Once we see beyond the narrative that genetics are destiny, we can take ownership of our health. This allows us to see how “choiceless” we once were and empowers us with the ability to create real and lasting change.

Every time we make a choice that is outside of our default programming, our subconscious mind will attempt to pull us back to the familiar by creating mental resistance. Mental resistance can manifest as both mental and physical discomfort. It can take the form of cyclical thoughts, such as I can just do this later or I don’t need to do this at all

It was impossible for her to get any clarity about what she wanted because she wasn’t tapped into her intuition.

going to the gym regularly to help channel her stress

My father played along with my mother’s silence, though he still spoke to me. This was the trauma of my childhood fully realized. I was so unworthy, so unlovable. I didn’t exist. It was almost a relief to become the physical manifestation of what I so feared. It was what I was training for my whole life. It was my “spaceship” in action.

we cannot choose the circumstances of our childhoods, let alone the circumstances of our great-grandparents’ childhoods—but many factors are within our control. We can provide ourselves with the nurturing we may not have received as children. We can learn to give ourselves secure bonds and the ability to create a sense of safety.

I looked around me—really looked, as if for the first time. It’s not an exaggeration to say that every single one of my clients who came to me for psychological treatment also had underlying physical symptoms. Long out of school, I started to ask new questions: Why did so many of my clients suffer from digestive issues, ranging from irritable bowel

This loss of Self can manifest in a number of ways in adulthood, and I’ve seen it play out most often as either severe indecisiveness and procrastination or as an obsessive need to succeed.

What follows is my journey, and I hope that it inspires you to find your own version of the work.