DR. JENNIFER BALLERINI

Dr. Jen's Blog

From Trauma to Transformation



I wanted to share the story of this dog's journey with you guys. It moved me to tears this morning to watch this dog's amazing transformation from knowing only abuse and violence to finally experiencing love and safety. This is such a perfect encapsulation of the growth work we so often do in therapy—we come in, protecting ourselves in ways that made sense given all we've ever known, like Phoenix's barking and snapping. It understandably takes time, courage, and consistency for those defenses to feel safe relaxing into a new experience. But then, once those defenses can relax into a safe experience, there's the pleasure of (and confusion about or fear of) something new. The relief of setting aside the burden of those defenses and the aloneness that comes with that. We move in and out of the new experience, and then, with support, we settle into peaceful transformation. Just wow.

…and also, because I'm a dog mom and can't help myself, "Who's a good boy?!?"