“Be your authentic self” is a phrase we hear everywhere, but for many people, especially those with trauma histories or years of masking, it feels impossible. Real can be rare because many people move through the world in survival mode, masking, performing, pleasing, or protecting themselves. Authenticity requires nervous‑system safety, and not everyone has that. When you begin to show up as your real self, you may notice how unusual it feels in a world built on adaptation. B

This is me.. When I look back over my career, it still stops me in my tracks to think how one seemingly random decision altered the course of my life. For years, I was a hairdresser. Not because I chose it, it was chosen for me when I was still young and at school. The fear from parents and pressure from school about not "achieving anything" was real.....but I had other dreams. If life had gone to my teenage plan, I’d have been on stage, dancing backup for Janet Jackson or Fi