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Book Review: Thema Bryant's Homecoming: Healing Trauma To Reclaim Your Authentic Self
"I invite your soul to tell your heart, mind, body, and spirit, "Welcome home." -Dr. Thema Bryant ‘Homecoming: Healing Trauma to Reclaim Your Authentic Self’ is a book that you read and then reread. The first time for your brain, the second for your heart. For many individuals that have experienced trauma (whether big T or little T) intellectualizing one’s traumatic experiences can feel helpful and necessary, but also emotionally limiting. Thinking ourselves out of feeling, whether intentionally or unintentionally is the norm. "I invite you to consider who benefits from your insecurities, your sense of inadequacy, and your deflated dreams." (Bryant, 2022, 209) Healing The Fragmented Self My internship supervisor asked me if I was in therapy and I told her that it doesn’t work for me. Ironic right, the girl in grad school to become a therapist is telling people that therapy doesn’t work for her. Well, I later explained to her that I need something with a little more kick. ”I genuinely think that I need trauma-informed therapy. I can talk you under the table and talk-therapy just isn’t a good fit for the type of work I think I need.” I have ghosted therapists because I struggled with communicating that journaling, solution-focused approaches, and short-term interventions are not going to push me to where I need to go. However, ‘Homecoming: Healing Trauma to Reclaim Your Authentic Self’ showed me that I’ve been emotionally stuck and I’m ready to move forward. I’m ready to return home. Many trauma survivors are desperately searching for that extra push. Not a push over the trauma, but a nudge through. A nudge letting them know that there’s hope on the other side. Dr. Bryant does a great job at utilizing anecdotes as a trauma survivor (without disclosing graphic or traumatic details) from her own personal experiences, and case vignettes of previous clients (minus their names or identifiable information) to provide examples and insight into how trauma impacted each individual. While no experience is identical to another, the case vignettes may offer a person healing trauma a sense of connection and belonging to cope with events that can feel isolating. "One way to reparent yourself is by creating opportunities and cultivating spaces for your joy to be unleashed, for your joy to come alive." (Bryant, 2022, 57) There were many key takeaways for me especially related to perfectionism, validation seeking, learning to ask for help, people-pleasing, resentment, and what a trauma survivor should look like. No spoilers, but Dr. Bryant writes about a conference that she attended. At this conference a woman approached Dr. Bryant and said loosely “you don’t look like a sexual assault victim.” Dr. Bryant did not respond immediately. Instead, she allowed space for silence and the woman broke down into tears. There is healing in the silence. This account also reminded me of the saying “thank God, I don’t look like what I’ve been through.” Dr. Bryant is a testament to that saying and exemplifies the idea that although an individual may have experienced heinous, cruel, frighting, isolating, and unjust acts, that doesn’t define who they are or what they can become. Dr. Bryant, while extremely knowledgeable and a trauma survivor herself, rarely uses psychological jargon to present information within Homecoming. The book is in “plain ol’ English”, meaning the language and tone offers an inclusive approach for readers of various ages and educational backgrounds. Homecoming preaches, but refrains from being preachy. "If your home was joyless, you may be uncomfortable with play and leisure." (Bryant, 2022, 57) Whether an individual is on a journey of healing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex post traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD, ‘Homecoming: Healing Trauma to Reclaim Your Authentic Self’ discusses how to identify disconnection from one’s self (mind, body, and spirit) due to trauma and different scenarios that can inflict trauma onto the individual, without being overtly graphic. Also, Dr.Bryant discusses toxic workplace trauma, oppression based trauma, losses, and breakup and divorce. ‘Homecoming: Healing Trauma to Reclaim Your Authentic Self’ is less about processing trauma immediately or reading about others oversharing trauma as seen in other books. Instead, Homecoming serves as the introduction to identifying (if applicable) your trauma and how your trauma may impact your mind, body, and spirit. As well as information to support the reader on their journey home to themselves amidst disconnection. During the Societal Trauma segment of my Trauma and the Contemporary Family course my prof. shared the video You Can Heal Intergenerational Trauma TedxTalk with the class. Inspired, at a loss for words, dignified, validated, and proud is how I felt after completing the video and finishing the novel. Within the video Dr.Bryant spoke with such conviction and strength that even the most insecure individual would feel born-anew with each word. My professor knew that I was reading Dr.Bryant's book prior to watching the video and during group supervision she asked for my thoughts on the video. "Thema Bryant lives what she teaches (and preaches) and it was nice to put a face to the information." This book will spark transformation and was validating in many ways. Homecoming put language to the feelings that I struggled to name for myself and ideas that I did not have the knowledge to identify personally. Bryant knows what to say and when to say it. I tend to speed read but at one point, to paraphrase, Bryant writes that it's not a race, slow down and feel what you are reading. This was in the section about perfectionism and I realized that even with an absence of competitors I am still competing. Within the course we are also currently reading In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness and Waking The Tiger Healing Trauma is also another renowned trauma related book by Peter A. Levine. Within the Unspoken Voice, Levine discusses how a client experienced a rather cathartic release of trauma, one where they imagined themselves as a tiger. When engaging in trauma work, Levine expresses that it's important to avoid a retraumatization in therapy of the the client. Dr.Bryant's novel is great for working through and identifying trauma, while Levine's book Unspoken Voice does well at addressing how to talk about trauma in therapy. While healing trauma from the client's perspective, its advised to avoid retraumatizing yourself. Retraumatizing yourself can look like engaging in uninformed trauma work. To avoid retraumatizing yourself avoid moving too fast too soon. Avoid tapping into memories and events without having the coping skills or grounding skills to recenter yourself before, during, and after. Also, establish a self care plan and consult with a trauma-informed professional while engaging in trauma related work and reliving past trauma. The Homecoming Podcast with Dr. Thema I finished ‘Homecoming: Healing Trauma to Reclaim Your Authentic Self’ and wanted more of Dr. Thema Bryant. She mentioned her podcast in the beginning and end of the novel and I decided to take a listen. I intentionally sat in the sauna for the duration of an episode, which was about 40 minutes. I was willing to cook to heal my trauma. Dr. Bryant's voice is slow, melodic, serene, and centering. I listened to three episodes in one gym visit. As a therapist-in-training I admire the work and genius that is Dr. Thema Bryant. As an individual overcoming childhood trauma, in finding Dr.Bryant I found the nexus and missing component to heal trauma and invite my soul to tell my heart, mind, body, and spirit, "Welcome home.
Book Review: Thema Bryant's Homecoming: Healing Trauma To Reclaim Your Authentic Self
"I invite your soul to tell your heart, mind, body, and spirit, "Welcome home." -Dr. Thema Bryant ‘Homecoming: Healing Trauma to Reclaim Your Authentic Self’ is a book that you...
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Books That Have Helped Me As A Graduate Student Therapist
The best books for therapists that I have found that are not about therapy. I recommend these books to anyone, but especially to new therapists and practicum students.
Books That Have Helped Me As A Graduate Student Therapist
The best books for therapists that I have found that are not about therapy. I recommend these books to anyone, but especially to new therapists and practicum students.
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The Vibes on Instagram are Treacherous and Here's 3 Reasons Why
'How to delete instagram account' is my top search often and the thought sits comfortably at the brim of my mind. Every time I open instagram, a little voice inside of me is asking "how do i delete an instagram account" more specifically, how do I delete my instagram account? Living without instagram seems like a utopia in comparison to remaining connected to people that we should have disconnected from long ago. With an increase in META and data farming, I wonder if social media is still a place for us to share and connect with others freely. Instagram must be amongst the list of worst social media apps out there, which is unfortunate because when it was first developed, Instagram served as a method to remain connected to friends and family, similar to Facebook. Now, social media feels less social and more like the only way to stay connected to people within our immediate sphere. We rarely talk about the negative impacts of instagram and the dangers of instagram for adults. Here are a three inferences as to why we believe the vibes on Instagram are treacherous and living without instagram feels ideal. Let the stragglers go: people you should have disconnected from ages ago still have access to you Many of us have followers from high school, elementary school, preschool, old coworkers, old flings, and failed talking stages. There are people that we should have left behind, but somehow we are bringing them along for a journey that they should have lost access to long ago. There are also those that live by the philosophy of "letting my haters see me win", but that mentality might be counterproductive and holding you back. With Instagram, we are consumed by follower counters and likes. Instagram runs on engagement and when your followers are intentionally not engaging with your content, this can hinder your comfortability with sharing aspects about yourself that are authentic. There are people who will not miss a story, but will scroll past your posts. The negative impacts of instagram unfortunately can impact your self-esteem, forcing people to compare, suppress, and create false identities to appease others and the algorithm. Go where you are loved and appreciated! Get rid of the stragglers and post that sandwich that you loved. Remember when people would post food with those deep-fried filters on Instagram? That's the instagram I miss! Did I consent to this: There are countless uses for Instagram, but you opt into an unofficial dating app, Linkedin, Facebook, WebMD, and class reunion all combined every time you open the Instagram app: Picture this, you just did your makeup perfectly, I mean face BEAT down, you even pass the flash test. You know you look goodt and you feel compelled to share your beauty with the world. You post with the intention to share without expectations, but somehow that action invited unsolicited DMs, heart-eyes, and often times vulgar remarks. There are those that want and long for the attention, but then there are others who want to post freely without objectification. Many of us utilize Instagram as a method to document our lives, somewhat like a virtual time capsule. However, there are other users who have different ideas. Instagram for them is a dating app. Then there are the pseudo instagram doctors and professionals that knowingly provide misinformation. The vibes are clashing and there is minimal space for imperfection. Once upon a time we only interacted with our followers, now we rarely see the content from our followers! The social culture of Instagram is not rooted in community, but pay-per-view at the palm of your hand There are those that utilize Instagram as a job and means to pay their bills and then there are those who just want to vibe! In the words of Joseline Hernandez, "can I live? I mean WTF!" The shift from consumer, to commodification of the human and human experience was a gradual one, but we are navigating the ramifications of the change and negative impacts of instagram currently. When we wanted to escape reality we would watch a movie or TV show, now we tune into the lives on complete strangers. The parasocial interactions have convinced us that we are close to people that we have never seen before. We seen this briefly with celebrity culture, but the everyday person can become an "influencer" overnight through virality. When the Tik Tok Ban began, never once did we consider moving to Instagram full-time. Moments before the official Tik Tok ban, we posted a photo thread titled: Life after deletion: how to continue to grow and heal outside of Tik Tok. Within the post we provided our Tik Tok community with tips to navigate life post the ban. For many of us, social media was our way to cope with the pandemic and build community amidst such an isolating global event. Social media served as that vessel, but it's important to return to our roots. Roots related to connecting with people authentically, being creative, and sharing freely, and unfortunately Instagram is no longer a safe space for that. Disclaimer: The contents of Sincerely Sanguine's (SS) Site, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the SS Site (“Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the SS Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 or local emergency number immediately. SS does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by SS, SS employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of SS, or other visitors to the Site is solely at your own risk. The Site and the Content are provided on an “as is” basis.
The Vibes on Instagram are Treacherous and Here's 3 Reasons Why
'How to delete instagram account' is my top search often and the thought sits comfortably at the brim of my mind. Every time I open instagram, a little voice inside...
