When Self-Care Doesn’t Cut the Mustard Anymore

...and what you might need instead

We’ve all heard the advice:
“Take care of yourself.”
Take a bath. Go for a walk. Do some deep breathing. Journal.
“Have you tried Pilates?”

These self-care practices can absolutely be helpful. But what happens when they stop working? When journaling, yoga, and mindfulness don’t ease that deep tension — and start to feel like just another item on your to-do list (that you’re struggling to tick off)?

If you’ve been there, you’re not alone.
And you’re not doing anything wrong.
It might just mean you need something deeper.

Why Self-Care Alone Isn’t Enough for Trauma and Chronic Anxiety

If you're living with the effects of trauma or navigating persisting anxiety, your system has likely been on high alert for a long time. This isn’t just everyday stress. It’s a feeling inside that comes from things you’ve been through before — even if you know you’re safe now.

In this place, usual self-care might feel tiring or frustrating. That’s because simple tools can’t fully reach the parts of you that were deeply affected by past experiences.

You don’t just need to relax.
You need to feel safe enough to process what’s underneath.
And that takes more than candles or stretching.

What You Might Need Instead

When self-care stops helping and you feel like you’ve hit a wall, it may be a sign that something more reparative is needed, something that works at a deeper level.

This is where trauma-focused therapy, and especially IRRT (Imagery Rescripting & Reprocessing Therapy), can make a real difference.

In my practice, I focus on IRRT — a gentle but powerful approach that helps you process the emotions connected to unresolved experiences, so you can begin to feel better in a lasting way.
Instead of simply managing symptoms, IRRT helps you move from survival into a place of inner safety and self-compassion.

We work with imagery and emotion, not just talk.
You don’t need to force yourself to “see the bright side.”
You don’t need to just “get over it.”

Instead, we rescript the story your mind and body are still holding onto.

Stop Managing Symptoms — Start Feeling Different

If the self-care tools you’ve been relying on no longer feel like enough, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. In fact, it might mean you’ve come to a place in your healing where you're ready for the next step. And all the self-care you’ve done? It got you to this point. That matters.

The long-term goal isn’t just symptom management.
It’s feeling different from the inside out.

Curious About How IRRT Might Help You?

If you're ready to explore trauma-informed therapy, I invite you to reach out. I offer in-person therapy sessions at my psychology clinic in Coffs Harbour, as well as Telehealth across Australia.

If you’re curious about how anxiety and trauma are connected — and why self-care sometimes isn’t enough — you might also like my post: Understanding the Link Between Anxiety and Trauma

There is a way forward.
And it can start with one conversation.

I’m looking forward to getting to know you.

Warmly,

Samantha Duroska

Clinical Psychologist | IRRT Therapist

Re-Process Psychology | Coffs Harbour | Telehealth Australia-wide