Trauma and The Transformational Journey

Sometimes the things we experience are so upsetting and horrible that we feel like they're "unspeakable". The memories and overwhelming emotional burden of these experiences are such that they can alter or totally change "who we are" at our core. So much so that our identity becomes our trauma, and our trauma becomes our identity. Not because we want it to, but because this event (or events) are so intense, so life altering, and have such a hold on our mind, body, and soul it seems to swallow us whole. “So this must be it. THIS is what I am”. We go through our entire lives feeling like Sisyphus from Greek Mythology- doomed to push this giant boulder up a never-ending mountain. Some of you may be reading this and thinking not of yourselves, but of a friend or loved one who is a trauma survivor. Does any of this sound familiar?:

Avoiding reminders of what happened like places, situations, sights, smells, people, etc?

- Having intrusive thoughts, nightmares or flashbacks?

- Feeling angry, aggressive or irritable?

- Lacking trust in others?

- Feeling jumpy, easily startled or hypervigilant?

- Feeling anxiety, depression, numbness, or guilt related to what happened?

- Having a loss of interest in things you used to enjoy? Or feel emotionally numb or distant from people?

There are so many things at play when it comes to trauma. Some of them involve how trauma effects our brains- it can change things like how it sends/receives signals, how it alters your perception of situations and relationships, it can even physically change your brain. Then there’s what is often referred to as our “Soul Wound” or “Moral Injury”, which is hard for folks to understand or define because it’s an area that’s been neglected or even mocked/discounted by ‘the establishment’ in many ways. I know the situation can feel hopeless at times. That no one understands, or maybe no one WANTS to understand. This event (or events) that happened to you has changed who you are and how you will forever view the world, without a doubt. But you aren’t doomed to be a Sisyphus for the remainder of your life. I’m here to say with every fiber of my being I know you aren’t “fucked up”, cursed, broken, or dirty. You aren’t worthy of shame, scorn, or disgust- either from other people or from yourself. Maybe you don’t believe that right now- BUT I DO. If you haven’t picked up on it yet- this is not only a specialty of mine but it’s a passion.

Are you a survivor of trauma (Childhood, Combat, First Responder, or Sexual)? So am I. But I'm more than that... and so are you. Those situations don't DEfine me- they've REfined me. Not only am I a survivor, I'm a thriver- and you can be, too. I’m here because I know I'm supposed to be. I survived for a reason, and so did you. When you’re ready, I'll walk the transformational journey with you every step of the way.