After over 10 years as a holistic therapist, I’ve had the privilege of working with countless bodies, hearts, and nervous systems.
Along the way, I’ve discovered key truths about healing trauma and emotional imbalance that have also helped me heal my own emotional pain.
1. Trauma lives in the body.
Healing isn’t just about revisiting memories; it’s about helping the body feel safe and connected while those memories surface. Our bodies hold the emotional imprints of past experiences, and working with the body can be the key to releasing stored pain.
2. Trauma isn’t always big and obvious.
Everyone walking this Earth has some form of trauma. It doesn’t always have to be a major event. Trauma can show up as patterns in relationships, persistent feelings of unease, limiting behaviours, or even physical health symptoms.
3. Emotions need movement.
Suppressed emotions often get trapped as energy in the body. When we direct gentle awareness into those areas of tension or discomfort, emotions can begin to flow and transform, offering valuable insights about the past that were previously hidden.
4. Safety is the foundation of healing.
The nervous system can only relax and repair when it feels safe. When the body feels safe, it can heal both physically and emotionally. Establishing safety is the first and most crucial step toward lasting healing.
5. The body speaks in sensations.
Sensations like tightness, heat, or trembling are the body’s way of communicating. Learning to tune into these sensations allows us to better understand the messages our body is trying to share.
6. Healing can be gentle.
Even small steps toward emotional regulation can result in significant change. Somatic therapy works with the body’s natural rhythm, allowing us to release what we’re ready to let go of. It can be intense, but it’s always held within a bubble of safety, with an anchor back to stability whenever needed.
7. The body knows how to heal.
Our bodies have an incredible capacity for self-healing. Just as a wound or illness heals, so does our psyche. If we step aside and allow the body’s wisdom to guide the process, it knows exactly what it needs to heal.
8. What we resist, persists.
It’s natural to avoid pain, but the more we suppress emotions, the louder they become. Addressing emotions as they arise, rather than ignoring them, prevents them from overwhelming us later.
9. Our emotional pain is a gift.
Over the years, I’ve come to understand that emotional pain, while challenging, is an opportunity for growth. When we process it in healthy ways, it leads to deeper resilience, personal growth, and a deeper connection to ourselves.
10. Emotional pain can be a compass to our deepest fulfillment and sense of alignment.
Each time emotional pain or trauma surfaces, it presents an opportunity to release a layer that’s holding you back from thriving. The body knows when we’re ready to heal, and it will never present more than we can handle.
As we feel safer in our nervous system, old patterns or unresolved pain may surface but that’s not a setback. It’s a sign that healing is happening, and you are moving forward.