Guardrails and Grace for the Journey

Course Cut-OutMoving Through Trauma
Written By Austin Cavaliere

If you need help seeing Jesus in the middle of your struggle, or just feel like you are stuck, ready to move into growth and healing, connect with a Christian coach.

Excerpt: Guardrails and Grace for the Journey - Trauma Session 1

Course: Moving Through Trauma

Speakers: Cathy Loerzel, Benji Horning

Navigating Your Story: A Gentle Approach to Healing Trauma

You've taken a significant step by engaging with this material, recognizing its importance for your life. We're here to guide you in connecting your past experiences with your present challenges. We deeply appreciate you joining us on this journey.

The Courage to Begin Your Healing

It takes immense bravery to confront past hurts. Many understandably avoid this work due to the emotional toll and underlying fears. Choosing to lean into your own healing is a powerful act, crucial not only for your well-being but also for future generations.

Prioritizing Kindness in Your Journey

As you explore this material, remember to approach yourself with kindness, gentleness, and compassion. This is not a process that should be rushed or forced. Pay attention to your body's signals. Overwhelm or uncontrollable anxiety indicates a need to pause and step back.

Understanding Your Emotional Limits

Think of this like stretching. You want to gently test your limits, but it's essential to recognize when you've reached your edge to avoid causing further distress. Healing comes through a gentle process of understanding and connecting the pieces of your story.

Recognizing Signs of Overwhelm

Be aware of hypoarousal, which can manifest as feeling disconnected, foggy-headed, or dissociated. This may signal that it's not the right time to engage or that you need to employ self-soothing techniques to return to the present. If needed, take a break until you feel ready to return with a kinder approach.

Hyperarousal, characterized by panic or high anxiety, is also a sign to step back. This work can be agitating, so knowing your personal boundaries is crucial to ensure your safety and well-being.

The Importance of Gentle and Steady Progress

The key is to remain within your window of tolerance, where you feel challenged but not overwhelmed. There's no benefit in pushing yourself too hard. True healing emerges from a place of kindness and gentle exploration, allowing your body and mind to be present and receptive.

Extending Grace and Compassion

Often, our responses to trauma can lead to self-criticism. We encourage you to extend grace to yourself – for the hardships you've faced and for the coping mechanisms you've developed. Extend grace to how you perceive others, God, and yourself. Welcoming grace into your healing process can shift your perspective and reveal a new path forward.

Conclusion: Embracing a Compassionate Path to Healing

We encourage you to treat yourself with deep compassion. The difficulties you've experienced and your subsequent responses are often a result of the brokenness of the world around us. Allow yourself to receive the healing and compassion that is freely offered.

 

If you like the content, you can continue in a few different ways…

  • 1) See the outline below and check out other sections from the FFP course.

  • 2) Take the full small group course to your church community! The first course your church runs is free! Reach out to us here to learn how.

  • 3) Connect with a Share The Struggle Coach for one-on-one support. Let’s face it, some of us have tried kicking this thing, and we’ve had no luck. It’s time to start looking toward forms of support that can help us see and feel the beautiful life God has in store for us.

 

Moving Through Trauma

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Moving Through Trauma 〰️

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Session 5

Session 6

Session 7

Session 8

 

Share The Struggle Courses

Share the Struggle Courses are topical expert led video courses to help you understand life’s greatest struggles and provide you with tools for navigating them. Moreover, STS courses create a space for you to connect with others struggling with similar things, experience belonging, and encounter God’s nearness in a place of wilderness in your life (pain, confusion, healing journey). Want to start a group at your church? Reach out to us here to learn how.

 

What Share The Struggle Believes

Here at Share The Struggle we believe Jesus is present with us in the middle of our pain and mess, and it is in that place that we often experience and encounter Jesus most deeply.

We understand the unique challenges faced by Christians dealing with mental health. Our mission is to bridge the gap between faith and mental health support, providing a platform where individuals can find resources, coaching support and guidance, all tailored to their spiritual life and emotional needs.

We invite you to explore our resources, share your journey, and find the support you need to overcome the struggles you face.

Austin Cavaliere
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