The Opposite of Trauma

I came across a quote the other day from Lexy Florentina on Instagram and keep coming back to it.

The opposite of trauma isn’t “healed”, it’s aliveness.

The opposite of trauma isn’t “healed”, it’s connection.

The opposite of trauma isn’t “healed”, it’s curiosity.

The opposite of trauma isn’t “healed”, it’s play.

The opposite of trauma isn’t “healed”, it’s presence.

The opposite of trauma isn’t to find perfection, to become a contained or even calm version of ourselves. But rather, it’s where we begin to experience what couldn’t exist when all our body could do was survive.

There comes a point every time I have worked with a client, where we sit with the reality that our work has arguably made their life more difficult. They feel more, and what they feel is sometimes not easy to sit with. But, it’s a sign that they are no longer surviving. They don’t have to numb, avoid, or suppress their emotions anymore.

They can live. And living is sometimes messy, painful, hurtful, and difficult. But it’s also sometimes beautiful, playful, exciting, and joyful.

So, if you find therapy is making life more challenging in some way, you are likely not wrong. But, these challenges come from finally feeling safe enough to be in the present moment and experience all that comes from being alive versus only surviving.