Hope for Healing

Coping Through Creativity

What impact do the arts have on our mental health? I recently participated in a class titled “Coping Through Creativity,” led by my friend Stephanie Nicoletti. Despite my limited visual art skills, I found creating images that expressed my emotions liberating.
In this interview, Stephanie shares how creativity can help us heal.

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The Healing Power of Forgiveness

Ultimately, forgiveness is not about the other person, but about giving up burdens so that we can use our strength to move forward. Choosing forgiveness is choosing freedom.

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Embracing the Past and Moving Forward

Moving forward does not mean leaving the hurt parts of us in the past. It means accepting our brokenness and holding onto hope for an all-encompassing healing. “You deserve life. You deserve dignity. You deserve a chance at hope and love.” –Danielle Morelli/Survivor Shift: Episode 6. This message is for every part of us. Embracing even the hurting parts of ourselves adds power to our ability to move forward and build a life we can thrive in.

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Survivor Shift: Episode 7

In this Survivor Shift episode, Debbie Posnien shares about the resources and hope available to all. 988 is a wonderful resource for anyone who is faced with mental health issues.

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How to Honor Abusive Parents

How does honoring parents fit into the murky path of overcoming the pain inflicted by them? The first step is in re-interpreting honor to mean live honorably.  In that way, we are doing something good with the physical life they gave us. More importantly, it lifts and enables us to see beyond the abuse and focus on building a life we can thrive in. In living honorably, we can find our true selves and leave behind the worthless feelings that accompany abuse.

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Reclaim Our True Self—Reclaim Power

Powerlessness. Its lasting effects can be the difficult to overcome. The truth is that the only real way to reclaim our power is to reclaim our true self.

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Survivor Shift: Episode 6

Danielle’s healing journey has been about finding strength through her community. “You deserve life. You deserve dignity. You deserve a chance at hope and love.” She is an example of the triumph that is possible regardless of the trials we face.

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Identity Crisis

The identity crisis does not need to be permanent. We can reclaim the light and life that was once lost. We can thrive in a life that is uniquely our own.

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Why Build on the Light?

I’ve been asked why the title Build on the Light? In this video, I share the ideas behind the phrase. If we look closely, there are pieces of light buried in the muck of the trauma we have suffered-pieces that can be used to rebuild our lives. Regardless of the pains and heartache we are…

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Survivor Shift: Episode 5

A recurring theme in this series is the necessity of turning to God in our healing process. Jeanne shares her journey from surviving childhood sexual abuse to finding the healing power of learning to forgive.

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Memorial Day–Honoring Freedom

Are we willing to do what is necessary to keep the freedom we have? Are we willing to stand up for what we know is right and good to preserve the same freedoms for all those who come after us?

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Reclaiming the Good

Reclaiming the good moments in our lives is critical in emotional and spiritual healing. But it is not enough to simply uncover the pieces of light. We have to own them.

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Unboxing the Pain

Healing is not only about feeling and acknowledging the pain, but about learning to set ourselves free from its grasp. We don’t have to continue to be victimized by the past. Unboxing the pain helps us learn from the past and look forward to the future. We can find the strength inside us to ultimately thrive in a life that is uniquely our own.

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Survivor Shift: Episode 4

“You Are a Child of God”–with Myra Marangi Moving from surviving to thriving often includes multiple shifts. Myra candidly shares her experiences and the shifts that have led her to a life she loves.

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No More Excuses: Reclaiming Power

Freedom comes as we set excuses aside, put blame where it belongs, and reclaim the light scattered throughout our lives. We CAN build a life we love.

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Power to Choose

The Power to Choose

The power to choose seems a distant reality when we are victims of abuse. It is not only the uncertainty and pain of events we can’t control, but the way abuse shatters our ability to see our real selves. Abusers use tools of pain and deception to transfer blame onto their victims. Breaking free from the effects of abuse is about reclaiming our power to choose who we will be and the direction our life will take.

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Survivor Shift: Episode 3

–“Who Do You Want to Be?” with Tammy Claughton In this episode of Survivor Shift, Tammy Claughton shares her story of overcoming childhood sexual abuse and learning that we each have the power to decide who we want to be.

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The Power of the Word “Yet”

There is power in using the word, “yet”, when struggling to navigate our healing journey. Yet is the antidote of fear. I don’t know yet, keeps the door open to answers and help. I can’t yet, helps plant the seeds of a better self image. I don’t want to yet, keeps us from succumbing to the storms. The word yet adds power to and awareness of our ability to move forward.

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Survivor Shift: Episode 2

–Accepting a Higher Power with Bill M. Accepting a Higher Power is part of the Survivor Shift journey that Bill shares in this video. Overcoming childhood trauma, addiction, and the added complications brought Bill to build a relationship with his Higher Power, Jesus Christ. Strength in Accepting a Higher Power https://youtu.be/d6XmjBAvCRo

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Transforming Trauma

Discovering ways to help others gives us strength to transform trauma’s self-defeating thoughts and actions into motivation for the future.

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The Miracles Continue

The miracles continue in the three months since Miracles in the Dark: How a Childhood Cult and Abuse Victim Reclaimed the Light went live on Amazon. The opportunities to share messages of hope have been heart-changing. As a survivor of extreme childhood abuse, I have experienced miracles in healing from its effects. Sharing the intimate…

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