There’s nothing new about self-help books. But, there is a growing trend on who can be helpful in the “self-help” industry. Why is that? Authors, life coaches, and YouTube personalities are utilizing the resources around them, in efforts to journey beyond “one-dimensional healing.”
But why? Because “one-dimensional healing” just isn’t cutting it any longer. Grit Daily spoke with Lisa A. Romano, a certified life coach from New York who specializes in cases where “codependency” and “narcissistic abuse” are at work. Through her own personal struggles, Romano found a way to escape the shackled world of codependency.
But how do behaviors like this arise? What do these patients or rather, “victims,” feel? According to Romano, it’s a feeling of invisibility, a sense of unworthiness, and overall lack of love.
Other certified life coaches including JB Glossinger (“The Morning Coach”), Angela Duckworth (a MacArthur “genius”), and Amy Morin, LCSW, have all integrated technology along with cutting-edge neuroscience, child psychology, grit, self-esteem, mental toughness, and of course, the law of attraction, individuals have a better means of understanding what happens when his or her brain undergoes some sort of childhood trauma through abuse and neglect.
The Fight, Flight, or Freeze
Neurologically, when a dangerous situation occurs like domestic violence or consistent psychological/emotional abuse from a parent, the brain acts. In these situations, the brain’s response is either “fight, flight, or freeze.”
Neuroscience helps people understand how children in traumatic situations freeze because often they are too small and powerless to fight or flee.
This freeze response explains why so many adults stay frozen in dysfunctional relationships and repeatedly choose/go back to abusive romantic partners.
Once people can see the neurological pattern causing emotional pain in their lives, they can stop these patterns. Using neuroscience to heal emotional and behavioral problems is in contrast to one-dimensional healing strategies.
Why One-Dimensional Healing Fails
One-dimensional healing fails because of the business of spirituality and the widespread unavailability of traditional psychological help. The business of spirituality has come under deserved scrutiny for overcharging and in extreme cases – selling billions of dollars’ worth of vibes.
This fails because childhood trauma won’t be cured by spending money to become more spiritual.
Further, the cost of traditional psychological help has been a barrier for generations of people who needed help. Many forms of traditional psychological help do address people holistically. But, it’s often unaffordable.
While online e-counseling options now offer competitive pricing and the convenience of an online counselor, many people still need free resources. There is a vicious cycle of poverty and mental health. Due to this cycle, free resources like YouTube and Google are often where people in desperate situations go for help.
Journeying Beyond One-Dimensional Healing
What lies beyond this “one-dimensional” healing? Well first, it’s about recognizing and accepting that people are not by nature, one-dimensional.
Humans have emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and physical aspects that make up their dynamic. Viewing humans as complex means the solutions adults need to overcome childhood trauma, must involve holistic healing.
That’s why authors, life coaches, and YouTube personalities, like Romano, are growing in success. One-dimensional healing just isn’t cutting it.
