I frequently hear people worry out loud that they have lost the person they once were.
Years of repetitive trauma exposure have taken a toll, and they can no longer connect with their emotions. Perhaps the only emotions accessible are anger, anxiety or sorrow. After many years, it can be difficult to know how or what they are feeling.
The good news is itās not really gone. Just buried deep inside.
The favourite part of my day is that wonderful moment when clients review old experiences and say,
āI never thought of it that way.ā
Itās exciting, because I know theyāre a step closer to saying āI never thought Iād feel that way again.ā
By digging down, through the difficult, we re-discover the good. Yes, it can be down-right uncomfortable at first, but with time and repetition, we build strength and find a rhythm that allows us to persist.
Iād like to share with you a moving video of Spanish dancer Marta C. GonzĆ”lez, a former prima ballerina who suffers from Alzheimerās. In this clip, a recording of Swan Lake transports her back to another time- to the person she used to be. Not gone, just long forgotten.
The clip was actually filmed in 2019 by MĆŗsica para Despertar (Music to Wake Up To), an advocacy group for music therapy for patients who have memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. It was recently shared on their social media accounts.
Unlike Marta, injury from trauma is not degenerative. Itās recoverable. Take the first step with us and join our Emotions program starting in January. What better way is there to start the New Year. We encourage people to sign up in advance to avoid disappointment.
Warm regards,
Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong
