Eric Conklin
@ericconk.bsky.social
Writer | Creator of Wound Theory™
Unpacking how trauma, shame, and emotional survival shape identity, politics, and belief.
Where cybersecurity meets psychology.
🌐 woundtheory.com
📚 ericlane11.substack.com
Unpacking how trauma, shame, and emotional survival shape identity, politics, and belief.
Where cybersecurity meets psychology.
🌐 woundtheory.com
📚 ericlane11.substack.com
Pinned
Eric Conklin
@ericconk.bsky.social
· May 11
I’ve been developing a theory called Wound Theory that bridges emotional development (Bowlby) with systemic influence (Bronfenbrenner).
It maps how early emotional wounds shape adult identity—and how that identity then reshapes culture, politics, and systems.
It maps how early emotional wounds shape adult identity—and how that identity then reshapes culture, politics, and systems.
Update: we’ve passed 300 responses, thank you! 🎉 I’m aiming for a balanced sample (across viewpoints & interest levels). If you’re 18+ and have 8–10 mins, your perspective would help a lot. Anonymous survey👇
forms.gle/nSdjUq865wWK...
forms.gle/nSdjUq865wWK...
August 25, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Update: we’ve passed 300 responses, thank you! 🎉 I’m aiming for a balanced sample (across viewpoints & interest levels). If you’re 18+ and have 8–10 mins, your perspective would help a lot. Anonymous survey👇
forms.gle/nSdjUq865wWK...
forms.gle/nSdjUq865wWK...
Reposted by Eric Conklin
I’m running a new research survey: Why We Believe What We Believe.
It looks at how early experiences and emotional regulation shape political identity and reactions under stress.
10–12 mins
Anonymous
Age 18+
Link: forms.gle/Udx8mG3e9xGr...
Grateful for anyone who participates or shares.
It looks at how early experiences and emotional regulation shape political identity and reactions under stress.
10–12 mins
Anonymous
Age 18+
Link: forms.gle/Udx8mG3e9xGr...
Grateful for anyone who participates or shares.
Why We Believe What We Believe: Emotions, Identity, and Belief Formation
forms.gle
August 23, 2025 at 4:30 AM
I’m running a new research survey: Why We Believe What We Believe.
It looks at how early experiences and emotional regulation shape political identity and reactions under stress.
10–12 mins
Anonymous
Age 18+
Link: forms.gle/Udx8mG3e9xGr...
Grateful for anyone who participates or shares.
It looks at how early experiences and emotional regulation shape political identity and reactions under stress.
10–12 mins
Anonymous
Age 18+
Link: forms.gle/Udx8mG3e9xGr...
Grateful for anyone who participates or shares.
Why do adults argue like kids saying “my dad can beat up your dad”?
Because they never grew past childhood identity fusion — they just replaced “dad” with:
- My party
- My religion
- My company
- My theory
Because they never grew past childhood identity fusion — they just replaced “dad” with:
- My party
- My religion
- My company
- My theory
OSF | Sign in
doi.org
August 12, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Why do adults argue like kids saying “my dad can beat up your dad”?
Because they never grew past childhood identity fusion — they just replaced “dad” with:
- My party
- My religion
- My company
- My theory
Because they never grew past childhood identity fusion — they just replaced “dad” with:
- My party
- My religion
- My company
- My theory
What did prehistoric humans do for therapy, before language even existed?
No Freud. No journaling. No 50-minute sessions.
But they still felt fear, grief, shame, loneliness.
So how did they heal?
No Freud. No journaling. No 50-minute sessions.
But they still felt fear, grief, shame, loneliness.
So how did they heal?
July 23, 2025 at 7:24 PM
What did prehistoric humans do for therapy, before language even existed?
No Freud. No journaling. No 50-minute sessions.
But they still felt fear, grief, shame, loneliness.
So how did they heal?
No Freud. No journaling. No 50-minute sessions.
But they still felt fear, grief, shame, loneliness.
So how did they heal?
Why do some therapists defend repackaged Freudianism so fiercely?
Let’s interpret them for once — using their own model.
🧵 Why Psychodynamic Therapists Become Psychodynamic Therapists
A satirical thread.
🛋️ Lie back. Let’s begin.👇
x.com/EricConk32/s...
Let’s interpret them for once — using their own model.
🧵 Why Psychodynamic Therapists Become Psychodynamic Therapists
A satirical thread.
🛋️ Lie back. Let’s begin.👇
x.com/EricConk32/s...
Eric Conklin on X: "Why do some therapists defend repackaged Freudianism so fiercely? Let’s interpret them for once — using their own model. 🧵 Why Psychodynamic Therapists Become Psychodynamic Therapists A satirical thread. 🛋️ Lie back. Let’s begin.👇" / X
Why do some therapists defend repackaged Freudianism so fiercely? Let’s interpret them for once — using their own model. 🧵 Why Psychodynamic Therapists Become Psychodynamic Therapists A satirical thread. 🛋️ Lie back. Let’s begin.👇
x.com
July 17, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Why do some therapists defend repackaged Freudianism so fiercely?
Let’s interpret them for once — using their own model.
🧵 Why Psychodynamic Therapists Become Psychodynamic Therapists
A satirical thread.
🛋️ Lie back. Let’s begin.👇
x.com/EricConk32/s...
Let’s interpret them for once — using their own model.
🧵 Why Psychodynamic Therapists Become Psychodynamic Therapists
A satirical thread.
🛋️ Lie back. Let’s begin.👇
x.com/EricConk32/s...
🧵 Why Jonathan Shedler May Have Stalled Progress in Psychotherapy — While Trying to Defend It
This isn’t personal.
It’s about frameworks, influence, and accountability.
Let’s see how repackaged Freudianism got a second life — just as therapy was turning empirical.
x.com/EricConk32/s...
This isn’t personal.
It’s about frameworks, influence, and accountability.
Let’s see how repackaged Freudianism got a second life — just as therapy was turning empirical.
x.com/EricConk32/s...
Eric Conklin on X: "🧵 Why Jonathan Shedler May Have Stalled Progress in Psychotherapy — While Trying to Defend It This isn’t personal. It’s about frameworks, influence, and accountability. Let’s see how repackaged Freudianism got a second life — just as therapy was turning empirical." / X
🧵 Why Jonathan Shedler May Have Stalled Progress in Psychotherapy — While Trying to Defend It This isn’t personal. It’s about frameworks, influence, and accountability. Let’s see how repackaged Freudianism got a second life — just as therapy was turning empirical.
x.com
July 16, 2025 at 3:41 AM
🧵 Why Jonathan Shedler May Have Stalled Progress in Psychotherapy — While Trying to Defend It
This isn’t personal.
It’s about frameworks, influence, and accountability.
Let’s see how repackaged Freudianism got a second life — just as therapy was turning empirical.
x.com/EricConk32/s...
This isn’t personal.
It’s about frameworks, influence, and accountability.
Let’s see how repackaged Freudianism got a second life — just as therapy was turning empirical.
x.com/EricConk32/s...
Do you think ‘insight’ is a real thing that causes change, or just the story we tell ourselves after the nervous system has already shifted?
July 10, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Do you think ‘insight’ is a real thing that causes change, or just the story we tell ourselves after the nervous system has already shifted?
Talk therapy can’t reach trauma that happened before you had words.
Because some wounds live in the body—not the story.
And trying to “process it” might be the wrong goal.
A thread on trauma, evolution, and nervous system mismatch 🧵
Because some wounds live in the body—not the story.
And trying to “process it” might be the wrong goal.
A thread on trauma, evolution, and nervous system mismatch 🧵
July 10, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Talk therapy can’t reach trauma that happened before you had words.
Because some wounds live in the body—not the story.
And trying to “process it” might be the wrong goal.
A thread on trauma, evolution, and nervous system mismatch 🧵
Because some wounds live in the body—not the story.
And trying to “process it” might be the wrong goal.
A thread on trauma, evolution, and nervous system mismatch 🧵
Reposted by Eric Conklin
Damn
BREAKING: A catastrophic flash flood has hit in New Mexico.
The Rio Ruidoso has reportedly risen 17 feet in just 20 minutes.
(🎥 Kaitlyn Carpenter)
The Rio Ruidoso has reportedly risen 17 feet in just 20 minutes.
(🎥 Kaitlyn Carpenter)
July 9, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Damn
Reposted by Eric Conklin
Sorry, I Can’t Do Countertransference 🤡
And Other Reasons AI Might Already Be a Better Therapist Than You
🧵
And Other Reasons AI Might Already Be a Better Therapist Than You
🧵
July 8, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Sorry, I Can’t Do Countertransference 🤡
And Other Reasons AI Might Already Be a Better Therapist Than You
🧵
And Other Reasons AI Might Already Be a Better Therapist Than You
🧵
🧵When Psychology Becomes a Faith: Why It’s Time for an Epistemic Reformation
July 5, 2025 at 11:48 PM
🧵When Psychology Becomes a Faith: Why It’s Time for an Epistemic Reformation
🧵 We Were Never Meant to Hurt This Much
There’s a kind of pain that teaches you.
And then there’s the kind that lingers —
because somewhere along the way,
you were taught that hurting made you real.
There’s a kind of pain that teaches you.
And then there’s the kind that lingers —
because somewhere along the way,
you were taught that hurting made you real.
July 2, 2025 at 1:02 AM
🧵 We Were Never Meant to Hurt This Much
There’s a kind of pain that teaches you.
And then there’s the kind that lingers —
because somewhere along the way,
you were taught that hurting made you real.
There’s a kind of pain that teaches you.
And then there’s the kind that lingers —
because somewhere along the way,
you were taught that hurting made you real.
Nathan Fielder doesn’t just rehearse conversations.
He recreates entire realities—apartment layouts, bar trivia nights, even bulb wattage.
But The Rehearsal isn’t just a comedy.
It’s a psychological mirror. And maybe the rawest portrait of trauma on TV.
He recreates entire realities—apartment layouts, bar trivia nights, even bulb wattage.
But The Rehearsal isn’t just a comedy.
It’s a psychological mirror. And maybe the rawest portrait of trauma on TV.
June 30, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Nathan Fielder doesn’t just rehearse conversations.
He recreates entire realities—apartment layouts, bar trivia nights, even bulb wattage.
But The Rehearsal isn’t just a comedy.
It’s a psychological mirror. And maybe the rawest portrait of trauma on TV.
He recreates entire realities—apartment layouts, bar trivia nights, even bulb wattage.
But The Rehearsal isn’t just a comedy.
It’s a psychological mirror. And maybe the rawest portrait of trauma on TV.
Reposted by Eric Conklin
June 27, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Eric Conklin
The Hidden Crisis in Educational AI: Why Technical Excellence Isn't Enough
www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden...
The Hidden Crisis in Educational AI: Why Technical Excellence Isn't Enough
How Justice-Centered AI Implementation Methodology prevents equity disasters before they happen. I've been studying AI implementations across education for months now, and I'm seeing a troubling patte...
www.linkedin.com
June 27, 2025 at 2:32 PM
The Hidden Crisis in Educational AI: Why Technical Excellence Isn't Enough
www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden...
It’s not just about who people admire.
It’s about what unmet emotional need that admiration is soothing.
We chase beauty, power, or wisdom depending on what feels missing in us.
It’s about what unmet emotional need that admiration is soothing.
We chase beauty, power, or wisdom depending on what feels missing in us.
The best way to gauge others’ values isn’t to ask them directly. It’s to find out who they respect.
Shallow people are impressed by superficiality. They look up to beauty, fame, money, and power.
Deep people are drawn to substance. They admire wisdom, kindness, humility, and integrity.
Shallow people are impressed by superficiality. They look up to beauty, fame, money, and power.
Deep people are drawn to substance. They admire wisdom, kindness, humility, and integrity.
June 27, 2025 at 5:04 PM
It’s not just about who people admire.
It’s about what unmet emotional need that admiration is soothing.
We chase beauty, power, or wisdom depending on what feels missing in us.
It’s about what unmet emotional need that admiration is soothing.
We chase beauty, power, or wisdom depending on what feels missing in us.
🧵 Everyone Wants Healing. No One Wants to Hurt First
We say we want healing.
But what we usually want is comfort.
What we call “growth” often just means avoiding pain more efficiently.
This thread is about emotional honesty in a culture that avoids feeling.👇
We say we want healing.
But what we usually want is comfort.
What we call “growth” often just means avoiding pain more efficiently.
This thread is about emotional honesty in a culture that avoids feeling.👇
June 26, 2025 at 1:55 PM
🧵 Everyone Wants Healing. No One Wants to Hurt First
We say we want healing.
But what we usually want is comfort.
What we call “growth” often just means avoiding pain more efficiently.
This thread is about emotional honesty in a culture that avoids feeling.👇
We say we want healing.
But what we usually want is comfort.
What we call “growth” often just means avoiding pain more efficiently.
This thread is about emotional honesty in a culture that avoids feeling.👇
Most people don’t realize their political identity isn’t built on logic.
It’s built on emotional pain.
Here are 5 signs your identity is fused with an old wound—not real principles 🧵👇
It’s built on emotional pain.
Here are 5 signs your identity is fused with an old wound—not real principles 🧵👇
June 25, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Most people don’t realize their political identity isn’t built on logic.
It’s built on emotional pain.
Here are 5 signs your identity is fused with an old wound—not real principles 🧵👇
It’s built on emotional pain.
Here are 5 signs your identity is fused with an old wound—not real principles 🧵👇
What if our biggest political fights aren’t really about politics, but emotional survival?
I’m writing a book to explain why.
ericlane11.substack.com/p/wound-theo...
I’m writing a book to explain why.
ericlane11.substack.com/p/wound-theo...
Wound Theory: The Book I’m Writing to Help Us Heal Ourselves and Our Politics
How Trauma Shapes Politics and Power
ericlane11.substack.com
June 25, 2025 at 1:39 PM
What if our biggest political fights aren’t really about politics, but emotional survival?
I’m writing a book to explain why.
ericlane11.substack.com/p/wound-theo...
I’m writing a book to explain why.
ericlane11.substack.com/p/wound-theo...
Some adults find healing in Cinderella. Others cry under strobe lights. Disney adults and Forest fam seem different—but both are trying to become who they never got to be.
🎭 Different costumes, same wound:
ericlane11.substack.com/p/disney-adu...
🎭 Different costumes, same wound:
ericlane11.substack.com/p/disney-adu...
Disney Adults vs. Forest Fam: Different Costumes, Same Wound
When fantasy becomes therapy: why some adults seek safety in Cinderella, and others sob under strobe lights.
ericlane11.substack.com
June 21, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Some adults find healing in Cinderella. Others cry under strobe lights. Disney adults and Forest fam seem different—but both are trying to become who they never got to be.
🎭 Different costumes, same wound:
ericlane11.substack.com/p/disney-adu...
🎭 Different costumes, same wound:
ericlane11.substack.com/p/disney-adu...
I’m not saying your convictions aren’t real. I’m saying some convictions get fused to wounds.
That doesn’t make them fake—it makes them important. But important things deserve reflection, not just defense.
That doesn’t make them fake—it makes them important. But important things deserve reflection, not just defense.
June 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
I’m not saying your convictions aren’t real. I’m saying some convictions get fused to wounds.
That doesn’t make them fake—it makes them important. But important things deserve reflection, not just defense.
That doesn’t make them fake—it makes them important. But important things deserve reflection, not just defense.
Just published a clinician-skeptic summary of Wound Theory—a framework linking emotional regulation, attachment, and political identity. What holds up? What doesn’t? Curious where you’d push back.
🔗 ericlane11.substack.com/p/summary-of...
🔗 ericlane11.substack.com/p/summary-of...
Summary of Wound Theory (Clinical/Skeptical Audience Version)
Wound Theory is a trauma-informed psychological model that builds on attachment theory, complex trauma, and emotion regulation science to explain why many psychologically intact adults remain stuck in...
ericlane11.substack.com
June 17, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Just published a clinician-skeptic summary of Wound Theory—a framework linking emotional regulation, attachment, and political identity. What holds up? What doesn’t? Curious where you’d push back.
🔗 ericlane11.substack.com/p/summary-of...
🔗 ericlane11.substack.com/p/summary-of...
Why is blaming your parents still taboo?
What if the silence around childhood trauma isn’t just cultural—but commercial?
🧾 Therapists know.
💰 The industry softens the truth.
Comfort sells.
Anger doesn’t.
Read it here ↓
🔗 ericlane11.substack.com/p/the-parent...
What if the silence around childhood trauma isn’t just cultural—but commercial?
🧾 Therapists know.
💰 The industry softens the truth.
Comfort sells.
Anger doesn’t.
Read it here ↓
🔗 ericlane11.substack.com/p/the-parent...
The Parent-Protecting Industry: How Capitalism Sanitizes Childhood Trauma
How the Mental Health Industry Comforts Parents While Silencing Survivors
ericlane11.substack.com
June 12, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Why is blaming your parents still taboo?
What if the silence around childhood trauma isn’t just cultural—but commercial?
🧾 Therapists know.
💰 The industry softens the truth.
Comfort sells.
Anger doesn’t.
Read it here ↓
🔗 ericlane11.substack.com/p/the-parent...
What if the silence around childhood trauma isn’t just cultural—but commercial?
🧾 Therapists know.
💰 The industry softens the truth.
Comfort sells.
Anger doesn’t.
Read it here ↓
🔗 ericlane11.substack.com/p/the-parent...