I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families. It is my understanding that we experience life through our nervous system and that system is constantly assessing real or perceived danger, both unconsciously and consciously. Through this process we experience emotions that act as signals or guides to help us to take action in order to return to safety. Through my experience as a clinician, i have observed that even if you have all the tools to cope in healthy ways, if you do not understand what you’re feeling and why you’re feeling it, when confronted with an intense “negative” experience you will not be able to “choose” how you would like to respond. Instead, you will react without conscious thought, in the ways that have been conditioned through your lifetime.