As I was listening to the latest GraceStory podcast, "Left Brain, Right Brain: Trauma Storage and Its Impact on Joy" featuring Ryan Watters (LPC), it felt like he and Nate were inside my head! Ryan shared about the roles of the left and right hemispheres of our brain when trauma is involved. He emphasized how the goal of trauma recovery is ‘integration’ between our logic (left brain) and emotions (right brain).
Oftentimes, trauma leaves one side or the other compromised and not functioning as God designed—and that affects our ability to experience joy. “If [trauma] is inhibiting your ability to be at peace within your own spirit, it might be worth exploring with a trained professional,” Ryan continued.
My counselor and I have worked through many things over the years, but I have still felt a separation between some aspects of my story mentally and emotionally. I could talk about things logically, but as I spoke, I didn’t feel connected to the appropriate emotions.
Last year I told her, “I want full integration between my head and my emotions. I need to connect the dots.” Avoiding my emotions through activity had been my ‘numb-er’ for decades. And I was tired of being numb.
Since I made that statement to my counselor, I am coming to better understand how my brain reacted to my multiple traumas to help me survive. It’s not fully resolved yet, but knowing there’s potential for further integration helps me give myself grace and to not judge myself or feel like 'I’m too screwed up' for this to change.
Another key point Ryan shared was, “In order to heal we have to go to the place we don’t want to go,” and emphasized not doing it alone, but with skilled support.
He continued by saying healing can “look like managing [triggers] better than you could before and slowly lessening the amount of times you are put into a trauma response.” That’s integration. That’s congruency between head and heart. That’s peace. That’s joy. And it’s possible.
Later in the podcast they defined integration as, “the spiritual sanctification of letting the fullness of God’s joy become real in my life.” This definition of healing puts the focus on the right things. It gives me courage to keep pursuing the renewal of my emotions, because putting God’s power on display through me is a value of mine. I can say the work is hard, but it is worth it, and I am worth it.
Prompt:
What about you? Have a listen to the podcast and take 10 minutes with your journal and have a chat with God.
Do you feel like trauma has caused a separation between your head and heart?
How is this disconnect inhibiting your ability to be at peace with yourself?
How is it stealing your joy?
How does God want to move in you so he can bring his peace to your life?
What is the next step God is asking you to take on your journey of healing?
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