Between sessions: Part 1

Welcome to Between Sessions

A bite-sized series of insights, reflections, and therapeutic takeaways from the in-between moments of a therapist’s day.

These brief posts offer practical mental health tips, emotional reminders, and thoughts on healing. Between Sessions is written for anyone curious about what therapy reveals between the lines: the quiet insights, underlying dynamics, and unspoken themes that shape the work but aren’t always named out loud.

PART 1:

On Authenticity & Healing

Written by Emma Nagle, LCSW| June 24, 2025

Dr. Gabor Maté, a physician specializing in human development, childhood trauma, and addiction, emphasizes that authenticity, being true to oneself, is essential for healing trauma and attachment wounds.

As children, we often sacrifice authenticity to maintain attachment with caregivers, especially in environments where our emotions, needs, or expressions weren’t fully welcomed. This adaptive strategy of choosing connection over truth can lead to disconnection from our own feelings, intuition, and identity.

Healing, according to Maté, involves reclaiming that lost authenticity by reconnecting with our true emotions, setting boundaries, and learning to trust our inner experience again. It’s not just about remembering what happened to us. It’s about relearning how to fully inhabit who we are, without shame or self-abandonment.

If this resonates, take a quiet moment today to ask: Where might I be abandoning myself in order to feel safe?

Awareness is the first step back home.

“Authenticity isn’t a spiritual concept. 

Authenticity is a survival necessity.”

— Dr. Gabor Maté, The Wisdom of Trauma