Intrusive thoughts that won’t let go

Intrusive experiences don’t always show up as simple thoughts.

They can come as:

• thoughts, images, or urges

• flashes or scenes that feel vivid

• or sequences that play out almost like a short video in the mind

You might notice:

• they show up more when you’re already stressed, overwhelmed, or under pressure

• your body feels unsettled, tense, or on edge

• your mind starts trying to understand, prevent, or make sense of what’s happening

• you get pulled into loops of reviewing, checking, or trying to feel certain

Sometimes these experiences feel:

• out of character

• disturbing

• or difficult to say out loud

And over time, it can feel like your system is reacting faster than you can keep up with.

What’s Actually Happening

Intrusive thoughts, images, or urges don’t come out of nowhere.

They often emerge in systems that are already under strain or working harder to manage internal or external demands.

This can be related to:

• stress

• overwhelm

• past experiences

• or a nervous system that has learned to stay alert to certain kinds of risk

Sometimes this shows up as a subtle sense that something isn’t settled, even if you can’t immediately name why.

In that state, the system becomes more sensitive.

And within that sensitivity, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges may begin to show up more frequently,
especially when something in the system hasn’t fully settled or resolved.

Not as a sign of intention,
but as part of how the system tries to orient, prepare, or respond to what feels important or uncertain.

At the same time:

• the body may feel unsettled or activated

• the mind moves in quickly to understand or resolve

• protective responses organize around both

This can create patterns like:

• overthinking

• mental reviewing

• checking or reassurance seeking

• trying to “land” on certainty

And often, layered into this:

• a sense of responsibility

• fear of what the experience might mean

• or shame for having it at all

Which can further increase the system’s activation.

From this perspective, intrusive experiences are not the starting point.

They are part of a larger pattern of sensitivity, protection, and response.

They are not a reflection of your intentions or character.

How I Work

We don’t approach this by trying to eliminate thoughts or override the mind.

Instead, we begin by understanding the pattern as a whole,
including how your body, mind, and protective responses are interacting in real time.

In sessions, we might:

• slow things down enough to notice what’s happening as it unfolds

• track subtle shifts in your nervous system

• identify the protective responses that come online

• explore how certain interpretations or fears have taken shape over time

My approach integrates:

• Somatic awareness — working directly with nervous system patterns and responses

• Parts-informed work — understanding protective strategies

• EMDR (when appropriate) — gently processing experiences that may be contributing to current sensitivity

• Narrative exploration — noticing how certain stories and interpretations of yourself have been shaped over time, and exploring your relationship to them, rather than assuming they define you.

Rather than trying to stop the system,
we work toward helping it become less rigid, less urgent, and more flexible in how it responds.

What Therapy Looks Like

This work is paced carefully and collaboratively.

We don’t move faster than your system can integrate,
and we don’t push into overwhelm.

Instead, therapy focuses on:

• working within a manageable range of experience

• building capacity before increasing intensity

• staying connected to both what you’re feeling and how meaning is forming

You won’t be asked to:

• force thoughts away

• “just think differently”

• or push through distress without support

Over time, many people begin to notice:

• your body feels less reactive, and more able to settle on its own

• the intensity doesn’t build as quickly, and settles more easily

• the pull to analyze, check, or resolve begins to lose its grip

• when thoughts do show up, they pass more easily without pulling you in

Not because the system has been shut down,
but because it no longer has to work as hard to protect.

Booking

Available for virtual counselling across British Columbia

If you’re noticing patterns like this and want support understanding them, you’re welcome to reach out.

You don’t need to have a clear explanation for what’s happening.
We can start with what your system is already showing.