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Between The Beats
Reflections on healing, connection, and coming home to yourself.


Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria: Why Rejection Hits So Hard When You Have ADHD or AuDHD
If you have ADHD, autism, or AuDHD, that isn't you being "too sensitive." It's rejection sensitive dysphoria, and it's one of the most painful — and least talked-about — parts of being neurodivergent.A partner sighs at the wrong moment and the flood hits instantly — shame, panic, an overwhelming urge to disappear.
erica smalla
Oct 37 min read


Neurodivergent Couples Communication: Why You Keep Misunderstanding Each Other
You can care deeply about your partner and still feel as though you keep missing each other. In mixed-neurotype relationships, silence, directness, changing plans, emotional intensity, or needing space can carry very different meanings. This article explores neurodivergent couples communication through an IFS-informed lens—and offers a gentler way to understand the protective patterns beneath conflict, shutdowns, and disconnection.
erica smalla
Sep 309 min read


Couples Therapy in Concord, NC: Rebuilding Connection, Intimacy, and Communication
Many couples begin searching for couples therapy when communication feels strained, emotional closeness has faded, or intimacy no longer feels easy or natural. Some couples feel stuck in the same arguments, while others simply know they want more connection, depth, and closeness than what they’re currently experiencing. Couples therapy isn’t just about fixing problems. When done well, it becomes a space where partners reconnect emotionally, learn to communicate from a calm a
erica smalla
Jan 162 min read


The Relational Nervous System: Honoring the Sacred Intelligence of Connection
Our relational nervous system is constantly asking, “Am I safe to connect?” Formed through tone, gaze, and presence, it holds the sacred intelligence of how we meet and are met. Healing begins when we listen to the body’s cues—not to fix, but to honor. Each breath, glance, and touch can become an invitation to safety, connection, and deeper wholeness.
erica smalla
Oct 9, 20253 min read


The Nervous System Is Sacred: A Journey of Nervous System Healing
At Heartbeat Therapy Group, we believe that your body carries sacred wisdom — and nervous system healing begins the moment you start listening. Your nervous system isn’t something to control or fix; it’s something to honor. Every pulse, every trembling breath, every wave of emotion is your body’s way of saying, “I’m here. I’m protecting you. I’m ready to heal.” The process of nervous system healing invites us back into relationship with ourselves — and with others — in a way
erica smalla
Oct 9, 20255 min read
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