Entering into this world through the birthing process is traumatic unto itself. The journey of life is filled with triumphs and victories, but it’s often the difficult, painful, and traumatic experiences that leave the deepest impressions. Emotions like anger, rage, or hatred can physically hurt and can be terrifying, while feelings of rejection, abandonment, loneliness, and betrayal can fuel grief, sadness and depression. These emotional experiences take a significant toll on not just our heart’s but they undermine our self-confidence and self-esteem in our mind.

There are two main components to the trauma stored within us: emotions and self-images. While we are all familiar with emotions, what often goes unnoticed is how our experiences shape the beliefs we hold about ourselves based on our memories, who we think we are (for some, etched in stone). When we experience love and kindness from others, we develop positive self-images, such as “I am worthy,” “I am lovable,” or “I am a good person.” However, when our early relationships are painful or traumatic, we internalize blame and develop negative self-images, such as “I am wrong,” “I am a failure,” “Its my fault” and other self-limiting beliefs.

These negative self-images directly affect our confidence and self-esteem. When we experience hardship, our self-esteem takes a hit, leading to feelings of victimhood, powerlessness, hopelessness—and in the most severe cases, thoughts of ending it all. Ultimately, we all carry emotional wounds, but it is the beliefs in our minds that truly shape our lives and reality.

To learn more about how self-images form and impact our lives, we encourage you to read our blog article on Holistic Psychology. Think about it—how many people do you know in your community, family, or among your friends who don’t struggle with feelings of self-doubt or questions about their worthiness to be loved? It’s likely that you can’t think of many. This is why guilt and shame can be such powerful tools of psychological manipulation, preying on negative self-images that reside in all of us. If we didn’t already carry a belief that something was wrong with us,
guilt and shame would have little effect.

Healing PTSD – Understanding and Releasing Stored Trauma

To begin healing, we must first understand what pain, stress, and trauma are made of and how they are stored in our bodies. By exploring how the sensations from difficult experiences are translated into feelings, which then form thoughts and self-images (masculine) and emotions (feminine), we can better understand how trauma affects us consciously and take a proactive role
to healing it.

The memories in the mind of trauma and how they negatively affect the neural pathways in the brain are only a part of the solution when it comes to healing PTSD. As our favorite bumper sticker claims “The Issues Are In The Tissues”, we must go below the chin into the body where trauma and stress are stored in the body’s fluids, tissues, organs and systems. Therapeutically we use our proprietary processes, tools, and strategies to address and mitigate the symptoms of PTSD. Lasting healing is not a solitary journey—when we heal together, the process becomes more empowering and transformative as well as a bonding experience.

For more information about our classes, events, and approaches to healing PTSD, visit our events page to learn about upcoming opportunities for growth and healing.