When you feel disconnected, numb, foggy, or like you are not fully here.
Maybe you are trying to explain what happens, but you are not even sure how to describe it.
You are there. You can hear what is being said. You know where you are.
But something feels far away.
Sometimes your mind goes blank in the middle of a conversation. You know you were listening, but suddenly you cannot follow what is being said. You may struggle to find words or remember what you were just thinking.
Sometimes you go through your day on autopilot. You get things done, talk to people, drive somewhere, take care of your responsibilities, and later realize you do not remember much of it.
You may feel foggy or numb. You may feel disconnected from your body or emotions. You may know you should be feeling something, but you cannot seem to reach it.
And sometimes things around you feel strange.
Your surroundings may look familiar, but somehow they do not feel real. You may feel as though you are watching yourself from the outside or observing your life from a distance.
You may wonder:
Why do I feel like I am not really here?
Why do I keep going blank?
Why can't I think when someone is upset with me?
Why do I feel nothing when I know I should feel something?
Why does everything sometimes feel unreal?
If you have been experiencing this, you may have wondered whether something is wrong with you.
There may be a reason your mind and body respond this way.
Dissociation can look different from one person to another.
You may notice:
• Going blank during conversations
• Feeling numb or emotionally shut down
• Losing track of time
• Forgetting parts of conversations or events
• Moving through your day on autopilot
• Feeling foggy or unable to think clearly
• Feeling disconnected from your thoughts, feelings, or body
• Feeling as though you are watching yourself from outside yourself
• Feeling that the world around you is distant, dreamlike, or unreal
• Becoming overwhelmed and suddenly feeling nothing
You may still function very well on the outside.
You go to work. You care for your family. You have conversations. You get things done.
But inside, you may feel like you are not fully there.
And other people may have no idea.
Sometimes dissociation begins to make more sense when you look at what was happening when you learned to disconnect.
Maybe you experienced trauma, conflict, unpredictability, emotional pain, or situations that felt too overwhelming to process.
Maybe you learned that when things became too much, the safest thing was to leave mentally.
You stopped feeling.
You went somewhere else in your mind.
You became very quiet.
You learned to get through it.
Those responses may have helped you cope when you needed them.
The difficulty is that your mind and body can continue using the same response long after the original situation is over.
You may notice yourself disconnecting when someone is angry, when conflict starts, when you feel criticized, when emotions become intense, or when you feel like you cannot escape a situation.
Sometimes you may not even know what triggered it.
You are not choosing to disconnect. Your mind and body may have learned that disconnecting is a way to cope.
In therapy, you do not have to force yourself to stay present.
We slow down and notice what happens when you begin to disconnect.
Maybe you become quiet.
Maybe your mind gets foggy.
Maybe you suddenly cannot find the words.
Maybe you stop feeling anything.
Maybe you feel like you are somewhere else.
We notice what is happening and work with it.
If you begin to disconnect during a session, we can slow down rather than pushing through it. We can pay attention to what your body is telling us and help you reconnect with the present.
We explore what tends to happen before you disconnect, what you may be feeling underneath it, and what your mind and body may be trying to protect you from.
Depending on what you need, therapy may include nervous system regulation, skill building, attachment based work, EMDR, and trauma processing.
When past experiences are still affecting how safe you feel in the present, we can work with those experiences carefully and at a pace that feels manageable.
The goal is not to force you to feel everything.
It is to help you feel safer being present with yourself.
You may begin to:
• Notice when you are starting to disconnect
• Stay more present during difficult conversations
• Recognize what you are feeling and needing
• Feel more connected to your body and emotions
• Experience less fog and numbness
• Feel more grounded when emotions become intense
• Remember more of your day instead of feeling like you were on autopilot
• Feel more connected to yourself and the people around you
You deserve to feel present in your own life.
You do not need to understand exactly why this happens before you begin therapy.
You can start by describing what you notice.
Starting therapy can feel vulnerable when you are already unsure of what you are experiencing.
You do not need to have the right words. You do not need to understand it all.
You can say, “Sometimes I just disappear,” or “My mind goes blank,” or “I feel like I am watching myself from the outside.”
We can start there.
My approach is warm, steady, and trauma informed. I want to understand what you have been through, how your mind and body have learned to respond, and what you need to feel safer and more connected.
Together, we can work toward greater emotional regulation, self trust, and a stronger sense of connection with yourself.
Choosing a counsellor is an important decision. I welcome you to book a complimentary 15-minute consultation where we can talk about what you are hoping for, answer any questions you may have, and see if working together feels like the right fit.
You can use the contact form to request:
A) A free consultation, or
B) If you are ready to book a session, a booking link.
** All sessions are offered online, including EMDR therapy. This means you can meet with me from home, while you’re on vacation, at work, or even from your car.
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