Healing Isn’t Linear: What to Expect When You Start Feeling Safe Again

When people begin a healing journey, especially after trauma, there's often an unspoken hope: that things will get better and stay better. That each step forward will feel lighter, easier, clearer.

But healing doesn’t unfold in neat, upward steps. It spirals. It pauses. It circles back.

And just when you begin to feel a bit safer, that’s often when unexpected emotions or physical sensations rise to the surface.

This doesn’t mean you’re going backwards. It means your system finally feels safe enough to release what it had to hold onto just to survive.

Why It Can Feel Harder Before It Feels Easier

For many people, the early stages of healing bring relief: better sleep, fewer flashbacks, a feeling of coming back into the body. But sometimes, this is followed by a wave of emotion or discomfort that seems to come out of nowhere.

This is your nervous system saying: Now it’s safe to feel this.

Before, your body may have numbed certain memories or sensations to help you cope. Once safety is re-established, whether through trauma-informed massage, somatic support, or other healing work, the body can begin to thaw.

That thawing may look like:

• Unexpected sadness or anger

• Unfamiliar aches or tension

• Emotional overwhelm

• Tiredness or need for more rest

• A desire to isolate, followed by a need for connection

This doesn’t mean the work isn’t helping. It often means it’s working exactly as it should.

Healing Isn't Linear: What It Means to Heal in Layers

In trauma recovery, we work with the nervous system in layers. Each time we create more capacity for safety, another layer of held experience may surface. This is natural, and often necessary.

You might feel frustrated by this process: I thought I’d already dealt with this. But the truth is, you’re meeting it now with more support, more regulation, and more choice than you had before.

This is not a setback. It’s a deepening.

How I Support You Through This Part of the Journey

My role is to offer a steady presence and a safe container. Whether we're using massage, breathwork, Rewind, or QEC, I won’t rush you or push you to go where you’re not ready.

We begin each massage session by exploring how you want to feel physically, emotionally, and energetically, and tailor everything to that intention. I encourage you to stay connected to your body, your breath, and your own sense of choice.

If difficult feelings arise between sessions, you’re welcome to share what’s coming up. Sometimes, simply naming what’s happening in a safe space is part of the release.

Book Recommendation

If you’d like to explore more about why old emotions or physical symptoms can return once you feel safe, I recommend In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness by Peter A. Levine.

This book explores how the body processes trauma beneath words, through sensations, instincts, and the nervous system. It’s a powerful reminder that healing is not about forcing change, but about gently allowing the body to complete what it couldn’t at the time of trauma.

“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.” – Peter A. Levine

Final Thoughts

Healing isn’t linear. It moves in spirals, it deepens over time, and it honours your pace.

If you’ve started to feel more grounded but find that old feelings are surfacing again, you haven’t failed. You’re not broken. Your body finally trusts that it’s safe to let go.

That is a powerful sign of progress.

How I Can Support You

Whether you're just beginning your healing journey or navigating a deeper layer, I offer gentle, trauma-informed support tailored to your needs. Together, we create the conditions for your nervous system to rest, reset, and release, in your own time, at your own pace.

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