One of my goals as a therapist is to help my clients truly embody transformation in their lives.

I know, this is one of those phrases you likely hear a lot on social media. I love that the work is getting more attention, but I think it’s important to understand what it means to experience embodied transformation.

As a therapist in Bluffton, South Carolina, I talk through this with my clients—both in person and virtual—quite often.

Because, like most true therapeutic practices, it takes a lot of work to understand and live it out.

What is embodied transformation?

It’s a great question! A definition that I like to work with includes the idea that this value or change is lasting and sustainable, regardless of the situation. For instance, my empathetic friends don’t need to tell me about being empathetic—their actions need no convincing. I know that they embody empathy because they continually provide me a space of support and the freedom to feel without judgment.

Embodied transformation looks like carrying a value so deeply within our mind and spirit that we are able to live it out—no matter what.

I think this is why we are often drawn to spiritual figures—we see something in them that may help us unlock a profound connectedness: a new way of thinking, feeling, and living in the world. One litmus test for whether we are embodying transformation is to look at where this value goes when we are experiencing stress or trauma. Does the value atrophy or come to the forefront of your being? Simply stated, is the change constant?

In my therapy practice, embodied transformation is one of my main goals for the client experience, especially for my caretaker clients.

What is a caretaker?

A caretaker is anyone who is supporting another human being. A caretaker could be a parent, teacher, nurse, child of an aging parent, therapist, parent of a child with special needs, or any other person who cares for another.

Oftentimes, caretakers are in this role at their own expense, both literally and figuratively. It’s stressful, it’s demanding, and it’s exhausting. Caretakers sometimes don’t have the resources to lean into the work of embodied transformation. They experience the signs of stress: anxiety, sleep and eating issues, headaches, stomachaches, relationship difficulties, or chronic fatigue.

Because our societal systems tell us that overworking our souls is more valued than caring for them, we learn to cope, numb, and stuff rather than to heal.

Society and its structures teach us that reaching out or leaning into the community or healthcare system for support is a sign of weakness, wrongdoing, or shame instead of strength and advocacy. Our healthcare system is a hierarchy of what needs matter and what needs don’t—especially in underserved communities. We see evidence of this when we look at the number of diagnosed mental illnesses that are criminalized instead of cared for.

From her work with Anti-Racism Daily, Dominique Stewart writes, “Failure to invest in mental health has resulted in people with mental illness and in crisis receiving handcuffs, not care” (The National Alliance on Mental Illness). 70% of youth in the juvenile legal system and 37% of people incarcerated in state and federal prisons have a diagnosed mental condition (The National Alliance on Mental Illness).

Healing and embodied transformation is hard to uncover when we are overworked, overburdened, overlooked, undervalued, and underserved.

As a therapist, I would love to help you move towards embodied transformation. I firmly believe that when we take the steps necessary to evaluate and acknowledge our own needs as applied to our values, we can move towards health.

I’d like to extend permission for you to recognize and honor the process of healing and growth by offering a few steps that might usher you into this space.

Begin a contemplative practice

Yoga, meditation, somatic work, prayer, are all examples of contemplative practices. Understanding our mind/body connection through yoga is a powerful way that we can begin to listen deeply to what's happening inside and recognize the ways that our bodies are sounding the alarm for change. As you deepen your practice, what patterns do you notice in regards to how your nervous system is seeking safety? Is there a simple change that you can start that might bring you more peace?

2. Find support and validation through community

Are there people in your life that make you feel deeply seen and heard? Reaching toward our trusted community can be very clarifying and comforting as we begin to understand embodied transformation. If you don't have a local community, you can find an organization that would support you. (See the bottom of this post for additional resources.) There are a growing number of organizations that are there to offer support and assistance for those experiencing mental health difficulties. As Dominique Stewart says in the Anti-Racism Daily, “Community-based mobile crisis teams provide immediate support and relief to underserved communities barred from healthcare services and allow us to move closer to the abolition of a force and system created solely to harm the most vulnerable/ insistent in harming the most vulnerable.”

3. Spend time with a therapist

Embodied transformation is messy! It’s not a linear journey. Sometimes it can look wavy, circular, and sometimes downright tangled. A licensed therapist can walk with you on this journey, listen, remind you that you are not alone, offer wisdom, and help guide you on your way towards embodied transformation.

No matter where you are on the path towards embodied transformation, I’m here to support you. Whether you’re just starting to be curious about what this looks like in your life, or you’ve put the time and work into your journey already, let’s talk.

And in the midst of it all, find your way.