Understanding Your Emotional Truth: A Path to Healing from Trauma
Written by Cindy Bekkedam RD, RP (Qualifying)
Have you ever felt that your emotions are too intense, or that others don't understand the depth of your feelings? If you've experienced childhood trauma or difficult relationships, these intense emotions are not only normal but also hold valuable information about your experiences. Let's explore why acknowledging these feelings is crucial for your healing journey.
The Nature of Trauma and Your Emotions
Trauma, especially from childhood or significant relationships, can overwhelm us. When this happens, our minds may not fully process or integrate these experiences. As a result:
- Your emotions might feel more intense than usual
- You may experience rapid mood changes
- These strong feelings can persist long after the traumatic event
Think of it like this: your emotions/bodily sensations from the traumatic experience get "stuck," retaining their original intensity and continuing to impact your life today.
Why Your Emotional Reality Matters
My approach to therapy emphasizes the importance of validating your emotional reality. This means acknowledging the truth and validity of your intense emotions. Here's why this is so important:
1. It helps you feel understood: When someone recognizes the depth of your feelings, it can be incredibly relieving. You're not "overreacting" or "too sensitive" - your feelings are real and valid.
2. It builds trust: Feeling understood can help you build trust with your therapist, making it easier to explore difficult experiences together.
3. It aids in processing trauma: Acknowledging intense emotions is a key step in processing and integrating traumatic experiences.
4. It enhances self-awareness: As you learn to validate your own emotions, you'll develop a deeper understanding of yourself.
What if I get stuck in my big emotions?
You might worry that focusing on intense emotions will make them worse or that you'll get stuck feeling bad. This fear is quite common. However, the intent of holding space for and validating your emotional experience and truth is to:
- Normalize your experiences
- Reduce shame and self-criticism (especially those that are associate with feeling certain feelings)
- Help you process and integrate difficult/traumatic memories
- Build up your resilience, self-acceptance and self-compassion
- Help you leverage your emotional truth/experience as an asset in interpersonal relationships rather than assuming it is hinderance or a burden.
The Path Forward
Many trauma-focused therapies can help you work through trauma while honouring your emotional truth. I often lean into Parts Work, or Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy to facilitate this process.
*Friendly Reminder*: The aim isn't to stay in a state of intense emotion forever.
Instead, we're creating a safe space where you can acknowledge these feelings, process them, and ultimately move towards healing and growth.
Embracing Your Emotional Truth
Validating your emotional reality is a powerful step towards healing. By acknowledging the truth of your intense emotions, you're not giving in to them - you're creating a foundation for understanding and eventually resolving traumatic experiences.
Your feelings are real, they matter, and they hold important information about your experiences. By working with them, rather than against them, you open the door to profound healing and personal growth.
You're not alone on this journey. With support and the right therapist and therapeutic approach, you can navigate these intense emotions and move towards a place of greater peace and understanding.
If you are looking for a Virtual Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario, please check out my services and reach out if you would like to explore this further via a free 15 minute discovery call.
