Gabby Bernstein, bestselling author and spiritual junkie, discusses trauma and how it manifests in our lives. She reveals how work, substances, and spirituality can be used to numb ourselves. Gabby shares her journey of healing from addiction and explores the power of therapy, including EMDR therapy. The speakers also discuss the joy of pets, friendship, and finding serenity in nature. They emphasize the importance of faith in overcoming challenges and express gratitude for the impact of spiritual principles.
Using work, substances, or spirituality as a way to avoid confronting our true selves can serve as a temporary protection mechanism
Journaling for 40 minutes a day can provide a cathartic release and help cleanse the mind of negative thoughts and emotions
Unresolved trauma and emotional distress can manifest as physical symptoms, and addressing the emotional disturbances can lead to healing and reduction in physical pain
Deep dives
The Power of Faith in Healing
Faith has played an integral role in the author's healing journey, providing a foundation for her recovery, resilience, and strength. It is a constant presence that guides and supports her through life's challenges, both big and small. The author shares a personal story of grief and loss, highlighting how her faith has helped her find lessons and learning in the experience. She credits her years of personal growth and spiritual exploration for strengthening her connection to a higher power and inner guidance system. Through her faith, she has discovered profound freedom and inner peace.
Rage on the Page: A Powerful Emotional Release
The author shares a journaling practice called 'Rage on the Page' that she found transformative. She recommends dedicating 40 minutes each day to journaling about whatever is on the mind, allowing emotions to flow freely onto the pages. This practice serves as a cathartic release, cleansing the mind of negative thoughts and feelings. She also suggests pairing this practice with soothing music and a period of relaxation or meditation to further process emotions and settle the mind.
The Intersection of Physical Symptoms and Emotional Disturbances
The author discusses the connection between unresolved trauma, emotional disturbances, and physical symptoms. She highlights the work of Dr. John Sarno, who emphasized the link between psychosomatic conditions and deep-rooted emotional distress. The author explains how emotional distress can manifest as physical pain or health issues, such as gut problems or insomnia. By addressing the underlying emotional disturbances, through practices like Rage on the Page and therapies like EMDR, individuals can experience a reduction in physical symptoms and find healing.
The Transformative Power of EMDR Therapy
The author shares her personal experience with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, a therapeutic approach that uses bilateral brain stimulation to aid in reprocessing emotional disturbances and trauma. She describes her own journey with EMDR and how it has helped her deal with acute anxiety and panic attacks. The author highlights the benefits of EMDR in deepening self-awareness, processing trauma, and providing individuals with another tool for healing.
The Non-Linear Path of Healing and Up-Leveling
The author acknowledges that the healing journey is not a linear process, but rather one that involves ups and downs, undulations, and shifting levels of healing. She shares her own growth and evolution in the pursuit of freedom and inner peace. The author emphasizes the importance of faith, self-awareness, and ongoing practices like therapy, meditation, and self-care in maintaining healing and continuing personal growth.
Do you ever stop and ask what’s driving your behavioural patterns? New York Times bestselling author and self-confessed spiritual junkie Gabby Bernstein has spent the last few years thinking about how traumas from her past were manifesting in the present as workaholism, drug abuse, and alcoholism.
In this chat with Fearne, Gabby talks through how we use things like work, substances, or even spirituality to numb parts of ourselves that we don’t want to look at, but that they do serve a purpose in protecting us. She also explains how trauma can lead to us dissociate from, and even erase, memories.
Content warning: this episode contains frank chat about sexual abuse so do take care while listening.