āWhy canāt I calm down?ā š¤ Itās a question so many people with complex trauma ask, especially when old wounds get triggered and no amount of āpositive thinkingā seems to help.
In this video, Tim explores emotional dysregulation: what causes it, how trauma rewires the stress system, and what truly helps us feel safe and grounded again. youtube.com/live/LAfi4e95eUM
š„ Watch the full video, then take the quiz below. Let us know if you got it right š
š§ According to the video, which of the following is essential for regulation?
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šļøOur latest podcast episode is out now! š Andy sits down with LIFT Staff Member NĆŗria to explore her journey of living with both autism and ADHD while healing from complex trauma. She opens up about shame, masking, and the search for authentic connection, sharing how recovery programs, community, and self-compassion helped her break old patterns and begin to truly see herself. watch video on watch page
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Our next ALIGN With God: Rising From Ashes webinar session is coming up soon!
šļø September 3, 2025
š 12:00 PM CT
š Virtual via Zoom
š Reserve Your FREE Webinar Seat > bit.ly/TimFletcherEvents
š Learn more about the course > bit.ly/ALIGN-With-God
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What really drives the need to escape into fantasy?
Itās not just daydreaming. Itās often a coping mechanism that starts in childhood, when reality was too painful, confusing, or unsafe to stay present in. Over time, that escape can become addictiveāand eventually, itās not just about avoiding circumstances. Itās about avoiding ourselves.
This Tim Talk takes a deep dive into the roots of fantasy-based coping, especially in complex trauma. We explore what it looks like, how it can subtly take over, and why itās so hard to let go ofā¦ even when it starts doing harm.
šŗ Video: "The Characteristics of Complex Trauma - Part 2 - Escape To Fantasy"
youtube.com/live/S4cCEM8d6yg
If youāve ever wondered why you keep disappearing into your head, or why you long so deeply for something else, this may help you see that longing in a new light.
š Only a couple weeks left to get our ALIGN With Your Needs course for only $30 CAD (93% off): bit.ly/WhatStuck-ALIGNWithYourNeeds
Learning to meet your 12 Basic Needs can help you break out of the escape mindset and bring you back to healing in the real world.
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Complex trauma can quietly shape how you relate, making trust feel impossible, emotional closeness feel unsafe, and connection feel confusing and overwhelming. These courses meet you there, offering gentle, trauma-informed support to heal these relational patterns.
ā„ Love Languages + The Impact of Complex Trauma
Discover how trauma may have influenced your ability to give and receive loveāand gently rediscover your capacity for it. Get it HERE for $30*: timfletcher-align.thinkific.com/enroll/3473659?priā¦
ā Intensity ā Intimacy: Understanding Relationship Levels
Learn why chaotic or fast-paced connections can feel close but rarely feel safeāand cultivate steady, trust-filled relationships instead. Get it HERE for $30*: timfletcher-align.thinkific.com/enroll/3477990?priā¦
ā Navigating Relationships: When to End One
Explore why familiar relationships can trap you, how to set boundaries free of guilt, and how to walk toward peaceāeven when itās hard. Get it HERE for $30*: timfletcher-align.thinkific.com/enroll/3482784?priā¦
ā¦ Bundle Offer ā Get all three for 50% off when you purchase together. Get the bundle for $45* HERE: timfletcher-align.thinkific.com/enroll/3490008?priā¦
*Prices in Canadian dollars.
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Last week, Tim explored the difference between a real apology and the many ways people misuse āsorryā to manipulate, avoid accountability, or silence your pain.
š„ Watch the full video first, then come back and take the quiz below š https://youtu.be/o_U08IF0HI4
š§© QUIZ: Which best reflects a genuine apology, according to the video?
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š Only a few weeks left to get our ALIGN With Your Needs course for only $30 CAD (93% off): bit.ly/WhatStuck-ALIGNWithYourNeeds
If you grew up in a home where rest was seen as lazy, where love meant saying yes to everything, and stress just meant ādig deeper,ā your nervous system likely adapted by staying in survival mode. Constantly running, never resting. Over time, that imbalance between sympathetic (go-go-go) and parasympathetic (rest, restore) systems can lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, even physical breakdown. This imbalance isnāt always caused by obvious trauma. Sometimes, itās shaped by a well-meaning belief system and personality traits that make you override your limits again and again. This is yet another reason why Complex Trauma is complex.
Healing means retraining your nervous system to allow rest, boundaries, slowness, and joy. It means building new rhythms and routines that feel foreign at first, but eventually become the ground for true peace and presence. It means meeting all 12 of your Basic Needs so you can heal long-term.
šŗ Video: "Understanding Trauma - Part 5 - Effects on the Nervous System"
youtube.com/live/q4IvDCAuQWU
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If helping others has started to cost you your peace, your energy, or your sense of selfāyouāre not alone. Secondary traumatic stress can quietly build up in caregivers, frontline workers, and even those simply bearing witness to othersā pain. In this talk, Tim explores how and why this happens, the emotional and physical signs to watch for, and the boundaries and self-care practices needed for long-term sustainability.
šļø Tonight ā Aug 8
š” 4:30 PM PST / 6:30 PM CST
š Live on YouTube
#secondarytrauma #vicarioustrauma #compassionfatigue #complextrauma #cptsd #traumarecovery #timfletchertalks #mentalhealthawareness #emotionalresilience
watch video on watch page
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šŗ Watch first, then take the quiz! In last week's Friday Night Tim Talk , we explored how courageānot the absence of fear, but acting in spite of itāis essential for recovery from complex trauma. Tim broke down why fear feels so overwhelming, how it shows up in recovery, and the practical steps that help us build resilience and reclaim our agency.
Watch the full video first (youtube.com/live/kldTJY-4HCc), then come back and test what stuck with this short quiz below.
š§ QUIZ: What role do recovery tools and support play in developing courage?
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Tim and Andy sat down with Dr. Les Carter (āŖ@SurvivingNarcissismā¬) to talk about all things narcissism on the āŖ@TimeWithTimPodcastā¬. Dr. Carter is a semi-retired therapist who has specialized in narcissism education for over 7 years, and has recently announced his retirement! This is a great conversation, not only about narcissism, but about understanding yourself. watch video on watch page
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We are changing the landscape of Complex Trauma recovery through in-person and online self-study courses and intensive programs.
Tim Fletcher is a pioneer in the Addictions & Mental Health Treatment profession. He is the Founder & President of RE/ACT (Recovery Education for Addictions and Complex Trauma).
Tim started helping people as a pastor, for over 30 years, before he experienced his own significant personal trauma. He transitioned into the addiction treatment sector.
Through countless hours of counselling sessions and training in various treatment programs, Tim correlated the connection between Complex Trauma and behaviour patterns leading up to addiction. Many of his clients struggled with unrealized addictions and unhealthy coping techniques to which he believes 97% of them also suffer from Complex Trauma.
Tim Fletcher programs include En Route, LIFT, KEYS, RE/ACT and ACCEL. They have helped thousands of people all over the world become healthy in mind, body and spirit.