Triggered: Why They Get Under Your Skin—and What to Do Next

Do you go quiet the moment you feel criticized? Over-explain until the other person finally understands? Pursue harder when someone pulls away—or pull away the moment someone gets too close? Do it often enough, and a protective reaction can begin to feel like: “That’s just who I am.” Maybe. Or maybe that’s how you learned to protect yourself. A trigger can feel like proof that someone else is the problem. Sometimes they really are behaving badly. But the intensity of what happens inside you may also carry important information—about a boundary, an old fear, an unmet need, or a part of your own power you’ve learned not to use. In this live, interactive 90-minute workshop, relationship coach Aaron King will guide you through one real trigger, step by step, before revealing the deeper pattern beneath it. The goal is not to excuse harmful behavior, blame yourself, force forgiveness, or convince you that you’re overreacting. It is to separate what actually happened from what your nervous system believed was happening—so you can decide what the moment really calls for. The trigger is the bell—not the verdict.

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to:

• Map one recent moment that got under your skin
• Separate what happened from the meaning your mind gave it
• Recognize your automatic protective reaction
• Understand what that reaction was trying to prevent or protect
• Distinguish a present-day boundary from an old pattern
• Choose one clearer, more self-trusting response

This process can be applied to romantic relationships, family, friendship, dating, and workplace dynamics—anywhere criticism, distance, rejection, control, silence, or uncertainty tends to activate you. You will not be required to share personal details publicly. You’re welcome to participate quietly and keep your reflections private.

Please bring

A notebook or journal and one recent situation that triggered a noticeable emotional reaction. Choose something meaningful but manageable—not your most overwhelming or traumatic experience.

About Aaron

Aaron King is a Jungian relationship coach based in Taos, New Mexico. He helps people recognize recurring relationship patterns, strengthen boundaries, rebuild self-trust, and stop abandoning themselves to keep the peace. His approach draws from Jungian shadow work, relational coaching, attachment-informed insight, and practical emotional-awareness tools. No prior experience is required.

Important note

This is an educational and experiential workshop, not group therapy, crisis support, or a substitute for care from a licensed mental-health professional. Participants are asked to respect confidentiality, speak from their own experience, and avoid diagnosing or giving unsolicited advice to others. Space is limited to support a thoughtful, interactive experience.

Take the free Trigger Map Quiz

Want a clearer picture of what happens when something hits a nerve? The free Trigger Map Quiz helps you recognize the protective capacity most likely to take over when you feel criticized, rejected, ignored, controlled, exposed, or misunderstood.

Take the Trigger Map Quiz