One of the things about trauma is that the more I learn the more I realize that I don’t know. An understanding of the imprint of trauma leads to opportunities for healing and growth. The journey towards understanding began with me with a diagnosis. The diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis arrived unbidden in my life, accompanied with many unknowns.

The unknowns created fear, questions, and motivation. The motivation moved me to confront my fears. I knew that I didn’t want to freeze up and become constricted out of fear. I didn’t understand nor did I know what I didn’t know…I knew that I could give up and live a life of pain and isolation or I could seek answers and help.

The journey of self-awareness began with learning about trauma and its effect on my brain. Similar to a dog bite, we can’t pull our fist out of the dog’s mouth; we must push our fist into the dog’s mouth so that the dog’s jaw will expand and we’ll find release. My pathway became evident…I needed to push through those fears and apprehensions that were haunting me. No, I couldn’t go over or around them; I needed to push through them. As I began that journey, I realized it wasn’t as scary as I thought because not only was God there for me with whatever emotions I experienced; my friends also supported my journey. Out of the ashes, beauty began to become evident. The beauty that comes from trusting God; from going beyond what you can see or know to be true and realize that faith is all you have and all you need.

By pushing through my own fears, I found myself opened up to the pain and fears of others. I began to learn what mindfulness is all about. Mindfulness is the ability to be present with others wherever they are emotionally, spiritually, or physically. The ability to be present is the greatest gift we can give. My dream is to be present with those in pain whether it is emotional, physical, spiritual, or intellectual. I want to share with others the acceptance, teaching, support, empathy, peace, and understanding that I received through my journey. We know that what is shareable is bearable…Let’s share so we can bear. With this in mind, I started the Trauma Training Institute. Let us know how we can support you in your journey.

Celebrating,

Debi