re-learn.
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Reposted by Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach
Feats of Strength 💙 Trauma Healing @featsofstrength.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Healing from abuse can feel paradoxical. It requires acknowledging just how horrific our childhoods were by no longer diminishing our pain & hoping to "forget" it. We finally feel how much we've lost. But when we hold that pain with self-compassion & acceptance it finally starts to heal. ❤️‍🩹 #cptsd
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Us humans read and mirror other people's nervous systems. We can ask ourselves what we notice in our body. Also, what does a regulated state feel like..? EG relaxed muscles, slow breath, clear voice, a drive toward connection. When in this mode, just imagine how we can impact others.
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Reposted by Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach
Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle @drdoylesays.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Progress in trauma recovery is not black & white. It's always-- always-- a mixed bag. So you're having a sh*t day as you read this? Just do what you can to be kind to & safe w/ yourself today. That's a successful recovery day. F*ck "perfect" or "awful." We're works in progress.
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
"When you finally give up on the idea that you have the power to change others, you are giving up on something you never had anyway - control" From Difficult Conversations; Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Want to give support? Try surrender.. When our habit is to rescue, we may need to practise surrendering. This means - Listening Acknowledging Noticing All without jumping to judgement, action or change. Our attentiveness alone will be a support to someone who is struggling.
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Reposted by Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach
Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle @drdoylesays.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
Creating-- art, music, food, whatever-- can be such a powerful trauma recovery tool because it requires us to step outside of the roles & expectations of others. It requires us to go off autopilot & connect w/ our True Self, which is what gets devalued & buried by trauma.
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
Change is hard, grief is certain, but the cost of remaining is self betrayal. Of course there are immovable obligations that can feel draining in some cases. Becoming aware of how the situation or relationship impacts us is key to processing the feelings and finding ways to ease the difficulties.
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
It's a harsh reality that true healing and trauma resolution is a privilege. It requires safe environments and capacity. And.. With the right support, it is possible to at least build more safety into your life to sustain you through it. #reality #healing #trauma #authenticity
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Top tip for working parents: Have an end of (paid) work day ritual before embarking on your next job: parenting. 1. Acknowledge feelings and stress (e.g. talk to the wall, journal) 2. Regulate self - stretch/shake/breathe/ground) #workingparents #regulation #stressmanagement #acknowledgement
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Pain + resistance = more pain. So, how can we accept? 🪜 Name that acceptance is hard. 🪜 Acknowledge the feelings. The pain, the turmoil, the fear. 🪜 Thank the fear - our protective parts are trying their best. 🪜 Reassure yourself as you would a best friend. 🪜 Repeat the above!
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
"It took me a long time to understand that you can feel many conflicting things. You can cut someone out of your life and miss them every day but still be glad you don't have to see them again. Missing people doesn't mean that you made the wrong decision."  - Tara Westover
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Reposted by Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach
Feats of Strength 💙 Trauma Healing @featsofstrength.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
Sometimes, in trauma recovery, getting better does not always mean feeling better. We developed coping skills, distractions & distortions to feel better in the short term, but they didn't heal. Healing doesn't just mean feeling better, it means becoming better at feeling ❤️‍🩹
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 01/11/2025
Today's Somatic EMDR for trauma resolution feedback. Holding space for the body and its systems is key to resolving stuck emotions. This work goes deeper than talking through your adversity and triggers. Book a free consultation if you are curious #Somatic #emdr #ifs #Trauma #healing
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Trauma resolution work is weird😀 We are so used to being in our heads, that it feels strange to really connect to the body. People feel renewed, more peaceful, released, but do not cognitively know why! The body and the nervous system knows best and speaks a different language to the intellect.
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
How can you regularly notice smells? Why? 👃 @drtaraswart talked at the Oxford Masters Trauma conference recently about how intentionally, regularly using the olfactory system can delay brain ageing. 👃 It mindfully returns us to our body. 👃 Smells can be soothing and calming #delaybrainaging
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
In what way might you be putting survival before honesty? The uncomfortable truth is that denying our needs is repression. When this becomes chronic, our body will find a way to express itself! Small changes towards self-expression can rebuild self trust. #authenticity #dishonestharmony
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Avoidance of our feelings comes with a cost. Pushing our feelings away is understandable at times when we have to step up, but it is not sustainable. Chronic avoidance means our nervous system will be on alert, our body will find ways to signal the pain, we will feel drained & overwhelmed
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Wisdom from #TransformTraumaOxford2025 Part 5 > Which one speaks most to you?
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
Wisdom from #TransformTraumaOxford2025 Part 4 > Which one speaks most to you?
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Wisdom from #TransformTraumaOxford2025 Part 2 > Which one speaks most to you?
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Wisdom from #TransformTraumaOxford2025 Part 1 > Which one speaks most to you?
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
Somatic work is a game changer! Working with our nervous system, our bodies, is essential to process and resolve emotions. I comine somatic awareness with EMDR. EMDR is a protocol to dial down the limbic system to allow safe processing and resolution. #Coaching #trauma #triggers #somatic #emdr
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
What did your programming teach you about saying no/asserting yourself? Parts of society, work, and toxic families rely on compliance. We comply to keep the peace or maintain dishonest harmony. The impacts of NOT asserting ourselves=Dysregulation, low self trust #unprogramming #consciouschoice
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
Part 2 - How to feel better in 8 steps. The last step is essential right now. #coaching #bekindtoself #selfcare #findthefun
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
Part 1 - How to feel better in 8 steps. The last step is essential right now. #coaching #bekindtoself #selfcare #findthefun
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Reposted by Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach
Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle @drdoylesays.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
The number of people & organizations that depend on our "fawn" trauma response to get us playing along with their bullsh*t is staggering. Once you see it, you can't un-see it.
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
HOW DO YOU REGULATE YOURSELF? Regularly bringing attention to the body in this moment reduces the cumulative impact of dysregulation. #Effectivethoughts #Coaching #stressrelief #regulation #mindfulness #Somatic
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Authenticity allows us to thrive rather than just survive. It requires us to be courageous and acknowledge what parts of our lives drain us, and what boosts us. Coaching can help you to discover and work towards meeting the needs of your true self. #trueself #honesty
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Cara Hooper - www.effectivethoughts.co.uk - Life&Trauma Coach @coachcara.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
We regulate our nervous system in nature. Our connection goes beyond our physical needs. Our link to nature restores, regulates, and revives us at a systemic and soul level. #connection #ourplanet #nature #restorative #regulation
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