Emotional Healing

Emotional healing is the process of acknowledging, allowing, accepting, integrating and processing painful life experiences and strong emotions. It may involve empathy, self-regulation, self-compassion, self-acceptance, mindfulness and integration.

Many people have a tendency to want to control the process of emotional healing by minimising the pain and controlling their emotions — but this can actually inhibit the process. Emotional healing takes the time that it takes, and looks different for everybody. It often includes stronger emotional regulation, a feeling of lightness, and stronger relationships as you become more present with yourself and your loved ones.

When do you need emotional healing?

All people will need emotional healing at some point during their lives — we all experience challenges and difficult emotions that need processing. Some common life stressors after which people may seek emotional healing include:

• • Loss of a loved one
• • Divorce
• • Breakups
• • Job loss
• • Abuse (emotional, physical or sexual trauma)
• • Illness

Outside of specific events, it's also possible to experience intensifying, lingering, and seemingly unshakeable anger, sadness or anxiety that feels like it is taking over your life. No matter what the trigger, emotional healing is possible.

Questions to ask yourself before healing

Emotional healing is not easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding — helping you find clarity and inspiration in life beyond whatever it is you are healing from. Some questions to sit with:

• ◇How is not healing affecting your life?
• ◇What do you want your life to look like after you've healed?
• ◇If you woke tomorrow, how would you know you had healed?
• ◇Are you ready to heal?
• ◇Are you willing to sit through some discomfort in service of healing?
• ◇What will help you on your emotional healing journey?
• ◇How has not-yet-healing served you?
• ◇What can you do to make your healing journey gentle for yourself?