Our trauma makes us vulnerable to magical thinking

You can't raise your vibration, live in abundance, or manifest your way through childhood trauma.

A bit of a rant today, though maybe "reflection" is a better word.

I get a lot of messages from folks in the holistic and healing space wanting to collaborate. And often, it feels like:

"Let me talk to the trauma guy and add a childhood trauma vibe to my audience. Maybe he'll have me on his channel so I can talk about how meditation and supplements changed my life."

One influencer asked if we could do a trauma processing session together, on camera, for their channel. Another, who runs romance manifesting workshops, reached out to "push back" on my work because it would be an "interesting conversation."

But I find myself wondering: Who is that conversation really for?

Many of these approaches are coming from a good place, and many of the people reaching out have powerful stories and healing gifts. But there are many influencers and people practicing ideas to promote themselves and share or push something that often bypasses and skips larger issues like trauma.

I think we need to talk about it.

Manifesting isn't going to heal an attachment wound.

Energy work often does not address repressed trauma.

And spiritual bypassing often looks like healing, but can keep us stuck.

There's a growing chorus of messages out there:

• Raise your energy
• Manifest from the universe
• $1899 in Costa Rica for empaths

We're swimming in a sea of helpers. And as trauma survivors, we're especially vulnerable to promises of the life we long for.

• Who doesn't want to raise their vibration?
• Who doesn't want a loving partner, financial ease, and deep peace?
• Who wouldn't want to live in a Hawaiian yurt and eat healthy?

But the truth is: our trauma makes us vulnerable to magical thinking.

The life I've built didn't come from manifesting.

It came from years of deep, messy, unglamorous trauma work.

There's no shortcut. The way through pain is through pain.

So, save your money.

Find a solid therapist or codependency coach, someone competent, and start working on your inner child. Explore the patterns that make you choose unavailable people. If the work you're doing is uncomfortable and activating, that is a good sign. And yes, I know the therapy world is greatly imperfect too - and often out of reach.

Are all holistic practitioners like this? No.

Do I use holistic practices like Reiki or try to raise my energy?

Yes, but they're not the only tools for trauma.

You can raise your vibration at a weekend workshop. But it fades fast.

Because your trauma is still there, waiting to be faced.

Patrick