Have you ever felt lost, broken, or hopeless? I have – all of the above . . . many times during my life . . . and sometimes all at once. I’ve learned that these are all normal feelings that come with being human. Each of us at some point will experience heartache, turmoil, challenges, and times of darkness. This might be darkness from poor choices on our part, the choices of others, or the darkness of depression, anxiety, or ill-health.
Despite experiencing my own list of challenges, I have come to know that it is often the darkest and most challenging right before we turn that corner and find hope, solutions, and answers. That’s why we must not quit while we’re in the darkness. As we keep going we find our way out eventually and often with the help of others and new strengths for the next challenges of life. One of my favorite mottos has been, “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel . . . and it’s not a train.” Focus on the light and the darkness fades into the background.
In my journey of brokenness, I’ve been blessed with a multitude of “teachers” of life lessons. They came in the form of friends, teachers, health professionals, church leaders, neighbors, family, children, students, and formal education. I didn’t always get the lesson on the first run-through, sometimes it seemed an endless bout with the same repeated trial. I learned that this is part of the healing process. Like peeling layers off an onion, we start with the most surface and recent issues and peel the pain back until we reach the core . . . and often there are tears (this is healthy). I’ve learned this process takes a long time, and can oftentimes seem as painful and distressing as the initial experience. Know that it does get better, and when we look back after a while we will see how far we’ve actually come – one single tiny invaluable step at a time.
In my journey of healing, I didn’t realize I was learning skills to help others along their healing journey. And yet, as I look back on my life now, I see how each challenge, each teacher, and each lesson was preparing me with experience, knowledge, and skills to do exactly what I’m doing now – being available to partner with you and/or your family!
My journey wasn’t easy and isn’t over still. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the challenges I’ve faced because it’s made me a better person. I can connect and understand more people, share more insights, and see the potential in others they often can’t see in themselves. Life has taught me three precious lessons: 1) we don’t heal alone, 2) we process through creativity, and 3) an attitude of gratitude can change one’s perspective on everything.
I know that every experience we have in life is stored in the DNA of our bodies. We can pass it on like hair color and inherit it like alcoholism. And – because it’s in our DNA we can also heal and release it so the next generation is healthier. I found CranioSacral Therapy (CST) to be a powerful tool in releasing physical, emotional, and even generational trauma. I know that I often get too much in my head and need playfulness, drama, or expressive arts to get me into my feelings so I can connect with the child inside or the part of me that’s broken and begin to heal. Creative processes can provide insightful ways to express – and see – our sub/unconscious beliefs, feelings, or situations from a new angle. It can open our viewpoint to what’s truly going on inside and around us, and even provide the answers we seek in a manner we hadn’t thought of before.
I’ve also learned that people don’t heal when they only address issues in pieces and parts and not as a portion of the whole system (the person and their environment). Pieces-parts processes are like giving someone a shirt to wear that hasn’t been sewn together yet and is missing some of the necessary pieces. We are all connected – the hip bone connected to the heart to the stress at work . . . When we truly look at the whole of our identities, our lives, and the context of our existence we begin to see how the stress at work impacts our health and relationships which influences our ability to function effectively at work. Yep, it’s all part of a cycle and it’s all connected . . . whatever it is. When we find the trigger and flip the switch we can change a lot of things for the better.
My goal is to work in concert with individuals who desire to transform their lives. We will assess all the areas of your life, choose some reasonable goals, and together we’ll create a plan that works towards growth and healing.
Another favorite quote is, “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” Know that everyone’s journey is unique and personal. This is your journey. I’m simply one of those teachers strewn along your healing path. You are the one who must choose to keep going, keep healing – especially when it gets hard – and it will if you’re doing it with intention. But know you are not alone on your journey – EVER! Together let’s put the challenges into perspective to help you see what you can choose to gain, learn, or share from each situation. Nothing is wasted if we gain knowledge and experience and then give back.
Working with me will likely be a unique experience as I will pull from my holistic healing and social work professional backgrounds, my personal experience, and formal and life education to give each person the best support and opportunities possible – whether we work together one-on-one or in groups, or if you gain insights from my posts, educational resources, writings or speaking engagements. Your journey may be hard and long, as mine has been, but it can also be engaging, empowering, and even fun. It’s up to you what you choose to get out of our work together and, thus, out of your life.
I look forward to working with you to light the path before you as you find what was lost, heal what was broken, and generate joy in the journey.
~ Andrea Lauritzen, LCSW-LMT
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