The Wounded Healer's Heart

The wounded healer's heart as a subject for this series of posts* came as a surprise. Past the surprise, though, came the aha: Of course this subject needs addressing. How could it not?

The Wounded Healer's Heart: Owning Our Spiritual Nature | The Wounded Healer's Heart is a blog post by Ellen M. Gregg :: Intuitive ~ The Soul Ways | #shadowwork #woundedhealer #heartchakra #energywork

While preparing for bed one night, my guides stopped me so I could receive a message. The channeled message informed me I needed "more heart" in my energy field. I watched a gorgeous Northern lights-like display of rose quartz energy flow into my field.

That could have been it; done. It wasn't, though, because I felt deep emotion rising up. And that emotion rose with a question: "How do I do that? How do I open my heart without being hurt?"

The reply told me I "must put the ego in its place." It told me that I must permit my heart to open, "that it will be kinder." And then, the message concluded by saying, "This is a practice. The more we practice, the kinder the heart will be."

And for clarity, that kindness needs directing at myself. While better than in the past, my self-compassion still needs work.

The wounded healer's heart

The wounded healer, I hear, counts among "the walking wounded." And their wounds live inside rather than on display outside. For that reason, those wounds may remain under wraps from even the healer themselves. At least, until they surge to the surface, demanding healing.

Using myself as an example, since I identify as a wounded healer: Childhood trauma, sexual trauma, and relationship trauma affect me. While therapy helped me tremendously in resolving a lot of the wounding, "scar tissue" still remains. And sometimes that scar tissue makes itself known, creating discomfort; creating a less-kind heart.

It reminds me the need for more healing exists - much to my chagrin. My ego wonders why I'm just not "over it" while my soul, on the other hand, soothes and encourages.

That trauma most certainly affected - and still affects to some degree - my heart center; my heart chakra. Following a significant brush with congestive heart failure, my heart and heart chakra received a lot of healing. And the physical wounding revealed the spiritual wounding in a classic healing crisis.

Shadow work required

Shadow work provides the remedy for healing the wounded healer's heart. As uncomfortable as it may feel, and as uncompromising as it may seem, shadow work provides the means. It makes way for healing the wounds, the scars and eventually the remaining bits of scar tissue.

Shadow work is the practice of intentionally illuminating the shadows - the wounds and scars - within us. Through that practice, we may compassionately and systematically heal what needs healing, from the inside out; from its root.

Therapy offers a safe and effective method for illuminating shadows. And depending on the person and the wounding, intuitive sessions, energy healing, journaling (with or without Tarot or oracle cards), hypnosis, etc. may help.

This work is required of all wounded healers, like it or not. While may put it off, eventually our noses will be rubbed in it to such a degree that it's unavoidable.

Serving as wounded healers

Every person on this planet requires some form of healing from non-physical wounding. Every person. A healer assuming they must fully heal themselves before serving others is completely unrealistic. And, in fact, such an assumption does those they would serve a great disservice.

Wounded healers who acknowledge their own wounding in appropriate "authentic" ways, and their healing processes as well, offer mirrors for those they serve. And their experience assures others, "You are not alone, or broken, or unhealable."

The wounded healer's heart and the healing it receives provides hope, and it provides empathy. So serve as you feel called to, and share your wounding and healing as is appropriate. Your heart will thank you.

Blessed be.

*The Owning Our Spiritual Nature series, to date, includes:

:: Exiting the Spiritual Closet
:: Experimenting with Spiritual Pursuits
:: Spiritual Comparison
:: Spiritual Awakening
:: Spiritual Activations
:: The Wounded Healer's Heart