Healing The Heart Of Emotional Wounds

Though emotional pain constitutes an inevitable part of life, not only can it be healed, it can be the soil out of which we grow into greater wholeness and wellbeing. This book arose not simply out of the author's work with others but out of lessons learned as he worked his way to healing and forgiveness associated with his own emotional wounds as well. In helpful, practical language that is filled with real-life examples, Healing Emotional Wounds examines the inner course of events that predictably follows experiences of emotional wounding. This includes a discussion of the ways in which we attempt to cope with hurt, focusing on common but counterproductive coping strategies that actually impede healing. It then examines in detail the emotional, intellectual, and volitional tasks that are involved in healing emotional wounds, each presenting concrete steps that we can take to help ourselves and others experience healing and gain freedom from bondage to our wounds. Such freedom does not involve escape from unpleasant experiences or difficult circumstances, but release from their tyrannizing inner consequences. This also provides the possibility of living a more fulfilling and significant life because of these experiences.

" ... A compelling chronicle of metamorphosis that gives testament to the power of love, encouragement, and resolve over the desperate circumstances of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. This unvarnished story recounts the tumultuous road to recovery of two six-year-olds adopted from Ukraine and takes the reader through a mosaic of emotions from anger and frustration to laughter and bewildermen"--Page 4 of cover

"I wish my father had been present in my life, so I would not have accepted a lot of crap from men." "Growing up, I didn't feel loved by my mother which caused...." "It is hard to find and maintain a solid group of trustworthy girlfriends to do life with." "I was devastated by a previous lover and that hurt changed me for the worse." "I often don’t feel loved." "I’m not happy with how my life turned out." If you have ever said any of the above, then this book is for you! This means there may be emotional wounds that are stopping you from living your best life. Disappointments, rejection, competition, overthinking, and family secrets are some of the emotional wounds that cause inner chaos and damage our sense of self. As black girls, we suffer differently, and our history is complex. Nijiama Smalls is all too familiar with the suffering of black girls and shares her personal journey of uncovering the origin of Black girl trauma while also addressing the ongoing process of healing and recovery from wounds caused by past hurts.The beauty of this book is that it provides a prescription for healing in the form of a soul-cleansing process. Enter this journey so that you can be set free to live the life God has planned for you. Sis, it’s time to heal and end the suffering.

“This book serves as your personal heart healing coach to . . . free your heart and mind of the wounds of the past.” —Jamie Lynn Sigler, actress on The Sopranos Whatever the cause of your heartbreak—the end of a relationship, the death of a loved one, a divorce, shattered dreams, a family feud, a life-threatening diagnosis, career turmoil, or past abuse that repeats over and over again—it is never too early or too late to courageously forgive and let go. Filled with stories, proven exercises, and powerful affirmations to free you from any resentment and anger you are holding towards yourself or others, this book offers potent opportunities for lasting, life-changing heart-healing. The “emotional clutter” of old resentments, grudges, guilt, and shame are blocks to love and a direct call for action. Readers will learn: The distinction between a closed and broken heartTo identify the specific beliefs that continue to activate your emotional wounds and unresolved angerHow to forgive yourself and others using the Deal-Heal-Forgive ProcessHow healing your heart contributes to healing the broken-heartedness in the world today. With wisdom gained from her own heartbreak story and decades of study with Joseph Campbell, Jean Houston, Robert Fritz, don Miguel Ruiz and thousands of clients and students, Susyn Reeve has written a refreshingly honest and practical guide to living a life of contentment, connection, and long-overdue love. “Heartbreak is a painful fact of life. Be prepared to free your heart, because you were born worthy.” —Nell Merlino, creator of Take Our Daughters to Work Day

Thanks to authors like Robert Bly, Joseph Campbell, and Michael Meade there is a newly kindled interest in how mythology and ancient traditions apply to our modern relationships. Trials of the Heart mines the rich ore of truth in these ancient and heroic tales and connects their timeless wisdom with the struggles so many of us experience with one another and within ourselves. It sheds a ray of light into the dark and twisting labyrinth that intimate relationships so often become. Psychotherapist and couple's therapist, Dr. Michael Mayer, invites each of us to embark on our own mythic journeys and experience, with deeper understanding, the trials of love. Trials of the Heart is an ideal guide for providing an entry way into practices and attitudes that will alter the way we handle the difficult moments and obstacles we face on the path of love. www.bodymindhealing.com Trials of the Heart shows us how relationship is a rite of initiation through the elements of fire earth air and water; and gives us tools for making our journey into a mythic Journey. It has been called "the hero of a thousand faces (a la Joseph Campbell) for couples." Trials of the Heart: What it's about: 1. Explores how ancient sacred wisdom traditions can be integrated with modern psychotherapeutic understanding to help to heal the wounds of love. 2. Shows how ancient myths and stories aid the soul's quest to unravel the mysteries of love. 3. Argues that the purpose of love's suffering is psychological evolution. Relationship is "a rite of initiation," and difficult moments of relationship set us off on a grail quest to become initiates into the Temple of the Elements (fire, earth, air, and water). Our souls evolve thereby. 4. Demonstrates how oftentimes behind our desires and our problems in relationship is the worship of archetypal deities. "We make our destinies by our choice of Gods," and our unconscious worship of them oftentimes makes us like religious zealots, biasing our view and creating unnecessary dissonance with worshippers of other temples. 5. Provides an entry-way into practices that will alter the way we handle the difficult moments of intimate encounter. For example, the Chinese art of Tai Chi provides a metaphor for handling our defensive reactions, the four elements of astrological symbolism provide the necessary ingredients for constructively expressing negative feelings, the American Plains Indian's medicine wheel becomes a tool for transcending blaming and scapegoating, and the myth of Ariadne's Thread gives a model for going down into our emotional underworld and dealing with the Minotaurs that arise in the dark labyrinth of relationship. After reading Trials of the Heart, and practicing "the Mythic Journey Process" explained in the last chapter, the obstacles and demons that are met on the path of love will never be viewed in the same way. They will be seen for what they are, an opportunity to develop our inner characters and stories, and to embark on a mythic journey of our own making.

The writings from this book represent freedom. When thinking there’s no escape mentally, tears shed from my eyes with sadness and anxiety; and so, my thought process believes my voice is only heard on paper. As for me, writing my thoughts on paper helps to eliminate the confusion that’s held hostage in my heart and mind. I share my emotions, whether it’s good or bad and honestly, sometimes it’s hard to read over the struggles; but in order for me to avoid re-living my biggest fears, I learned that I must give myself a message at the end of each story. That’s when new life comes to restore my joy and I grow from my past to live brighter for my future.