I have been on a self-healing journey for several years, and the progress has been slow. There are times when I want to give up and go back to my old ways.
Does anyone else feel that way?
Scrolling through social media, I come across a lot of different perspectives. One day, I came across an account: @the.holistic.psychologist. It definitely piqued my interest.
Had I not studied the music industry in college, I would have studied psychology. I’ve always been curious about why we do the things we do.
Soon after I discovered this Instagram account, Dr. Nicole LePera published her book, “How To Do The Work.”
Doing the work means embarking on a journey of transformative healing. This journey doesn’t end, though; the work is never done.
There are so many ideas that I want to share with you from this book.
But here are just a few of the main key points:
Healing Is A Conscious Effort
I have gone through so many healing modalities, and the one constant is that healing is a conscious effort. I have realized that I have to be present in each moment and make a choice on how I will react to situations or how I will advance my healing journey.
The most important realization that I’ve had is that I need to put in the work on a daily basis.
As Dr. LePera says, in order to achieve mental wellness, we need to be active daily participants in our own healing.
We Need To Widen The Definition Of Trauma
Many of us think of trauma as a point or several points that basically destroy a person’s life.
But what happens if a person can’t admit that any part of their childhood or life has been damaging?
This doesn’t mean that trauma wasn’t present.
Dr. LePera says that our understanding of trauma should include a diverse range of overwhelming experiences.
An overwhelming experience could be any negative life event “that occurs in a state of relative helplessness.“ P. 44
I agree that our understanding of trauma should be widened in order to tell the full story. As is reiterated throughout the book, the first step in healing is awareness, not denial.
Our Beliefs Are Powerful
How often do you see someone who receives a medical diagnosis and then proceeds to identify with or become that diagnosis? Dr. LePera says that this decreases the incentive to change or attempt to explore root causes. The person identifies with the label, and from that moment, that is who they are.
In a similar way, our core beliefs are developed based on the stories about ourselves, our relationships, our future, and other topics we create based on our experiences. In other words, beliefs are practiced thoughts that are built up over years of thought patterns. We only need interior and exterior validation for our beliefs to thrive. But this doesn’t make them true. When beliefs create internal turmoil or stress responses, we know that healing is necessary.
Rebalancing our nervous system is a pivotal step if we want to change our deep-rooted beliefs.
There are journaling prompts and exercises at the end of each chapter to help us on our self-healing journey.
I don’t believe in coincidences, and the timing of “How To Do The Work” has been impeccable. My journey has been enhanced in so many different ways. Before this book, I had trouble with things like re-parenting my inner child and creating consistent change. I never realized that rejecting my needs for so long has led me to not even know what those needs are.
I can’t say enough about how much “How To Do The Work“ has helped me. All psychologists should embrace Dr. Nicole LePera’s holistic psychology.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject, so leave a comment below! I hope you find fulfillment on your journey!
I hope this book of the week review has provided some value to you. As always, thanks for reading!
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.👆
Sachi Reads Daily 