June '22 - PTSD Soul Spotting
In honor of PTSD Awareness month, and all who suffer with it, I wanted to share a process I call “Soul Spotting" - it addresses PTSD beyond the dysregulation that occurs in the brain and body and the emotional torture inherent in PTSD.
In my own practice, I noticed that my traumatized clients had deep soul injuries that resulted in a devastating loss of identity and personality. It is a kind of death of the soul’s identity manifesting in pain-based identities and self-hatred. I found that clearing the traumas with activated Brainspotting was not enough for complete healing. I also needed to find Brainspots that helped those afflicted with soul wounds to remember and reconnect with their soul; defined as the unchanging, sacred, and spiritual core of one’s innermost being.
My clients were not only deeply traumatized, but now defined themselves as shameful, unworthy, and broken. These soul-wound stories limited them to smaller dreams, a smaller life, and deeply held beliefs that their perpetrators were right; they were bad and undeserving.
Simone Weil, a soul wound expert, states:
“Soul or spiritual trauma causes all good to be absent for a time, during which a kind of horror submerges the soul, characterized by an absence of light.
It is our job to utilize Brainspots that bring our clients to an embodied remembering of the light and goodness of their souls, their true selves.
What traumas cause soul wounding?
- Abandonment and Neglect
- Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Abuse
- Combat Trauma
- Death of Loved Ones or Loss of Health
- Accidents and Natural Disasters Rejection and Humiliation
- Injustice
- Racism
- Betrayal
How to heal soul wounds with “Soul-Spotting," defined as Expansion Brainspotting for the Soul
I have a deep love for Expansion Brainspotting, and believe it is the perfect way to facilitate a strong remembrance of the truth of the soul. These are some questions to help your clients to find their “Soul Spot.”
1. What will help you remember and connect to your soul, your true nature, the core of who you have always been?
2. What do you love most about yourself? When do you remember feeling the strongest love for yourself?
3. What do you want written on your tombstone? How are you doing living your life that way? Whatever your client says gives you a very good idea of who their soul actually is.
4. How have your soul wounds given meaning or shaped your mission in life? What lessons have been learned? Helping our clients to find meaning in their soul wounds can help tremendously. I know that all of my trauma gave me my gift in life and that is true for many.
5. What are your innate passions and gifts?
6. For clients with a higher power, ask: What would your Higher Power tell you is the truth about the nature of your soul?