How to nurture our process of trauma healing and post-traumatic growth
"Post-Traumatic Growth is a reminder that just as the phoenix rises from the ashes, you have the capacity to rise again." Dr. Arielle Schwartz
"There is so much more to life and health when a person becomes aware of their trauma patterns and does the work to rewire." Dr. Aimie Apigian
In an article of hers, Dr. Arielle Schwartz writes about how resilience is a process that "involves engaging in behaviors that support your wellbeing each and every day.
"For example, you might go to therapy, learn to meditate, write in a journal, take daily walks in nature, or develop a creative practice.
“You have an opportunity to realize that feeling and expressing painful emotions is part of a path of self-discovery."
She points out, "Being resilient does not mean that you won’t experience difficulty. Rather, it means that you can cultivate the skills needed to respond effectively to difficult experiences.
"You learn to break down overwhelming experiences into smaller, more accessible chunks, which allows you to gradually process painful events.”
In doing this, she says, "You learn to attend to difficult life events of your past without allowing your history to define you. In this way, you expand your lens to focus on possibilities instead of just problems."
Feeling safe to do trauma recovery work
In this video, Dr Schwartz notes "our nervous system is going to attune to those cues of safety or those cues of threat and it does so unconsciously - we don't even have to think about it, right?
"And so if we're going in to see our doctor or any professional, and they're coming at us with a flat face, with a list of questions, looking at their computer screen, disconnected from us relationally, our nervous systems actually don't necessarily respond to those cues as cues of safety, as cues of being understood, or attuned to all of the things that our our bodies and our felt sense knows feels safe..."
More from article by Dr Schwartz
Post-Traumatic Growth
"As an outcome, resilience involves experiencing yourself as capable of handling life’s challenges and the choices you’ve made that determine the outcome of your life.
"You are able to look at your most difficult events and say, “This happened to me—and it is over now.”
"Turning toward pain builds character.
"You have an opportunity to realize that you are stronger than you previously believed; which facilitates post-traumatic growth.
"As you feel stronger, you are more likely to see yourself as able to bring your gifts and contributions to the world.
"In turn, you are more likely to accept yourself as you are, have an increased appreciation of life, develop new interests or passions, and discover a new spiritual framework for your life."
She adds, "Post-Traumatic Growth is a reminder that just as the phoenix rises from the ashes, you have the capacity to rise again."
This article (on her site) is material about her book Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook: Practical Mind-Body Tools to Heal Trauma, Foster Resilience and Awaken Your Potential By Arielle Schwartz, PhD. [Amazon] [Bookshopp.org]
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Dr Schwartz is a speaker at the Trauma Super Conference 2025, with "50 internationally recognized trauma experts."
Her presentation: Connecting Breath, Posture, and Resiliency
How the nervous system impacts resilience
How community and supportive relationships foster resilience
Understanding the process of healing and post-traumatic growth
Dr Arielle Schwartz, “founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy, presents a comprehensive overview of resilience, emphasizing its psychological and physiological dimensions, including the role of the autonomic nervous system."
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The image at top (my title: Sunrise or sunset) is from her publication The Post-Traumatic Growth Deck [link to Amazon] - "Dr. Schwartz integrates her love of photography with her passion for healing through 54 images paired with guidance to illuminate the path to trauma recovery, foster resilience, and encourage post-traumatic growth."
Also see her Trauma Recovery audio program A Mind-Body Approach to Becoming Whole (CD or Streaming Audio).
Publisher Sounds True summarizes:
"From a leading voice in the field, an in-depth audio guide to healing PTSD in the physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions."
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[See related titles in my Bookshop section: Emotional Health.]
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Neuroplasticity and rewiring trauma patterns.
Dr. Aimie Apigian, MD, MS, MPH, is an author, speaker and founder of Trauma Healing Accelerated.
In an article of hers, she declares "It is possible to rewire! Neuroplasticity is the ability of the nervous system to change.
"It can rewire when we address and optimize the biology of the nervous system.
“Then, between the effective trauma therapies and the body’s innate ability to heal itself, this shift to security and health occurs."
She notes "There is so much more to life and health when a person becomes aware of their trauma patterns and does the work to rewire. They achieve the next level of health and aliveness!"
(From her article Thought It Was Just Your Attachment Style? You May Actually Have Attachment Trauma, by Dr. Aimie Apigian, Medium.)
Here is one of her videos on trauma recovery
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Resources by Aimie Apigian, MD include:
Main program - The Foundational Journey for addressing stored trauma in the body.
The Essential Sequence - How to Release Stored Trauma - free guide.
Attachment Pain: A Roadmap for Healing - free guide.
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