Storytelling Heals

Sharing your story builds a coherent memory of the event, which helps process it. Putting it into language accelerates the healing process.

When you go through something traumatic, the brain doesn’t always store the memory in a clear, organized way.

Instead of being filed like a “normal” memory, it often gets stuck in fragmented, emotional, and sensory-heavy pieces like flashes of images, sounds, or body sensations.

During a traumatic event, the thinking part of the brain (prefrontal cortex) goes offline, while the the survival part (amygdala) takes over.

When you tell your story in a safe and supportive space, you help your brain piece together what happened in a more logical and complete way.

This activates the thinking brain, helping reorganize the memory and move it from the sensory/emotional parts of the brain into long-term memory where it feels less overwhelming.

Storytelling helps your brain make sense of what happened instead of just reacting to it. This reduces the emotional charge associated with the event and gives you a clearer, more cohesive understanding of it, helping your body feel safer and speeding up the healing process.

Doing your trauma work is one of the most powerful acts of self-care you can engage in. It’s not about “getting over it,” but about integrating it—acknowledging the pain and learning from it, rather than letting it control you. Trauma work is a journey of self-discovery, where you reclaim parts of yourself that may have been buried in fear or shame. It requires courage to face the wounds, but it’s through this process that you can unlock your greatest potential.

Doing deep trauma work requires a balance of self-awareness, patience, and intentional healing practices. Remember, healing isn’t linear—it’s a practice of showing up for yourself, with compassion, every single day. Your pain doesn’t define you; how you choose to heal does.