When we experience trauma, we can develop different parts in our psyche. These parts can all have different belief systems, roles, behaviours, and feelings towards themselves and others—many of which can be unhelpful or unhealthy. Our parts can even have their own illnesses.

There are different types of trauma, including physical abuse, emotional neglect, or events such as a natural disaster or war. When we experience these things in childhood, our mind can split into different parts as a way to cope. This fragmentation is a magnificent way of the mind protecting us. As a result, though, our emotional and psychological development can get hindered in some of those parts.

We often unconsciously assign jobs or roles to the parts that form. For example, we may have parts that are responsible for punishing us because they believe we can survive if we behave. If we experienced sexual abuse, we may have parts who believe they need to be sexual to be wanted or loved. The intention behind these roles is positive, even if the behaviour isn't healthy.

One aspect of ourselves is always dominant and in charge of how we behave on the outside and feel on the inside. Different parts within us can become activated at different times. We can have a healthy self in adulthood, but it may get hidden when we get triggered. When our other parts become activated, they can act out from the space of our old trauma. This could look like anger or rage. It could also trigger sadness. I often see this in people with depression, where their sadness comes and goes as those parts activate and retreat.

Often, when we come back to our healthy self after one of our parts activates, we may feel shame, guilt, and self-hatred. Our parts frequently conflict with what our healthy self wants in life. This can keep us in a perpetual cycle of rejecting ourselves or our parts. We often struggle to heal because all parts need to be onboard for us to return to wholeness.

True healing comes when we find compassion and understanding for ourselves and our parts. This energy clearing webinar will help build that compassion and delve into the ways our parts can be linked with depression or other physical or psychological ailments.