Trauma survivor therapy and soul growth happen in parallel For our healing tree to soar into the sky of our potentials, the roots need to be deep, strong and healthy. We can only grow into mature, soul power in parallel with robust shadow work. To move from trauma survivor into soul warrior, we are not ignoring or rejecting our wounded human parts;…

A tree is a powerful metaphor for our healing journey. We begin in the root system, where we work through difficult emotions, past experiences, and trauma—processing them through the body and releasing their weight. As we move upward into the trunk, we integrate psychology, understanding, and hypnotherapy, allowing us to reparent our inner child an…

If you thought that human existence is challenging, you would be correct. Turning up here and dealing with it all is an intense rollercoaster ride, the biggest and scariest ride in the cosmic theme park. Apparently only the bravest of souls take on earth school. It is certainly not for the faint of heart. Down here we have to deal with: - Physical …

✨Pre-orders for my new book "From Trauma Survivor to Soul Warrior" have opened!✨ We all have a sense of lack, a sense that something’s missing. Deep in our mind, deep in our heart, we know there’s more to us than what we experience as a human body or personality. If we’re not connecting to something deeper, not finding purpose or meaning, there’s a…

✨I'm writing a book! "From Trauma Survivor to Soul Warrior" Subscribe for early access, perks and to join my Author Community. ✨ https://www.awakentherapy.com.au/From-trauma-survivor-to-soul-warrior In each moment, ask yourself, “What would Love with a capital L do?” As spiritual beings, it’s possible that on a soul level, we’ve pre-planned our liv…

On Christmas Day, I take a moment to reflect on the deeper meaning of this special time. Beyond the beautiful celebration of Jesus' birth 2000 years ago, Christmas speaks to something universal—the birth of the Christ child within each of us. This Christ child represents our deepest spiritual essence, the bridge between our humanity and divinity. I…

Have you turned your challenges into service? Maybe you've faced unimaginable struggles—childhood trauma, neglect, or abuse—and yet here you are, not just surviving but thriving. You've found the courage to heal, to grow, and to take those hard-earned lessons and extend them to others. Perhaps you've become the parent, teacher, carer, or healer you…

I wanted to talk with you today about our journey out of soul state and into the earth. You’ve probably worked out by now that I’m more your holistic psychologist, and my passion is bridging the gap between the psychological and the spiritual. There’s an invisible ceiling I’ve seen people hit in their healing — especially when working through deep …

Do you think too little of yourself? If you’ve been through significant trauma—whether in childhood or as an adult—it’s pretty obvious why you might come out of those experiences with low self-esteem, low self-worth, and thinking in a small way about yourself. The truth is, you survived. Even if your self-concept feels battered or broken, you’re st…

What does it mean to move from trauma survivor to soul warrior? In this video, I delve into the concept of the soul warrior and explore how we can transcend the survival mode often created by trauma. Through my work over the past 30 years, I’ve seen the incredible strength and resilience people develop through life’s challenges. But healing isn’t j…

✨Online self-paced courses to help you heal ✨ https://www.awakentherapy.com.au/learning-with-james In today’s Soul Warrior Qualities video, we’re diving into wisdom—the deep knowing forged through adversity. Wisdom isn’t just theory; it’s the profound truth carved out by suffering. Trauma gifts us with qualities like strength, courage, and empathy,…

✨Online self-paced courses to help you heal ✨ https://www.awakentherapy.com.au/learning-with-james In recent episodes, I’ve been exploring the qualities that emerge from facing deep challenges and trauma, especially in childhood. Today, I’m reflecting on empathy—the ability to attune to others, feel into their experiences, and connect on a deeper e…

✨Online self-paced courses to help you heal ✨ https://www.awakentherapy.com.au/learning-with-james If you're here listening to this, you've already shown incredible strength just by showing up and seeking help. Whether it’s been overcoming trauma, childhood adversity, or difficult life patterns, the qualities you've developed in the flames of these…

If you’re listening, you’ve probably been through some significant challenges in your life—maybe childhood trauma, adult trauma, or even what I’d call omission trauma, where there was a lack of love, emotional support, or severe neglect. These experiences can be completely debilitating, leaving us frozen in complex post-traumatic stress and barely …

✨Private sessions✨ https://www.awakentherapy.com.au/private-consultations ✨Online self-paced courses to help you heal ✨ https://www.awakentherapy.com.au/learning-with-james Therapy can be challenging—it takes time, effort, and money. But like dentistry, while it’s not always fun, we benefit from the results. Whether we’re dealing with anxiety, depr…

✨Do you have hidden childhood trauma? Take the quiz to find out.✨ https://www.awakentherapy.com.au/Do_you_have_hidden_childhood_trauma Anger gets a bad reputation, but it can actually be an ally. At its core, anger is an expression of our willpower—helping us set boundaries, say no, and stand up to injustice. It’s a vital part of who we are, allowi…

How do I talk to my partner about my trauma history? If you’ve already worked out that they’re someone mature enough to listen with empathy and be supportive, then absolutely go ahead. On some level, they already know something is going on. But before you dive in, make sure you’ve done enough work on your own healing, so there’s less charge when yo…

In this episode, I explore a common question I’m often asked - "Should I talk about my trauma with my partner?" How far are you in your healing journey? Are you in a relationship where you're repeating past patterns, or in a healing relationship where growth can happen? Sharing your trauma is delicate and depends on where you and your partner are. …

In this week’s episode, we explore the concept of traumas of omission. Trauma isn’t just about the bad things that happen to us, but also the good things that never did. It’s easy to recognise acts of commission, such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. These experiences are clearly damaging, and as children, we can often stay conscious of the…

In this episode I discuss how we're moving through a photon band right now, and it's having a big effect on our consciousness and bodies. Along with that, we're also entering a period of peak solar flares, which can cause fatigue, headaches, and make existing physical issues worse. It’s really important to support our bodies with exercise, good foo…

Today, I'm responding to a question: should you talk to your parents now that you've realised you have hidden childhood trauma? It really depends on the situation. If your trauma wasn't caused by your parents, they might be open, receptive, and supportive. But if the trauma is linked to your home environment, I recommend doing your own inner work f…

In this episode I want to talk with you about the importance of spirituality in our trauma healing journey. Spirituality is about the light, the higher energy of our deeper nature, our true self. If you're on a spiritual path, you may have already explored this in your own way—it's about the self that transcends the body, brain, and personality, go…

In this episode I talk about the importance of error. It’s very easy, especially with trauma, to get stuck in judging our mistakes and seeing things in a negative light. There are good reasons for that because things have been so bad and challenging that we can only see the negative. But if we broaden our view, and as we move through the stuck ener…

In my experience, strong people often develop their coping strategies in childhood, especially when dealing with challenging family dynamics. They might seem weak on the surface but are actually managing a lot of energy and emotion underneath. This can manifest as being passive, timid, or overly empathetic. Interestingly, the strongest person in a …

In this episode I discuss the gifts of trauma. While trauma is often seen as purely negative, facing and working through it can uncover deep strengths, resilience, wisdom, and empathy. These gifts emerge from the struggle, shaping who we become. Celebrate your journey and keep healing to uncover what you've gained, not despite but because of your e…

In today's episode I discuss level confusion, focusing on the gap between our current adult psychology and where our early trauma or wounding may have occurred. Trauma is just experience that hasn’t been fully digested. When triggered, we regress to that stuck part of us, whether it’s from age five, three, or even in the womb. Therapy allows us to …

Are you struggling with a narcissistic person in your life? This episode offers insightful strategies on managing relationships with narcissists, who are in reality driven by fear not love Learn how to respond with balanced compassion, set firm boundaries, and manage expectations without seeking resolution. Discover the importance of protecting you…

In this episode, I delve into the concept of narcissism, often misunderstood and frequently misused and overused in our conversations these days. I explore narcissism from both psychological and spiritual perspectives, discussing how it manifests as extreme self-absorption, lack of empathy, and manipulative behaviours. On a spiritual level, I discu…

In this episode I delve into the better and worse ways of viewing our childhood experiences and traumas. Often, we can get very locked into our childhood trauma and our identity as victims. This can make it difficult to move forward and heal. By focusing on both better and worse perspectives, we can break out of that stuck mindset. We naturally com…

In this episode I explore how we might unknowingly recreate our trauma. Bessel van der Kolk, a renowned trauma expert said, “Traumatized people tend to feel numb and not alive, and they can make themselves feel alive by exposing themselves to the same situations that caused their terror.” Our body and mind adapt to trauma, creating a state where ab…

Here we are again, delving into the next chapter of our trauma reaction series. We've already looked at the pleasing and freezing responses, and today, we're focusing on the flight or perfectionist reaction to childhood trauma. These are automatic responses that kick in when we face significant threats, leaving us with no choice in how we react. Th…

In this episode, I delve into the "Freeze" response, also known as the camouflage reaction. An automatic and instinctive survival mechanism, the freeze response can be triggered when escape or resistance is impossible. I explore how this reaction can manifest in various ways, from numbing out and dissociating to excessive sleeping or withdrawing so…

Welcome back to our series on trauma reactions. Today, we're diving into the fight reaction. We've covered flight, freeze and please in previous videos and now we're focusing on the fight response. This one can be particularly challenging, especially if we get stuck in it. We'll unpack this in detail and explore it through hypnotherapy, addressing …

In this episode, I discuss trauma processing and the benefits of hypnotherapy. Trauma, particularly from childhood, can remain unresolved and continue to affect us. Through therapy, we aim to process these experiences so they no longer interfere with our lives. Hypnotherapy, which I trained in 15 years ago, is an effective tool for addressing deep-…

In this episode, I want to take you on a plane trip. The whole point of doing therapy is clearing up the problematic ballast that keeps us stuck, allowing us to rise in our consciousness and move into the superconscious. Some people avoid their trauma by staying in the superconscious, but this is unstable. Those who face and heal their deep trauma …

In this episode I talk about the harmonised self. My old spiritual teacher used to say that the purpose of our incarnation is to unify and harmonise the higher self and the lower self. We must do our healing and spiritual work so that our higher self, or soul, is joined and harmonised with our lower human self. This allows us to live our human life…

Today, I want to guide you through a process to help you connect with your inner warrior, tapping into the divine masculine within. We're talking about the universal energy of masculinity and its balance with the feminine. On a higher spiritual level, everything is one, but we often speak of this duality - masculine and feminine, yin and yang, ligh…

In today's episode I talk about sleep—an essential third of our life where our subtle bodies leave the physical body and return to soul state. I explore the challenges of modern sleep hygiene and share a simple butterfly tapping technique to help you sleep better. Join me for a guided hypnosis session to reconnect with the spiritual world and recha…

In this episode I guide you through a comprehensive exploration of anger, its true essence, and how we can develop a healthier relationship with it. Anger, at its core, is our willpower and lifeforce. When expressed in alignment with love and integrity, anger manifests as assertiveness and boundary-setting. However, when influenced by fear and unre…

Uncovering Hidden Childhood Trauma: Signs, Symptoms, and Steps to Healing In this episode I discuss hidden childhood trauma, its symptoms, and why understanding it is crucial for our healing journey. Unresolved childhood trauma can manifest in various ways, such as emotional regulation difficulties, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and even ph…

Welcome to another instalment of my series on childhood trauma and our reactions to it. So far I’ve been talking about trauma, the causes of dysfunctional families and the four F's – the four different ways we can react to trauma which include fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Fawn is another word for pleasing and in this episode I’m going to focus …

In this episode, I discuss the topic of growing up in a dysfunctional family and explore the various forms this can take, impacting both childhood and adult life. Some of the more severe include addiction, abuse, neglect, mental disorders, and abandonment. These dysfunctions can significantly affect a child's development. As a psychologist, I aim t…

In this episode I focus on how our various responses to childhood trauma—be it fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—can clue us into the deeper roots of our emotional and psychological challenges. My discussion revolves around the idea that understanding these trauma responses is critical not just for symptom management but for addressing the fundamental…

Exploring the often overlooked trauma of emotional neglect in childhood, this episode delves into how unresolved stress from lack of emotional processing can manifest as trauma. While physical or abusive traumas are more apparent, emotional neglect—the silent trauma—emerges as a pervasive issue affecting many. It’s about the stress and fear a child…