When Words Make You Cringe — From “Sneakers” to “Trauma”

When I was a kid, my friend Rob and I tried to recreate one of ESPN’s Baseball Fever commercials — the ones so cringeworthy they’re iconic now. Words can stick with us for decades, for better or worse.

We’ve all got a word that makes us wince. Mine’s sneakers — though somehow tennis shoes is worse. Some people can’t stand moist or slacks. A friend of mine shudders at the word lymph. They’re just syllables, but for whatever reason, they feel…icky. That’s harmless enough when we’re laughing about shoe terms or odd body words. But the same thing happens with language that actually matters. Sometimes we push away an idea because the word hits us wrong.

When a Word Feels Too Heavy — Or Make You Cringe

Take trauma. It’s an important concept — but for some, the word itself feels clinical, overused, or frightening. I’ve sat with people who flinch when it comes up. What’s helped sometimes is a simple swap: scarred. One client once described life events that “scarred” him. When I used his word instead of trauma, the meaning stayed the same — but suddenly it clicked. He could look at what happened without shutting down.

That’s the power of language: a single shift can make something scary feel safe enough to explore.

Reclaiming “Drama”

I use “drama and trauma” a lot when I teach and write. But let’s unpack drama, too. Drama isn’t just being theatrical or messy. At its core it’s a loop: blaming, complaining, criticizing, feeling at the mercy of everything, and grabbing at quick relief instead of real solutions. Drama is our nervous system reaching for safety — but in ways that rarely work long-term.

Noticing when we’re in drama is the first step toward stepping out of it. When we name it clearly, if it makes us cringe, it’s less about judgment and more about breaking the cycle.

Rethinking “Mental Health”

Even the phrase mental health can feel off. Too often it gets tangled up with “mental illness,” as if we’re talking about something abnormal or broken. But much of what I see every day is really about adjusting to life and managing stress — learning new ways to handle what’s hard. Reframing mental health as “skills for handling life well” makes the conversation less intimidating and more hopeful.

What I Actually Do

Legally, I’m a counselor. Technically, I provide therapy. But at heart, I think of myself as an encourager — someone trained to help you help yourself. My work isn’t about slapping labels on people. It’s about finding the words, metaphors, and tools that make growth feel possible.

Keeping Big Words Real

Even the terms I’ve built my mission on — authentic, wellness, empowerment — risk sounding like buzzwords if they’re not lived out. I chose them because they name something worth fighting for: a life that’s real, well, and strong. My hope is that when you read them here, they’re not marketing fluff; they’re a genuine invitation.

Language matters. The words we use can shut us down or open us up. They can make healing feel unreachable — or suddenly doable. So whether we’re talking about something as silly as sneakers or as serious as trauma, let’s pick words that help us move forward.

If the language you’ve heard about therapy or healing has felt heavy or off-putting, that doesn’t mean growth isn’t for you. Sometimes we just need better words.