Short Story ~ The day I chose myself (to heal)

In this short story, you will hear why connecting with our inner child is healing - especially if you felt you didn't have your needs met as a child. During the healing process, it is transformative to learn that we can reparent ourselves and witness what the inner child needed. In the Survivor Sanctuary Membership this month, we are exploring Inner Child Connection for our Healing Theme. There is a detailed PDF guide and a guided meditation included. Stacie is creating a safe space to share, connect and grow a sense of community on Substack. If you subscribe, you can receive personal insights and reflection in your inbox - that aren't posted publicly. ⁠Subscribe here.⁠Stacie loves hearing your podcast feedback so keep sharing (email below or send a comment/review). And if you want to show some appreciation for the podcast, you can now ⁠buy Stacie a coffee.⁠ This podcast is created as a free resource, accessible to all and therefore this is a small way you can say thank you if you’ve benefited in any way. 

Healing isn’t a straight line. It’s a spiral. Sometimes, it’s messy, cyclical, and feels like falling apart before we can piece back together.The truth is, healing doesn’t look like what the world tells us. It’s not about moving on and forgetting. It’s about becoming—becoming someone new, someone whole again, through the raw process of transformation.If you’ve ever felt like your healing doesn’t fit into a neat package, like you’re doing it “wrong” because you’re not “over it,” this space is for you. I believe in the healing that happens when we sit with our pain, our shadows, and embrace the parts of us that have been silenced.This is not about quick fixes or the pressure to be “fixed”. It’s about honouring your unique journey, where healing is personal, deep, and unfolds in its own time. At your pace. Read the post on my Substack to explore what this kind of healing looks like and how we can hold space for it together. ⁠Subscribe here.⁠ You can find the written reflection questions here if you want to revisit them.Stacie loves hearing your podcast feedback so keep sharing (email below or send a comment/review). And if you want to show some appreciation for the podcast, you can now ⁠buy Stacie a coffee.⁠ This podcast is created as a free resource, accessible to all and therefore this is a small way you can say thank you if you’ve benefited in any way. 

"Today, I want to share with you the moment that changed everything for me. I find that people easily forget the place I once was, that dark place of not knowing what to do with the mess that lived deeply buried within me. In all honesty, it still amazes me today that here I am sharing with the world. That vow that I made to my 12 year old self to never share to another soul, felt so eternal and binding. And yet, the memory of this vow also reminds me that things do change and that there is a world of possibility; we just have to be open to it. There were many moments when I considered drudging up the deeply hidden and heavily locked box that was my trauma. Times when the weight of it felt unbearable, yet fear always held me back. I would edge closer to admitting it to myself, only to shut it down, convincing myself that it wasn’t the right time, that I wasn’t ready, that maybe I never would be. Maybe it didn’t happen as I remembered it anyway."~~~You can read the full post on Substack ⁠here⁠ that goes with this short story. Stacie is creating a safe space to share, connect and grow a sense of community on Substack. If you subscribe, you can receive personal insights and reflection in your inbox - that aren't posted publicly. ⁠Subscribe here.⁠Stacie loves hearing your podcast feedback so keep sharing (email below or send a comment/review). And if you want to show some appreciation for the podcast, you can now ⁠buy Stacie a coffee.⁠ This podcast is created as a free resource, accessible to all and therefore this is a small way you can say thank you if you’ve benefited in any way. Stacie is taking a break from recording with guests but you can still reach out to express your interest for coming on the podcast for when she returns to recording. Email: [email protected]. 

A short story about the burden we may carry of shame, blame and guilt after experiencing trauma. "The Lies We InternaliseSelf-blame whispers, It was my fault.Shame hisses, I am broken.Guilt lingers, I should have done something differently.These voices are not ours. They are echoes of a world that fails to hold survivors with the compassion that is deserved. They are the messages we absorbed from silence, from misunderstanding, from the weight of trauma itself. And the most painful part? When we don’t know where else to place the hurt, we turn it inward.I did".You can read the full post on Substack ⁠here⁠ that was written to accompany this short story. Stacie is creating a safe space to share, connect and grow a sense of community on Substack. If you subscribe, you can receive personal insights and reflection in your inbox - that aren't posted publicly. ⁠Subscribe here.⁠Stacie loves hearing your podcast feedback so keep sharing (email below or send a comment/review). And if you want to show some appreciation for the podcast, you can now ⁠buy Stacie a coffee.⁠ This podcast is created as a free resource, accessible to all and therefore this is a small way you can say thank you if you’ve benefited in any way. Stacie is taking a break from recording with guests but you can still reach out to express your interest for coming on the podcast for when she returns to recording. Email: [email protected]. 

A short story about Stacie's journey to suppression of trauma, to not believing healing was possible to now. "There was a time in my life when I felt completely lost. Trapped on a relentless hamster wheel of self-loathing, shame, and blame, I questioned whether freedom from my past was even possible. I spent years disconnected from myself, carrying the weight of my trauma, and believing that the answers lay somewhere outside of me". You can read the full letter on Substack here that goes with this short story. Stacie is creating a safe space to share, connect and grow a sense of community on Substack. If you subscribe, you can receive personal insights and reflection in your inbox - that aren't posted publicly. Subscribe here. Stacie loves hearing your podcast feedback so keep sharing (email below or send a comment/review). And if you want to show some appreciation for the podcast, you can now buy Stacie a coffee. This podcast is created as a free resource, accessible to all and therefore this is a small way you can say thank you if you’ve benefited in any way.  Stacie is taking a break from recording with guests but you can still reach out to express your interest for coming on the podcast for when she returns to recording. Email: [email protected]. 

Welcome to a new series where Stacie will be sharing short 'stories'. She is taking a short break from guest recording and wants to share something different for a little while. They will be short episodes but she hopes to share the power of storytelling. In this introduction, Stacie explains the power and benefit of storytelling both as a therapeutic practice and as creative self-expression. As she shares the stories with you, she invites you to open yourself to the power of storytelling—not just as something to listen to, but as something to feel. Notice how stories land in your body. Notice what emotions they stir. And if you feel called, explore your own self-expression. Whether through writing, speaking, art, or simply reflecting on the stories you carry within you.Stacie is creating a safe space to share, connect and grow a sense of community on Substack. If you subscribe, you can receive personal insights and reflection in your inbox - that aren't posted publicly. Subscribe here.Stacie loves hearing your podcast feedback so keep sharing (email below or send a comment/review). And if you want to show some appreciation for the podcast, you can now buy Stacie a coffee. This podcast is created as a free resource, accessible to all and therefore this is a small way you can say thank you if you’ve benefited in any way. We are taking a short break from recording with guests but you can still reach out to express your interest for coming on the podcast for when we return to recording. Email: [email protected]. 

Stacie shares another guest episode today thanks to Jen for sharing your truth, your honesty and vulnerability. We cover a lot in this episode including grooming, "affairs", the grey age of 16 and consent, relationship dynamics/complexities and more. As always, take care when listening. Your wellbeing comes first. Stacie is creating a safe space to share, connect and grow a sense of community on Substack. If you subscribe, you can receive personal insights and reflection in your inbox - that aren't posted publicly. Subscribe here.Stacie loves hearing your podcast feedback so keep sharing! And if you want to show some appreciation for the podcast, you can now buy Stacie a coffee. This podcast is created as a free resource, accessible to all and therefore this is a small way you can say thank you if you’ve benefited in any way. Stacie is taking a break from recording with guests but you can still reach out to express your interest for coming on the podcast for when she returns to recording. Email: [email protected]. 

After taking an unintentional break (again), Stacie is back sharing another survivor story with John today. Thank you John for reaching out and wanting to share your truth. John was inspired by listening to others share theirs - thank you for your contribution to the podcast. Stacie loves John's answer to the last question - really powerful words. As always, take care when listening. Your wellbeing is important - come back to this if needed. Stacie is creating a safe space to share, connect and grow a sense of community on Substack. If you subscribe, you can receive personal insights and reflection in your inbox - that aren't posted publicly. Subscribe here.Stacie loves hearing your podcast feedback so keep sharing! And if you want to show some appreciation for the podcast, you can now buy Stacie a coffee. This podcast is created as a free resource, accessible to all and therefore this is a small way you can say thank you if you’ve benefited in any way. Stacie is taking a break from recording with guests but you can still reach out to express your interest for coming on the podcast for when she returns to recording. Email: [email protected].

This is a short bonus episode to help you find your inner calm this December; a month that can be overwhelming and triggering for some. Remember to reach out if you’re struggling. You don’t have to suffer and struggle alone. This is one of the audios Stacie has created as part of this month’s Healing Theme for the Survivor Sanctuary Membership. If you want to know more about it and how you can join, email [email protected].

Extra warning that this episode contains details of abuse and suicide. Stacie shares another Survivor Story today and is grateful for another male to share his perspective - thank you Jamie. Jamie shares so honestly and vulnerably his experience of grooming, abuse, speaking out and the court process. As always, take care of yourself when listening - look after yourself first and foremost and what you need today. The podcast will be here when you are ready.  Contact Stacie directly: [email protected] or DM on Instagram @_StacieGlass_ if you want to discuss being a guest on the podcast or to access the private Telegram Survivor Support group chats (male and female).