You don't need to be fixed.

You are not broken. Even when you feel shattered.

You are worthy. Even when you doubt yourself.

Healing isn't fixing. It isn't about becoming someone new or going back to who you were before the trauma.

It’s about reclaiming what was taken.

Your voice.

Your body.

Your truth.

Your sense of self.

Ever felt like you couldn’t trust your own body?

Afraid you might lose control of your emotions when you least want to.

Unsure why you snapped at someone who didn’t deserve it.

Bottling things up will only cause a messy explosion

at one point or another.

Better to let the top out slowly,

control the release,

and let the bubbles settle.

Survivor.
A person who survives.

It’s a word we often use — for ourselves, for others who’ve endured violence.

But what does it really mean?

Does it say anything more than: I’m still here?

That we’ve lived through something that could so easily have taken our lives?

Not all prisons have walls.

Some are built from apologies, promises, and fleeting moments of peace.

Love, then anger. Peace, then chaos. A moment of tenderness, followed by a storm.

It’s a cycle. A pattern designed to keep you trapped.

What if you stopped trying to “overcome” your triggers?

What if you simply acknowledged them?

We’ve all been there: triggered, overwhelmed, and unsure.

But the language we use around triggers often creates unnecessary pressure.

Our language implies there’s a “problem” we need to solve.

But healing is not about fixing yourself.

It's about acknowledging what you’ve been through and how it has shaped you.

Awareness is the power to explore who you are.

What you feel.

How you think.

How you perceive the world.

It’s a dialogue with yourself - a chance to uncover deeper truths.

Have you ever felt an unexpected wave of anxiety or a sudden rush of sadness, and you couldn’t quite explain why?

Maybe you feel restless, on edge, or bracing for something that hasn’t even happened yet.

Without understanding where it’s coming from.

At its core, forgiveness isn’t about absolving, excusing or forgetting.

It’s about letting go of the resentment and anger that weighs you down.

Forgiveness is not a gift you give someone else.

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.

We’ve all experienced moments where we spiralled out of control.

It feels like we’re caught in a storm.

When these reactions become too intense, it can feel hard to regain control and make sense of it.

That’s where self-reflection becomes important.

By stepping back and taking a moment to reflect, you can begin to recognise patterns in your responses.

It’s not about fixing or judging yourself, but observing yourself with compassionate curiosity.

Memories don’t just vanish.

They stay with us, buried deep inside, even if we don’t consciously remember them.

Your body holds onto the fear, the pain, the overwhelm.

It’s not something you can just push away.

It’s there, even if you try to deny it.

And it takes years to process what’s buried beneath the surface.

Self-love isn’t just a trendy buzzword. It’s the foundation of a life lived with intention and respect.

How you treat yourself sets the tone for everything in your life.

Start with you, and everything else will follow.

This isn’t just some feel-good mantra — it’s the truth.

Think about it:

If you don’t respect your own boundaries, why would anyone else?

If you don’t value your time, your energy, your needs, why should anyone else?

You are worthy. You are deserving. And it all starts with you.

So, ask yourself:

What’s one small thing you can do today to honour your worth?

Healing from trauma isn't just about addressing the pain.

It's about rediscovering who you are beneath the weight of your experiences.

What do you enjoy in your free time?

What foods do you like?

What is your favourite colour?

Letting go of an identity shaped by trauma can be one of the most challenging yet invisible barriers to healing.

Unresolved trauma can make it feel safer to remain in familiar pain than to face the unknown of who we might become without it.

That’s how it feels. There in body, but psychologically and emotionally numb.

The body remembers past traumas as if they are happening in the present moment.

Day-to-day life continues without you truly experiencing it.

It feels like watching yourself from a distance, detached and numb.

As if you are a character in a movie that you aren’t really a part of.

Existing is exhausting.

When we say, “what happened to me made me stronger,” we inadvertently credit our attackers with giving us strength.

This is not true.

No one should ever have to experience violence to discover their strength.

Yes, we can grow and learn from traumatic experiences, but this growth doesn't come from the trauma itself — it comes from the resilience and courage we already possess.

What you hear and think about creates an image of who you are.

If you grew up with an abusive family member or spent years in an abusive relationship, your self-image has likely been shaped by their hurtful words.

The damage isn’t just physical - it’s emotional and psychological, weaving a complex tapestry of trauma.

Violence can distort self-perception, instilling feelings of shame, guilt, and unworthiness.

But you have the power to change those images.

Yes, it takes time and effort, but it is absolutely possible.

Have you ever felt the pressure to just “get over it”? That dismissive eye roll or deep sigh that belittles your trauma?

This impatience and anger towards the lasting effects of trauma are all too common.

Despite the spotlight on GBV, much of it remains superficial — mere snapshots or sound bites on social media.

We’re expected to navigate our healing journey alone, following a presumed linear path: suffer violence, feel sad, tell the world, and be healed.

This is not our reality!

Healing is not just about moving on; it’s an essential journey of rediscovery.

It invites you to explore the depths of your being, sparking curiosity and urging you to reconnect with your true self.

Imagine feeling more alive, real, and engaged in the world around you.

When you reclaim this connection, your past loses its grip on your present.

Can you picture feeling empowered, even when old wounds resurface?

With the right tools, you can ground yourself and navigate those emotions with resilience.