My Story, His Song

Trauma can be an uncomfortable word…

It can paralyze you. Leave you feeling powerless, helpless, and worthless. Fight, Flight, Freeze, Faint. These are the common things we hear when we think of trauma responses. But did you know that it can also cause symptoms of depression and anxiety, sleep problems, and panic attacks—just to name a few others??? Chances are you or someone you love struggles with some of these symptoms. What if you could learn how these symptoms can be resolved, would you be interested. . . This is my story (His song). I am honored when I have the opportunity to walk alongside others on this difficult road.

I never knew my life long struggles were really symptoms of complex trauma, until I did. Those are our gut punch moments. If you or someone you love is there right now, I want you to know you are not alone. Trauma can make you feel isolated, like you are the only one who feels this way, but when we begin to understand how God has designed our brain and body, we find Hope. Can I share some Hope with you? Remember those life long symptoms I mentioned? They are all gone, healed, completely resolved!

Trauma. There’s that word again, but do you know the actual definition? Most of us think that it is a horrific experience that threatens personal safety (and it can be), but that is not the definition I teach. Trauma is anything that overwhelms our current ability to understand, cope, and integrate at the time that it occurs. Why am I sharing this? Because this definition is our starting point on the roadmap to healing.

As a survivor of complex childhood trauma who grew up to be a trauma counselor, I think of myself as a student of trauma (with a lifetime of learning). It’s not the path that I chose, but more of the one that was set before me to walk in. If you’ve walked down this road, you know it’s a hard one. It can feel impossible. There are times you desperately wish you were somewhere else, anywhere else, but now I can honestly say the journey was worth it. I wouldn’t change one step of it. Not. one. single. step. because it led me here to you.

Have you ever told yourself, you are broken? You are not alone. Trauma will tell you that you are broken and alone, BUT it is not the Truth. Peace. Joy. Hope. Light. Love. in place of the darkness that brings helplessness, hopelessness, fear, powerlessness—I’m here to tell you that I believe complete restoration can happen because God designed us to heal. It will happen in His perfect timing once we begin to recognize all the resources that have been strategically placed in our lives to equip us for our healing journey and integrate those into our belief systems. It can and it will change you because you and I are designed to heal and grow through adversity. He can take our story and compose a beautiful symphony.

In God’s perfect timing, he allowed me to see that the symptoms I was experiencing all had roots in childhood trauma. Wife, mother, licensed professional counselor—looking back I can see God’s hand at work in every moment, even the most difficult ones. Little did I know the promise whispered during my own healing journey, “I’m going to take all the broken things and turn them into something beautiful,” would lead me here to walk alongside others.

In all of this there’s one message that I want you to hear: We are created to renew our minds, be transformed, and live in the freedom Christ died to give us! You are WONDERFULLY made—YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL CREATION!

We are not alone and we have a God, who is an expert at taking broken stories and composing a symphony (He’s the one I esteem as THE expert above all others). Have you ever thought about what scripture has to teach us about trauma. . . God’s Word teaches about a light in the darkness, Peace that calms the storm, not to fear sudden terror—just to name a few.

I pray that God would shine His light upon you and show you He can take a broken story and compose a Beautiful Song that shouts of His Grace, Mercy, Power, and Love!