Pauley and I are going to the Edgar Allen poe speakeasy event in Detroit one week from today. It's just over an hour. They're performing 4 of his poems and pairing it with fancy mixed drinks. The reviews are stellar. This was the only day that wasn't sold out. We got super lucky. I can't wait!!!
#Relationships
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By Rise Above Your Norm
“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” While this saying has become common, it carries a truth we often forget. Every behaviour has a story. Every reaction has a reason. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity.
As a social worker, I have witnessed firsthand how trauma shapes lives. I have worked with children, youth, adults, and families who were often labelled as “difficult,” “manipulative,” “non-compliant,” or “attention-seeking.” Yet, when you take the time to listen, you begin to understand that these behaviours are often survival strategies developed in response to overwhelming experiences.
Trauma-informed care is not about excusing behaviour. It is about understanding behaviour.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is an emotional, psychological, or physical response to an event—or repeated events—that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope. Trauma can result from:
– Physical abuse
– Sexual abuse
– Emotional abuse
– Domestic violence
– Neglect
– Human trafficking
– Racism and discrimination
– Community violence
– Substance use within the family
– Childhood loss
– Poverty
– System involvement, including child welfare or justice systems
Not everyone experiences trauma the same way. Two people may live through the same event but respond differently depending on their age, support systems, previous experiences, and resilience.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, 2023), trauma can have lasting effects on an individual’s mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.
Trauma Changes the Brain
Trauma is not simply a memory—it changes the way the brain and body function.
When someone experiences trauma, the brain becomes focused on survival.
The amygdala, responsible for detecting danger, becomes overactive.
The prefrontal cortex, responsible for reasoning, decision-making, and emotional regulation, becomes less effective during stress.
The hippocampus, which helps organize memories, may also be affected, making traumatic memories feel as though they are happening in the present.
This explains why someone may:
– Become angry quickly
– Shut down emotionally
– Dissociate
– Avoid relationships
– Misinterpret safe situations as dangerous
– Have difficulty trusting others
These are not character flaws.
They are survival responses.
What Is Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and responds by creating environments that promote healing rather than causing additional harm.
Instead of asking:
“What’s wrong with you?”
Trauma-informed care asks:
“What happened to you?”
Even better:
“What happened to you—and what do you need now?”
This shift changes everything.
The Six Principles of Trauma-Informed Care
SAMHSA identifies six key principles:
1. Safety
People need to feel physically and emotionally safe before healing can occur.
2. Trustworthiness and Transparency
Building trust requires honesty, consistency, and clear communication.
3. Peer Support
Healing often happens through relationships with people who have lived similar experiences.
4. Collaboration
Professionals work with people rather than making decisions for them whenever possible.
5. Empowerment, Voice, and Choice
People who have experienced trauma often had control taken away. Trauma-informed care restores dignity by giving individuals meaningful choices.
6. Cultural, Historical, and Gender Responsiveness
Trauma does not happen in isolation. Culture, colonization, racism, gender, and historical experiences all influence how trauma is experienced and healed.
Why Trauma-Informed Care Matters
When organizations fail to recognize trauma, they may unintentionally retraumatize the people they are trying to help.
Examples include:
– Using shame to change behaviour
– Isolating individuals
– Punishing emotional reactions
– Removing a person’s voice
– Threatening services
– Ignoring triggers
– Focusing only on compliance
These approaches often increase fear, mistrust, and emotional dysregulation instead of promoting healing.
Trauma-informed care asks professionals to slow down, remain curious, and respond with compassion while still maintaining appropriate boundaries and accountability.
Trauma-Informed Care in Child Welfare
Children involved with child welfare have often experienced multiple forms of trauma before entering care. Separation from family, placement changes, and uncertainty can add further stress.
Trauma-informed child welfare practice emphasizes:
– Building trusting relationships
– Maintaining predictable routines
– Supporting family connections when safe
– Listening to children’s voices
– Understanding behaviours as communication
– Collaborating with caregivers and community supports
A child who refuses to engage may not be defiant—they may be frightened.
A youth who lashes out may not be aggressive—they may be protecting themselves in the only way they have learned.
Trauma-Informed Care in Addiction
Trauma and addiction are closely connected. Many people use substances to numb emotional pain, reduce anxiety, or escape traumatic memories.
Recovery is often more successful when treatment addresses both trauma and substance use rather than focusing only on stopping the addiction.
Healing requires safety—not shame.
Healing Is Possible
Trauma changes the brain, but healing changes it too.
Research shows that supportive relationships, therapy, safe environments, emotional regulation skills, cultural connection, and hope can help rebuild neural pathways and improve well-being.
Healing is rarely linear.
Some days feel like progress.
Others feel like starting over.
But every step toward safety, connection, and self-compassion matters.
Final Thoughts
Trauma-informed care is not just a professional framework—it is a way of seeing people with humanity.
Imagine if schools, hospitals, shelters, child welfare agencies, workplaces, and justice systems all asked one simple question:
“What happened to you?”
Imagine the lives that could change.
Because behind every behaviour is a story.
Behind every story is a person.
And every person deserves the opportunity to heal.
At Rise Above Your Norm, I believe healing begins when we stop judging people’s survival strategies and start understanding the pain that created them. Trauma may shape our lives, but it does not have to define our future. With safety, compassion, connection, and hope, healing is always possible.
BigmommaJ
#traumainformedcare #MentalHealth
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We all need reminding sometimes.
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I'm exhausted after a really good day. I had my injections in my SI joints and walking didn't hurt today. But when they check my BP it was kinda high. They checked my vitals 3x. The doctor finally came in and asked why it's so high.
I told her I was really excited about some plans for after the appointment. I told her I made a new friend and we were going out for Biggby for lunch. She was really happy for me and she said I was fine and she was ready.
So they asked what's being done today and I'm like...uhhhhhh either my hips or SI and they said it was my SI. I was happy cuz my SI is about 60 percent of the pain I experienced. Yeah the injections hurt but I've got a really good pain tolerance.
After the appointment we went out for lunch with our new friend to Biggby. I had a really nice time. I finally was able to get my favorite coffee drink called the sweet tooth. It's espresso with white chocolate, caramel and butterscotch. It's really yummy. I got a really yummy sandwich. The bun was mini waffles made of scrambled eggs and hash browns.
Now we're home and my body hurts but my SI feels great. I have a follow up with my doctor in 2 weeks. Then I'll schedule my lumbar or hip injections. As soon as I got settled I remembered I made a cup of protein coffee right before we left so I drank that cuz OMG it's really yummy.
I'm a very happy puppy boy.
Our new friend had a really nice time with us. Even Pauley was happy to get out and meet up with her. Pauley hadn't had caffeine in over a decade but today she got a strawberry drink with Red Bull. She actually really likes it. She wants to take us to a trans bar.
I told her I'd like to go with her to a place called Rust Belt. It's very hard to explain but it's great. It's an artist and crafter market. And next door to rust belt is Detroit bubble tea!!! I'm gonna introduce her to my favorite drink. I'm so excited!
Today was great.
#Relationships
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@copywrite #devakey #copywriting #contentwriting #contentmarketing #digitalmarketing #brandgrowt #businessgrowth #seocontent
Introduction
Many business owners use the terms content writing and copywriting interchangeably, then wonder why their blog isn't converting or their sales page isn't ranking. Understanding content writing vs copywriting is essential before you hire a writer or plan your next marketing campaign.
Devakey Digital Solutions, our writing team works across both disciplines daily, helping brands know exactly which type of writing fits which goal. This guide breaks down the real differences so you can make smarter hiring and content decisions.
What Is Content Writing?
Content writing is the process of creating informative, educational, or entertaining material meant to build trust and long-term engagement. It includes blog posts, articles, guides, and social media content. The goal is to inform or engage the reader, not necessarily to prompt an immediate purchase.
What Is Copywriting?
Copywriting is persuasive writing designed to drive a specific action, such as a sale, sign-up, or click. It includes ad copy, landing pages, email campaigns, and product descriptions. Every sentence in copywriting is built around conversion.
Content Writing vs Copywriting: The Core Difference
The simplest way to understand content writing vs copywriting is this: content writing informs, copywriting persuades. Content builds a relationship with the reader over time, while copy asks for a decision right now. Both are necessary, but they serve different stages of the customer journey.
Content writing supports awareness and education.
Copywriting supports decision-making and conversion.
Content is typically longer and more detailed.
Copy is usually shorter, punchier, and action-focused.
Key Differences Between Content Writing and Copywriting
1. Purpose
Content writing aims to educate, entertain, or build authority around a topic. Copywriting aims to convince someone to take a specific action immediately. This is the single biggest distinction in the content writing vs copywriting debate.
2. Length and Format
Content writing usually appears as long-form blog posts, guides, or newsletters. Copywriting tends to be short, appearing in headlines, ads, and calls to action. Length alone often signals which category a piece of writing belongs to.
3. Tone and Style
Content writing tends to be conversational, informative, and educational in tone. Copywriting is often emotionally charged, urgent, and direct. Both styles require strong writing skills, just applied differently.
4. Success Metrics
Content writing is measured by traffic, time on page, and search rankings. Copywriting is measured by click-through rates, conversions, and sales. Knowing which metric matters helps you evaluate a writer's actual performance.
5. Examples in Practice
A blog post explaining "how to choose a web hosting provider" is content writing. A landing page headline saying "Get 50% Off Hosting Today" is copywriting. Most successful marketing funnels use both types working together.
When to Use Content Writing vs Copywriting
Choosing between the two depends entirely on your marketing goal at that stage of the funnel.
Use content writing for blog articles, SEO pages, guides, and educational newsletters.
Use copywriting for landing pages, paid ads, email subject lines, and product pages.
Use both together when building a full funnel, content to attract, copy to convert.
Avoid mixing tones, a blog written like a sales pitch often loses reader trust.
Benefits of Understanding Content Writing vs Copywriting
Knowing this distinction helps businesses hire the right talent and set realistic expectations.
Prevents hiring the wrong writer for a project.
Improves both SEO performance and conversion rates.
Helps allocate marketing budget more effectively.
Creates a clearer, more consistent brand voice across channels.
Common Mistakes Businesses Make
Many brands hire a single writer expecting them to excel equally at both skill sets, which rarely happens in practice. A content writer skilled at SEO storytelling may not naturally write high-converting ad copy, and vice versa.
Devakey Digital Solution once worked with a Pune-based ecommerce client whose blog was ranking well but whose product pages weren't converting, simply because the same long-form writing style was applied to both.
Separating the two roles, or working with a team that covers both, solved the issue within a few months. This is a common outcome when businesses assume content writing vs copywriting is just a difference in tone rather than a difference in purpose and strategy.
Content Writing and Copywriting Working Together
Understanding content writing vs copywriting isn't about picking a winner, it's about recognizing that both play distinct roles inside a single marketing funnel. A well-structured content strategy typically starts with educational blog posts and guides that attract organic search traffic and build topical authority over time. Once a reader is engaged and trusts the brand, persuasive copywriting takes over on landing pages, emails, and product descriptions to guide them toward a purchase decision.
Businesses that treat these as interchangeable skills often see inconsistent results, ranking well in search but converting poorly, or converting occasional visitors while struggling to attract new traffic at all. Working with a dedicated (Content Writing) service that understands both disciplines allows a brand to match the right writing style to the right stage of the customer journey. This combination, done consistently, tends to produce stronger long-term growth than relying on either skill alone.
FAQ Section
1. What is the main difference between content writing and copywriting? Content writing informs and educates readers, while copywriting persuades them to take a specific action like buying or signing up.
2. Is copywriting harder than content writing? Neither is inherently harder, they require different skills, copywriting focuses on persuasion psychology while content writing focuses on research and storytelling.
3. Can one writer do both content writing and copywriting? Some writers do both well, but many specialize in one, so it's worth checking a writer's portfolio for both skill types before hiring.
4. Which is better for SEO, content writing or copywriting? Content writing generally performs better for SEO since it's longer, keyword-rich, and built around search intent.
5. Do I need copywriting for my website's homepage? Yes, homepages typically need copywriting for headlines and calls to action, combined with content writing for informational sections.
6. How much does professional content writing or copywriting cost? Costs vary by project scope and writer experience, so it's best to request a quote based on your specific content or campaign needs.
7. What industries need copywriting the most? Ecommerce, SaaS, and direct-response marketing industries rely heavily on copywriting to drive conversions.
8. Should startups invest in content writing or copywriting first? Most startups benefit from starting with copywriting for core sales pages, then building out content writing for long-term organic growth.
9. What is an example of content writing vs copywriting in the same business? A company blog post about industry trends is content writing, while the email announcing a limited-time discount is copywriting.
Conclusion
Understanding content writing vs copywriting helps businesses stop wasting budget on the wrong type of writer for the wrong goal. Content writing builds trust and visibility over time, while copywriting drives immediate action and conversions. Most successful brands need both working in sync, not one instead of the other.
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Last week I had another one of those nights when I try to fall asleep but recall traumatic memories that put me in distress. I tried listening to this guided meditation on the Insight Timer app (it's free).
It was so helpful! 😵 During this meditation I thought of those painful memories and practiced compassion for everyone involved. That included forgiving people who hurt me and more importantly forgiving myself.
I was able to fall asleep thanks to it, and since then whenever the memories come back before bed I can practice compassion and forgiveness again.
This meditation appeared in my life in a near timeframe to a video I watched about anger management. In the video the lecturer has explained that we often feel angry as a way to make ourselves feel better about our own guilt and justify ourselves- "if I'm angry with this person it's because it's their fault and if it's their fault it's not my fault".
This really clicked when I listened to the meditation. I've been struggling to let go of anger toward someone who hurt me in a toxic relationships years ago, I realized I've been blaming them because underneath that I've been feeling guilty and blaming myself for my own part in that relationship.
After showing myself compassion and forgiving myself it's easier to forgive them too. I'm no longer angry with them.
2 reactions I’m the one with EUPD amongst other mental and physical heath conditions and I can’t seem to stop self sabotaging my relationship with my wife. I love her unconditionally but she is pre menopausal and I think that how she is feeling after nearly 2 decades of looking after me is catching up with us and I’m worried she’s going to leave me. I have suicidal thoughts and self harm, but I cannot get past these thoughts and I’m feeling so lost.
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Here’s the truth: The relationships we have with others help us build community and connection with the world around us.
This is also the truth: Some relationships in our lives will naturally be closer than others and have different standards, but overall they each have their own level of significance to us and our needs. Those relationships can be with family and friends, coworkers, neighbors, teachers and classmates, or even our health care teams.
Out of the relationships in your life, which ones do you nurture the most? What does that nurturing look like?
Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks says she nurtures the relationships she has with her mother and sister the most.
#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#Autism #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie
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