Understanding the Betrayal Recovery Journey - How to Heal Betrayal Trauma Part 1 of 3

Understanding the Betrayal Recovery Journey - How to Heal Betrayal Trauma Part 1 of 3

With Easter and spring approaching, I wanted to share a three-part story about rebirth and the journey to resurrection. Too often, when we think about transformation, we think only of the glorious moment of rebirth and not about the arduous journey that gets us there.

When really, the journey is the most important part.

For reference, think about the Stations of the Cross. Whether or not you are Catholic or believe in Jesus is irrelevant. If you heard a story about Santa Claus, you’d understand the reference whether you celebrated Christmas or believed in Santa. The traditional Stations of the Cross are a series of images that depict Jesus’s journey on his way to be crucified.

They are as follows:

1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus takes up his Cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets his Mother
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls for the second time
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls for the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments (sometimes called the “Division of Robes”)
11. Jesus is nailed to the Cross
12. Jesus dies on the Cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the Cross
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb

Each station is about the difficulties and the joys encountered along the way. The Resurrection isn’t even included as an official station! Because it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.

Knowing that the journey will be filled with sorrow and joy, what can you do to find peace, confidence, clarity, and support along the way?

First, you can normalize struggling and falling. When you expect to struggle and fall, hard times feel less personal and are easier to recover from.

Second, you can choose how you want to feel along the way. You can choose to be frustrated and angry by the length or difficulty of the journey, or you can choose to be accepting and calm.

I’ll be posting two more blogs this month that are focused on transformation, showing up differently, even when those around you encourage you to stay the same, and most importantly, on successfully maintaining your transition for the long term and becoming exactly who you want to be!

Keep your eyes open because you will not want to miss them, and Happy Journeying!

Remember to catch Part Two here, and the corresponding podcast episode, Post-Betrayal Transformation - The Easter Story, Resurrection, & You!