Feelings…

I’ve been working to resolve the pain of my traumas for nearly twenty years now. I’ve also been trained and working as a Spiritual Care Clinician (chaplain) for almost 12 years. One thing I have learned again and again is feelings can be a rowdy bunch! They give us a lot of information; and while that information is real, it isn’t always a true assessment of reality. Feelings are often indicators of unmet needs that are calling for exploration.

For example, one of my core traumas is abandonment trauma. Some of my critical needs were not met throughout my childhood and the impact continues to reverberate through my life. There will be current situations and events that trigger my abandonment trauma and I will feel abandoned. However, the feeling of abandonment, while very real, is not true. The truth is I am well supported and I can take an inventory to prove that fact. I have both internal resources from years of building tools in therapy and external resources from years of building a supportive community around me.

Try this exploration the next time you experience rowdy feelings:

I FEEL (feeling).

I NEED (type of support)

Example:

I FEEL abandoned/lonely

I NEED community/reassurance.

Don’t forget to communicate your needs to your support system, because even the most loving person cannot read your mind. I hope this helps you be kind and compassionate with yourself today.

If you need more supportive relationships or you’re looking to explore your spiritual needs and how to meet them, I am available for individual spiritual care sessions. Shoot me an email at funkychaplain@renitawalker.com or use the book an appointment button below to schedule an exploratory session.

I love you!

I mean it, mean it, MEAN IT!

-The Funky Chaplain