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Decoding the COVID Complex with This Jungian Life

By Jodie Gale

Decoding the COVID Complex with This Jungian Life

Nearly three years on and governments worldwide would have us believe the pandemic is over with – health experts such as Dr Norman Swan and Dr Kerryn Phelps however, are telling us otherwise. As counsellors, psychotherapists and trauma experts, we know we will be working with the aftermath of the last few years for generations to come. There isn’t a day in private practice that goes by where the impact of the pandemic and the COVID complex isn’t present in the room.

We don’t have to look too far for medical and health based articles covering the pandemic, however, it has been extremely challenging to find in-depth information about the COVID complex, and the underlying psychological causes and responses to the anti-vax, anti-establishment, conspiracy theory & conspirituality movements as well as the psychology and impact of lockdowns and mask wearing.

My favourite psychotherapy podcast is This Jungian Life so I thought I’d round up episodes that encourage us to dive deep and participate in the deep soul-work required to decode the COVID complex and the potential underlying concerns and responses we have experienced and witnessed over the last couple of years.

Decoding the COVID Complex with This Jungian Life

12: Anxiety

“Anxiety is one of the most common complaints that bring people into therapy. While it can be difficult to differentiate anxiety from healthy fear we all agree that finding an ally to stand with us makes a big difference. We explore the many underlying dynamics that can manifest outwardly as anxiety and consider the value in taking a heroic stance as we face our inner dragons. Inspired by Jung, we can come to appreciate that working with our anxieties rather than running from them gets the best results.”

This Jungian Life

37: Narcissism

“The myth of Narcissus constitutes the archetypal root of the character structure of narcissism. Aspects of narcissism run from the healthy developmental narcissism of a child to the toxic narcissism of the psychopath, but all have in common a lack of empathy, whether momentary or chronic. We offer some thoughts on how to tell if you are in a relationship with a narcissist and what to do about it.”

This Jungian Life

66: Cults

“Although cults occasionally make the headlines through tragedy or scandal, the defining features of cults are inherently human and manifest on spectrums of both severity and size. The word cult is derived from culture. While culture refers to the overarching characteristics of a society, cult refers negatively to a marginalized subgroup. Cults tap into universal human feelings and desires, such as the need to belong and resonance to parental influence. Although as adults we are no longer dependent on family and tribe for physical survival, our psychological needs for safety and attachment remain powerful. Deb, Lisa, and Joseph consider today’s polarized political divisions, the power of a rock concert or Fourth of July parade, and other ways in which the tension between the opposites of belonging and individuation manifests.”

This Jungian Life

79: Grief & Bereavement

“The death of a loved one is a loss that is part of the human condition and is universal. The Stranger — mortality — confronts us with a new need to accept the reality of our loss and pain, a process that can include ambivalent feelings. Relief and anger can be mixed with love and grief. Altogether, we must adjust to an absence where once there was presence, relearn how to experience the world of relationship, and perhaps take on new life responsibilities at a time of emotional turmoil. Ego may find itself first helpless, then bereft of the soul and spirit needed to reweave life and meaning. There is also the need to balance one’s continuing internal connection with the deceased and the task of moving on with one’s life in a fulsome way.”

This Jungian Life

86: Splitting, Polarization & Conflict

“It happens all the time: people and problems split into opposing camps, whether the conflict is internal, between partners, in a family or—as we know all too well—between political parties. When positions become polarized conflict ensues, whether between mind and body, partners and families, or value systems and religious affiliations. What makes it possible to reach across the chasm between entrenched extremes? The Jungian concept of holding the tension of the opposites allows energy, like electricity, to flow between both poles; each can have its full say. Instead of remaining mired in fixity or moral judgment, curiosity may open the way for a new attitude that transcends the polarities.”

This Jungian Life

103: Facing the Fear of Coronavirus

“The word plague derives from the Latin plangere, “to strike the breast as if in lamentation.” The novel coronavirus has visited loss, fear and hardship on many. Nature in her destructive mode can radically disrupt cultural creations and norms and show us how fragile they – and we — are. We may also find new sources of sustenance within. Dreams, bodywork, and the imaginal realm can help us access a new attitude: a reorientation of purpose, meaning, and consciousness.”

This Jungian Life

106: When Everything Changes – Is There Opportunity in Crisis?

“In the Chinese language, the two characters representing crisis are danger and opportunity. Can that possibly be true of these days of pandemic crisis, with physical, economic, and psychological destabilization? Voices of experience and wisdom speak to us about finding potential in desperate situations.

Victor Frankl, imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, discovered he had the power to choose his attitude toward brutal circumstances. Erich Fromm felt that isolation and fear could lead either to experiencing or forfeiting personal freedom.

Carl Jung valued the human capacity for consciousness: “As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” We can be heartened in hard times by those who have gone before, turned inward, and found treasure.” 

This Jungian Life

108: Authority – Who Is In Charge Around Here?

“The dictionary defines authority as the power to “influence or command thought, opinion or behavior.” Authority’s Latin roots are master, leader, author—thus it lives next to its tough cousin, power. Families, organizations, and governing bodies influence and command us, whether slightly or mightily. Authority has legitimacy, from a traffic officer’s directives to a mentor’s wisdom . An authority may reward desired behavior or provide expert advice. We can rebel against authority, be coerced into compliance, or fall into identification with a leader. Ultimately, we must claim our own authority in determining values and making decisions. Jung says, “Life calls us forth to independence, and anyone who does not heed this call because of childish laziness or timidity is threatened with neurosis. And once this has broken out, it becomes an increasingly valid reason for running away from life and remaining forever in the morally poisonous atmosphere of infancy.”

This Jungian Life

113: Lockdown: Decoding the Covid Complex

“Oppressed, repressed and regressed, the forced restrictions of the Covid Complex have us in its grip. We may see friends and family more often than ever, but only on a screen.

Work, school, home, weekdays, weekends—time and tasks slide around like Jello on a hot plate. Loss of structure, variety, movement and touch are destabilizing. Confined to tight physical and emotional spaces, we may collapse into ourselves or lash out at loved ones. We hear contradictory messages on the news and go outside only if masked and defended.

The Covid Complex is both personal and collective—it affects each of us differently and it affects us all. Most of us have been forced inward physically and psychologically; perhaps this time is also an opportunity to rediscover inner resources and experience depth of being.”

This Jungian Life

114: Riots – When the Collective Catches Fires

“How can we understand the psychological wild fire of rioting? Jung, who lived through two world wars, understood that mass movements had the power to manifest archetypal energy. The urge to unleash destructive chaos is depicted in mythologies around the world.

Early Norse warriors attained battle-crazed states as “berserkers,” and Cu Chulainn, a mythological Irish warrior, killed both friends and foe. Eris, the Greek goddess of discord and strife, started the Trojan War, and Kali, a Hindu god whose name derives from suffer, hurt, startle and confuse, also incited war. Riots–contagious states of regressive possession–belong to this archetypal realm. Jung said “collective man threatens to stifle the individual man, on whose sense of responsibility everything valuable in mankind ultimately depends…the true leaders of mankind are always those who are capable of self-reflection.”

This Jungian Life

122: Covered: An Archetypal Take on the Covid Mask

“Masks are the symbol of COVID life, and they have archetypal roots as old as humankind. We ward off evil microbial forces with bandanas, neck gaiters, patterned fabrics, and high filtration medical masks. Masks provide access to our shape-shifting potential, connect us to our instinctual depths, mediate our relationship to the spirits, and open a portal to the mythic realm of story and drama.

Masks waft us into new identities: children become superheroes or face-painted animals; women apply make-up, men craft beards, and everyone wears sunglasses that shade us from more than sunlight.

We also wear a social mask, persona, and present different aspects of ourselves to colleagues, Facebook friends, and family—but if we identify with the faces we present to the world we risk defining ourselves according to fixed and superficial attributes. Masks in all their forms affect the experience of wearer and viewers.”

This Jungian Life

127: Seeking Certainty: The Seduction of Conspiracy Theories

“In times of uncertainty truth is hard to discern, collective cohesion frays, and social factions become embattled. Unmediated shadow then seeks expression through the archetypal realm and takes on extra-ordinary attributes. Persecutory mythologies arise, for big psychic situations need big stories to compensate for big feelings of anxiety, powerlessness, and marginalization.

Insecurities are projected onto the outer-world as clandestine enemies of mythic proportions: alien rulers, government cabals, and other images of secret domination. Understanding conspiracy theories as symbolic expressions of unconscious contents can allow us to take them seriously without taking them literally. We may then respond with consciousness and empathy instead of judgment–and begin to shift the collective psychic field toward wholeness.”

This Jungian Life

146: Inflation – The Challenge of Archetypal Possession

“Inflation applies to balloons, economics–and psychology. Jung defined it as being seized by archetypal energy resulting in “a puffed up attitude, loss of free will, delusion, and enthusiasm for good and evil alike.” Inflation is more than a “swelled head” because the influx of unconscious contents leads to identification with god-like powers.

In Greek myth Phaeton became inflated when the sun god, Helios, acknowledged him as his son. Phaeton then asked to drive his father’s chariot, pulling the sun across the sky. He could not control the powerful horses, scorched the earth, and was killed. Arrogating god-like powers to oneself eclipses self-awareness and disaster ensues. Inflation can be expressed outwardly as power-seeking grandiosity or inwardly as self-sacrificing suffering. It is present in unrealistic risk-taking, frenzied creativity, spiritual illusions, the entitlement of toddlers and teens, and in collective excesses. Mobs are inflated, flouting the constraints of civilization, culture, and common sense. The antidote to inflation is humility, service, and love.”

This Jungian Life

154: Belonging – The Search for Home

“Horses herd, birds flock, whales pod, and people tribe. The need to belong is as intrinsic to human nature as the need for food, touch, clothing, and shelter. We belong to families, communities, ideas, and ideals, yet must also separate from them in service to our own individuation.

As we grow, we belong to teams and clubs and find new homes in school and at work. Is the price of belonging rigid conformity and sameness, or is uniqueness valued and difference supported? We later express attitude and attachment to home in the houses we inhabit: photos and mementos honor connections within a framework of personal expression. Jung built Bollingen, the unique home in which he was “in the midst of my true life [and] most deeply myself.” To be at home in the world and belong to ourselves is the mature manifestation of affiliation, differentiation, and creative endeavor.”

This Jungian Life

156: Exile & Alienation

“Exile and alienation could be considered the external and internal aspects of rejection. Exile is not chosen but is imposed and unwanted: a relational break-up, job lay-off, or deportation. Exile can affect the human spirit so powerfully that the ancient Romans used it as an alternative to execution. Alienation describes an internal state of deadness and despair–an uncanny valley that feels featureless, gray, and unending.

It can manifest as depression, anxiety, addiction, and desperation—which can lead to violence against self or others. A return to feeling heals, movingly rendered in Va, Pensiero in Verdi’s opera Nabucco: the exiled Hebrew slaves sing of their loss, love, and longing for home. Tears transform pain into suffering and restore personal presence in relation to something greater.” 

This Jungian Life

177: Splitting – Understanding What Divides Us

“We seem hard-wired to split the world into polarities: right/wrong, either/or, victory/defeat, Democrat/Republican. Infants and toddlers have not yet achieved the developmental capacity for complexity; they are believed to split their feelings toward caretakers into “good” and “bad,” depending on whether their needs are being met in the moment.

Although it distorts reality, splitting reduces anxiety by locating the problem “out there,” allowing us to reject what we find aversive and affirm our own virtue, self-worth, and blamelessness. The capacity for ambivalence—the ability to hold opposite feelings—requires more differentiated cognitive skills and emotional range. Can we bear anxiety in the face of what seems intolerable without retreating to the fortress of one-sided (usually righteous) certainty? Doing so can increase capacity for objectivity, self-reflection, and ability to bridge the split.” 

This Jungian Life

180: Influence, Connection or Contagion

“We have always been subject to the influence of others—it’s how we learn language, become socialized, cooperate and collaborate. It’s also how we exclude, denigrate, and assault others. Today, we are subject to unprecedented social influences. Multiplicities of media shape our ideas, identities, beliefs, and values–and foster connections and communities around the world. If tulip mania took hold in 17th century Holland – perhaps the original speculative bubble – today we have non-fungible tokens and cryptocurrencies. “Heretics” are now exiled via “cancel culture.” Cultural contagions and psychic epidemics are not new—they just come dressed in the flashy new garb of social media and telecommunication. Amid so many influences, it is newly necessary to engage in the discernment and differentiation crucial to individuation, the fulfillment of our innate potential. Consciousness cannot be held hostage to intellectual simplifications or emotional reactivity. Each of us can uphold social norms that rest on foundations of fact, reflection, and spaciousness.”   

This Jungian Life

200: Reality As Medicine

“The nature of reality may be a complex philosophical question, but from a psychological viewpoint, reality is largely a question of adaptation to the truths of our inner and outer worlds. How well do we manage psychic life and the electric bill? Science fiction writer Philip Dick pithily states: “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” Multiple realities challenge us. We live in shared social realities, from embracing niceties to being steeped in beliefs and a need to belong. We also may access the objective realities of verifiable facts and scientific data. And we experience subjective realities of emotion, intuition, and unconscious influences. We can feel our feelings, differentiate between levels of reality, and choose which to apply to a particular situation or decision. Unclouded acceptance of reality is medicinal.”

This Jungian Life

201: Duped – What Makes Us Gullible

“Jung says, “The more one turns to the light, the greater the shadow behind one’s back.” Unacknowledged shadow can increase vulnerability to coercive dealings and regrettable decisions. We may find ourselves scammed, ripped off, and left holding the bag. Why didn’t we see it coming? Mostly because our denied fears and desires create blind spots others manipulate. Advertisers, hucksters, and con men prey on our fear of danger and disapproval and our quest for security and status. Gullibility is marked by misplaced trust and willful witlessness. We may not pause to reflect, research a decision, or seek neutral counsel. It is often relieving to trust an external authority rather than bear the anxiety and responsibility of choosing. When we fail to see our own shadow, we may be unable to recognize it in others.”

This Jungian Life

205: Caught in the Conflict: Holding the Tensions of Opposites

“Holding the tension between opposites was one of Jung’s foundational precepts. Although contradictory views are often a better witness to truth than one-sided conviction, beliefs and decisions often serve to relieve ambiguity, anxiety, and threat. Jung says, “The ego keeps its integrity only if it does not identify with one of the opposites, and if it understands how to hold the balance between them. This is possible only if it remains conscious of both at once. However, the necessary insight is made exceedingly difficult not by one’s social and political leaders alone but also by one’s religious mentors. They all want decisions in favor of one thing, and therefore the utter identification of the individual with the necessarily one-sided truth.” We need to suffer the tension a plurality of voices and views produces. Holding the tension of opposites grows consciousness, wholeness, and soul.”

This Jungian Life

217: Death: A Jungian Perspective

“Awareness of death can help us create an intentional life—one that serves the movement of soul toward wholeness. Jung realized that although we experience death as “a fearful piece of brutality,” the unconscious images death as celebration.” 

This Jungian Life

I hope you enjoy these episodes decoding the COVID complex as much as I did.

Would you like to build a thriving private counselling or psychotherapy practice from the inside out? Come and join your colleagues and I in my free Facebook group, Opening the Door on Private Practice.

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Filed Under: Article, Highlights, Podcast, Psychotherapy, Therapist Life Tagged With: COVID, Therapist Life, Trauma

About Jodie Gale

Jodie Gale MA. is the founder of The Psychosynthesis Centre, Trauma Warriors TM, The Soul Sessions with Jodie Gale Podcast and Jodie Gale Soul Centred-Therapy for Women. She is a Clinical Supervisor, Private Practice Business Coach, Trainer, Facilitator & an Eco-Psycho-Spiritual Registered Clinical Psychotherapist® on the Northern Beaches of Sydney & online. Jodie has 20+ years of experience in private pay, private practice and has built 2 thriving practices - in London and then home in Sydney, Australia. Jodie is passionate about putting the soul back in to therapy!

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I was out walking yesterday and came across this g I was out walking yesterday and came across this gorgeous floating flower bowl. Creating a floating flower mandala can be a wonderful way to celebrate the beauty of nature and the spirit of Easter. Here are some steps to help you make one:

Choose a body of water: Find a quiet and calm body of water such as a bowl, pond, lake, or river where you can create your floating flower mandala.

Collect flowers: Gather a variety of different flowers in different colors and sizes. Choose flowers that are in season and that have a sturdy stem that can float.

Create the mandala: Start by placing a few large flowers in the center of the water, and then add smaller flowers around them to create a circular pattern. Continue adding flowers of different sizes and colors to create a beautiful and intricate design. You can also add greenery or leaves to create a more textured and layered effect.

Enjoy the spiritual quality of beauty: Once you have finished creating your floating flower mandala, take some time to appreciate its beauty and the natural surroundings if you have created yours outside.
Creating a floating flower mandala can also be a fun and creative activity to do with family or friends during the Easter season. It's a beautiful way to connect with nature and celebrate the beauty of the season. #easter #flowermandala #naturetherapy #ecotherapy #innechild #CPTSD
Today is the Autumn Equinox, also known as Mabon. Today is the Autumn Equinox, also known as Mabon. To help you celebrate the Autumn Equinox, here are 3 Nature Rituals to Connect with Your Inner Child on Mabon
https://www.traumawarriors.online/3-nature-rituals-to-connect-with-the-inner-child-on-autumn-equinox-mabon/ 
#innerchild
#innerchildhealing
#AutumnEquinox
#Mabon
#NatureTherapy
#Ecotherapy
#CPTSD
#TraumaWarrior
For anyone who watched #4Corners last night, recov For anyone who watched #4Corners last night, recovery is possible.
Unfortunately, and once again, not one mention of childhood trauma, attachment, complex or developmental trauma. THIS is why recovery rates are so poor. Genes MIGHT load the gun but it’s the environment that pulls the trigger. 
I have worked with young women with eating problems for 25 years – we need to start focusing on healing the underlying relational concerns, not just focusing on food and weight. 
Healing our relationship with the inner child and whatever it is that she has experienced is key. 
Join my mailing list to find out more about my upcoming courses in addition to my free offerings at traumawarriors.online (podcast, blogs etc). 🔗 https://www.traumawarriors.online/healing-the-inner-child-through-art-journaling/ 
#traumawarrior #traumahealing #recoveryispossible #edfam #recoverywarrior #4corners #innerchild #innerchildhealing #selflove #arttherapy #allfeelingswelcome #feelings #CPTSD #trauma #butterflyfoundation #wandinerida
#alwayswasalwayswillbe #alwayswasalwayswillbeabori #alwayswasalwayswillbe #alwayswasalwayswillbeaboriginalland #alwayswasalwayswillbe🖤💛❤️ #traumawarrior #traumahealing
Merry Christmas to you, wherever you are in the wo Merry Christmas to you, wherever you are in the world. 

Christmas can bring with it, a mixed bag of feelings. 

Many of our younger parts can get stirred up around holidays and celebrations. 

I was looking for images this morning and this one jumped straight out at me. I immediately thought of an image exercise I do, I am the one who. It’s a great technique to get to know ourselves better, to pay attention to the parts of us that are crying out for us to notice them, to take care of them, especially through difficult times. 

Try becoming one or the different components/parts of the image, then speak from that part. 

I was immediately drawn the the one golden tree. So, I speak from the image and the tree

I am the one who is one and many.
I am the one who is full of life.
I am the one who stands out. 
I am the one who shines. 

As I move into a few days with family, I’m going to place this image in my dining room to remind me to pay attention to this part of me. She’s allowed to be her true self. She doesn’t have to hide, she’s allowed to shine. 

You will have a different experience of the image, eg. The artist called this Alone (Photo by Mats Almlöf)
He might have said, I am the one who is alone. 

He might have felt solace in aloneness or he might have felt sorrow. Maybe the message to him was, take alone time over the next few days or, take care of my sorrow at being alone. Maybe the image is, I am the one who is alone but I can reach out to others, or I can reach out to nature. 

Let this image, or find your own image, speak to you. 

If you have any questions, feel free to comment. You can share what it evokes for you too 

X Jodie

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#traumawarrior
#cptsd
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#narcissisticabuserecovery
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#innerchildhealing 
#innerchildwork
#innerchild
#selflove
#feelings 
#alone
#standout
#christmas
#boundaries
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#iam
As adults, we often use busyness and technology as As adults, we often use busyness and technology as a way of keeping us away from the pain of the child within. 

Our inner child needs time in nature too! Nature is a wonderful mirror for our inner world. Slow down and take some time today to ‘be with’ your child in nature. 

Do you have a nature ritual? I’d love to hear how you spend time outdoors 👇👇👇

Next year I will be offering my first inner child course via Trauma Warriors. It will include lots of activities to help you connect with your inner child, some of those include that nature therapy activities and journalling. You can join the wait list here 🔗 https://www.traumawarriors.online/soul-school/ 
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#ecotherapy
When I started therapy, I learnt for the first tim When I started therapy, I learnt for the first time about the child within. I have been in relationship with my inner child for nearly 30 years and have been helping women recover their inner child in therapy for over 20 years. Due to a long wait list for the last 10 years in my private practice -  I am making my offerings available for the first time in an online course with lives in my Trauma Warriors FB group. You can join the wait list here 🔗 https://www.traumawarriors.online/soul-school/ 
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#traumawarrior
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#thichnathanquote
#anger
#feelings
That moment when you book your first accommodation That moment when you book your first accommodation in Canada and it’s right next door to Anne Shirley ❤️🧡❤️ #AnnewithanE #GreenGables #traumawarrior #cptsd #innerchild #innerchildhealing #naturetherapy #ecotherapy #nature
Imagine if all of the love songs we sang to others Imagine if all of the love songs we sang to others, we sang to ourselves, to the inner child - just pause and wonder what that might feel like? 
… I would never fall in love again until I found her
I said, “I would never fall unless it’s you I fall into”
I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her. 
It probably feels strange. It feels more normal to be harsh or critical . Next time you are being hard on yourself, try a love song instead. #lovesongs #naturetherapy #ecofriendly #ecotherapy #innerpeace #innerwisdom #love #untilifoundyou #stephensanchez #innerchild #innerchildhealing #traumarecovery
Acknowledging Gadigal Country, traditional owners Acknowledging Gadigal Country, traditional owners + their Elders past, present and emerging. Tears of joy to see the Aboriginal flag flying permanently on the bridge. Another step towards recognition and reconciliation. #gadigalcountry #gadigalland #gadigal #sydney #sydneyharbourbridge #harbourbridge #traumawarrior #traumarecovery #traumahealing #innerchildwork #innerpeace #innerpeace
Beautiful cottage gardens in Berrima (Dharawal Cou Beautiful cottage gardens in Berrima (Dharawal Country). When you see pointers to soul qualities such as this garden heart, take a pause and turn it inwards = self-love 💚 #naturetherapy #traumarecovery #traumawarrior #innerchild #innerchildhealing #innerchildwork #feelings #selflove #ecotherapy #evo #climatechange #feeldealheal #narcisssticabusesurvivor #narcissistmother #childhoodtrauma #childhoodemotionalneglect #edwarrior #recoverywarrior #eatingdisorderrecovery #bulimiarecovery #bingeeater #bingeeatingrecovery
First outing for my new gumboots. Can finally get First outing for my new gumboots. Can finally get back on my fave bush track without getting mushy wet feet 🌿#merrypeople #merrypeoplegumboots #gumboots #bushwalking #naturetherapy #ecotherapy #innerchild #innerchildhealing #cptsd #therapistlife
Had to buy a copy of Grimm’s fairytales on the c Had to buy a copy of Grimm’s fairytales on the cover alone! Which tale should I read first? #innerchild #innerchildhealing #fairytales #traumawarrior #grimmfairytales #grimm
Your inner child is lost without you When we have Your inner child is lost without you
When we have suffered with early childhood trauma and emotional neglect there is an emptiness, and a neediness inside of us that leads us to searching in all the wrong places to try and fill. This may have resulted in an addiction, co-dependency or disordered eating. 
It’s important we don’t pathologise ourselves - these behaviours started out as ways to self-sooth. 
The problem when we search ‘out there’, the behaviours take on a life of their own and become more and more self-destructive over time. 
When this happens, we repeat the early abandonment and abuse and our inner child feels even more in need of soothing. 
But…she doesn’t need someone or something ‘out there’, she needs you! She is lost without you. 
So, what can we do about it? We can be there for her. Imagine a child with the option of looking in two directions: 1) Abusive boyfriend, bingeing on food or excessive phone use for example or 2) The healthy adult inside of you that has the ability to take care of her, listen to her and meet her needs! 
You are the one person she can depend on, always (well, with a bit of inner parenting practice!). 
Today, take a pause and ask the child within, “what do you need from me today?”
This is a great practice that you can start each day with. If it is hard to do, think of her as though you are taking care of your own child if you have children or someone else’s child if you don’t. 
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 #naturetherapy #ecotherapy #spiritualawakening #traumawarrior #edwarrior #recoverywarrior #cptsd #narcissistsurvivor #narcissisticmother #complextrauma #innerchild #innerchildhealing #trauma #traumarecovery #selflove #loveyourself #loveyou #loveyourbody #lostwithoutyou #lonely #feeldealheal #bingeeatingrecovery #bulimiarecovery #selfcare #selfsoothe #thechildwithin #CEN #childhoodemotionalneglect #freyaridings
It’s Mother’s Day. I am a daughter and a mothe It’s Mother’s Day. I am a daughter and a mother. Sometimes because of my own trauma history, mothering self and others can be tough and I make mistakes often! Repairing the mistakes is what is most important. If you have a trauma history - go easy on yourself - how can you mother yourself today? Start with self-compassion,‘It’s ok, you’re human, we all make mistakes’, ‘There, there sweetheart, I care about you’, and so forth, come up with something that fits for you and your inner child. Speak to yourself as you would to yours or someone else’s  child.  Likewise if you are feeling a sense of loss today, lots of self compassion 💗.
Acknowledging the land of the Dharug people. Beaut Acknowledging the land of the Dharug people. Beautiful walk through Fagan Park in Dural yesterday. So lovely to have some sunshine instead of this persistent rain we have had. I don’t know about you but after so many periods of being stuck indoors, it is sometimes hard to feel motivated to get outside. My kids were like, ‘ugh, do we have to?’ I felt the same - it was a long drive but knew we’d all feel better once we got there, and of course we did! One of the ways I motivate myself is to think of my inner child the way I think about my kids. I don’t give up on them or neglect them when they feel unmotivated - I learned many years ago that I need to provide the same care to my own unmotivated parts. See if you can treat yourself as kindly today as you would a child 💗🌳#naturetherapy #ecotherapy #nature #trauma #traumarecovery #traumahealing #narcissisticabuse #narcissisticabusesurvivor #innerchild #innerchildhealing #traumawarrior #edwarrior #recoverywarrior #edfam #recoveryispossible #bulimiarecovery #bingeeatingrecovery #edrecovery #recovery #selfdevelopment #selflove #spiritualawakening #faganpark
Excited to be on the Mindful Self-Compassion train Excited to be on the Mindful Self-Compassion training with @neffselfcompassion and Chris Germer! #selfcompassion #selfcompassionjourney #selflove #traumawarriors #trauma #innerchild #innerchildhealing #innerchildwork #innerchildtherapy #innerchildlove #narcissisticabusesurvivor #narcissisticabuserecovery #narcissisticmother
Who has kept you sane throughout the pandemic? Mee Who has kept you sane throughout the pandemic? Meet Karen from @karenbiemancounselling  and @notmyclosetanymore - she’s one of my people! We finally got to meet in real life. Online has been a wonderful resource but in person is so much better 💗💗💗
There are so many ways we can support our healing There are so many ways we can support our healing and recovery from trauma and the self-protective behaviours that have become self-destructive. It’s the Spring and Autumn Equinox - here are some things you can do to celebrate and connect with your soul-self at this time of the year. Perhaps choose one and let us know in the comments. I’m going to go for a walk in the morning and look for signs of Autumn…. And maybe make an Autumn playlist! 🍂🍁x Jodie #traumawarrior #traumahealing #recoverywarrior #edwarrior #edrecovery #narcissisticabusesurvivor #narcissisticabuserecovery #innerpeace #innerchild #innerchildhealing #selfdevelopment  #authenticself #futureself #equinox #springequinox #autumnequinox  #ostara #mabon #love #selflove #selflovequotes #change #changequotes #darknightofthesoul
Today is Tell A Fairy Tale Day. Post- traumatic a Today is Tell A Fairy Tale Day. 
Post- traumatic and spiritual growth are at the heart of every fairy tale. 

Working with fairy tales in therapy is a wonderful way to explore the depth and richness of our inner world. We use them a lot for healing the inner child. 

When you think about fairy tales, what is the most usual setting? Aha, the dark woods! Common themes evoked by the woods include moving through: 
-periods of darkness and light
-a personal crisis to transformation
-misery to a new ‘happier’ path
-helplessness to life energy and action
-feelings of weakness to embodying a sense of power and strength

In fairy tales, we encounter nature, other beings, animals, symbols, and images. How are these encounters a mirror for the story of your life - past, present and/or emerging? 

Here are some ideas to connect with your inner child and to foster your soul-self on Tell A Fairy Tale Day!

🌳 Take a walk in the woods 
🌳 Make up your own fairy tale as you walk through the woods
🌳 Read your favourite fairy tale at home or in the woods
🌳 Read a tale from Women Who Run With The Wolves
🌳 Draw or sketch a symbol or image in the woods
🌳Journal prompts and reflections might include: the seasons depicted in fairy tales and change, messages from the natural world, identifications with animals, accepting a situation for exactly as it is, how is walking in the dark woods and coming back out the other side a metaphor for your recovery journey? 

Solitude, turning inward and connection with the natural world are wonderful healers but as always, take care when participating in personal development work - only go as deep as what feels right for you and pay attention to your body, sensations and feelings. 
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#naturetherapy #tellafairytaleday #fairytales #ecotherapy #naturevibes #traumawarrior #edwarrior #recoverywarrior #cptsd #traumarecovery #narcisisticmother #innerchild #innerchildhealing #feeldealheal #selflove #selfdevelopment #northernbeacheslocal #manlylocal #forestbathing #journalprompts #narcissisticabuserecovery #darkwoods #posttraumaticgrowth #spiritualawakening #soulself #selfcare #soulgrowth #fairytaleforest #awareness #otdopppracticechallenge
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Acknowledgement of Country
The Psychosynthesis Centre acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation, the traditional custodians of the lands on which our company is located and across where we virtually meet. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. The Psychosynthesis Centre is committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.

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