When I first began trauma therapy nearly five years ago, I thought healing meant talking through my experiences until they no longer held power over me. While traditional talk therapy was essential to my recovery, it was the addition of somatic therapy and energy work that created the most profound breakthroughs in my healing journey.…
Recently, I had a powerful conversation with Brian Henderson on my Let’s Heal podcast that reminded me why men’s mental health is so desperately needed in our world today. Brian’s story isn’t just about a male healing journey from corporate burnout to wellness. It’s a blueprint for how men can break free from toxic conditioning…
As a healing mentor, I’ve found that some of the most profound conversations happen when two people share their healing journeys openly. My recent conversation with Amy Sutter, also known as Sutter Girl, exemplified this beautiful exchange of wisdom. Amy’s story of transformation from overcoming adversity, to finding her zone of genius and reclaiming her…
My HEAL acronym—to Hope, Evolve, and Love—ends with Love because love is our greatest gift to ourselves in the healing process. We must heal to get love right. When we heal, love ignites our soul, bringing joy and meaning to our existence. -Becoming An Empowered Survivor, Elizabeth M. Jones My healing journey has taken me…
When I reflect on my conversation with George Kansas, what strikes me most is how our paths to healing often require us to face the very things we’ve spent years avoiding. As someone who has walked the painful journey from trauma to transformation, I recognize that the answer to how to take care of yourself…
As survivors of trauma and abuse, our lives are reflected in how we respond to our experiences. When we react negatively, we often rely on unhealthy coping mechanisms that don’t serve us. If we respond more positively, we’re likely using better coping skills and tools. This distinction marks the difference between unhealthy survivorship and empowered…
In the spring of 1986, during my sophomore year of high school, I wanted to invite a black boy to the Sadie Hawkins dance. My father had a visceral and manipulative reaction to my desire. That was the day I learned, at fifteen years old, that skin color matters to some people. Though we were…
In my healing journey, I’ve come to understand that healing isn’t just about processing painful memories or developing coping strategies. It’s also about reconnecting with joy and play. My recent conversation with Rebecca Anderson, a trauma-informed somatic educator and practitioner, illuminated how our bodies hold onto trauma and how somatic movement therapy can be a…
Have you ever mourned someone who’s still alive? Perhaps it’s a parent with dementia, a relationship forever changed by divorce, or the loss of a friendship. This experience has a name – ambiguous loss – and it’s something I’ve been exploring deeply both in my healing journey and in a recent conversation with my friend…
I recently had the honor of interviewing Mike Land, a father who lost his son Preston to fentanyl poisoning nearly four years ago. His story deeply touched me, not just because of the tragedy he experienced, but because of how he transformed his grief into purpose. As someone who believes our greatest pain can become…