How We Store Trauma in Our Bodies - 3rd Sun of Advent - Episode 3 - a podcast by Souls and Hearts

Overall Takeaways

Dr. Gerry: We store trauma and wounds in our bodies, and Christ brings healing during Advent.

Dr. Peter: We need to identify our psychological blindness, know ourselves better, and then work to change.

Key Verses from Sunday Mass Readings

“Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!”

“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.”

“Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

“Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

Where Catholicism Meets Psychology

• Realize we all have blind spots and that it’s human to hide from ourselves and not want to see them. These blind spots are consequences of the Fall and original sin.


• Be humble and ask others to tell you what you’re not seeing. The most important thing is to seek. Asking loved ones to help you may allow God to work through them to answer you.


• We cannot overcome psychological lameness by sheer force of the will. We need to prepare ourselves and achieve better readiness.


• Understand the “order of operations” in dealing with good and bad emotions. First, attend to body; then to the emotions. This will eventually reveal cognitions.


• Use your body, breathing and prayer to reduce unwarranted fear and anxiety.

Action Item

Ask a loved one to help you find your blind spots. Ask the person to pray and reflect about what you’re not seeing or hearing in your life. Work to tolerate that vulnerability, and be open to how God might be talking to you through this individual.

When you experience good and bad feelings this week, focus on where you feel that emotion in your body. Make a note of those physical feelings to help you gain body awareness.

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