Before my healing journey began, I was in a battle with myself, oscillating between sabotaging my life and attempting to end it. Having a complete inability to sit with my feelings, I numbed them with alcohol and drugs. Through therapy, I discovered these symptoms were due to a dissociative disorder caused by extreme childhood abuse and neglect.

Initially, I couldn’t see things ever improving. Parts of me didn’t believe I deserved an improvement. I soon realized I would need to get to know these parts of myself, understand the unconscious beliefs driving my life, and get all parts of me on the same team if I were to change the way I was living.

My journey to heal from my childhood wounds set me on a quest of self-discovery. This quest has taken me from a severely fragmented sense of self to a place of deep self-love for all parts of who I am.

Acknowledging the separation from self that occurs following traumatic experiences allows us to begin reclaiming the parts of ourselves who feel disconnected. Much of my healing work focuses on rediscovery of lost aspects of the self and meeting these newly discovered parts with acceptance, love, and compassionate understanding. To feel an inner sense of wholeness and connection to ourselves, we have to call these lost and disconnected parts of us home, to our heart.

Approaching myself with curiosity, love, and patience has allowed me to gain a compassionate understanding of myself and heal the parts of me struggling with self-harm, self-sabotage, suicidal ideation, dissociation, anorexia, bulimia, and addiction. My hope is to share what I have learned on this journey and to help others meet themselves fully and in love.