10/13/2026
He sleeps through the night now.
No more panic attacks.
And the voice in his head finally sounds like his own.
A year ago, that wasn’t true.
From the outside, he had it all: a successful career, respect, a life people admired.
Inside, a harsh voice kept telling him he wasn’t good enough.
Then a friend suggested he call me. He did.
We began with a friendly conversation. At home, he completed our biopsychosocial assessment, including questions about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
His ACE score was 1. But a number alone doesn’t tell someone’s story.
When we talked about his “yes,” he breathed a big sigh of relief. He could finally talk about his father and still feel accepted.
He’d believed that if anyone knew his secret, he’d be rejected.
Instead, he opened up.
That critical voice had sounded like his own for years. He began to recognize where he’d learned it: from a very critical father.
What we learn, we can learn to change.
For 30 years, Dr. Vincent Felitti, co-leader of the ACE Study, referred patients to me from Kaiser Permanente’s Department of Preventive Medicine in San Diego.
Again and again, I saw how unconditional acceptance helped people loosen the grip of old stress patterns.
We worked together in sessions. He practiced automatic drawing and journaling, and used the enlightn app between visits.
One year to change patterns carried for 40 years. That’s a great trade.
If you’re carrying a voice that was never yours, it’s not too late.
Try a small moment of kindness now: put one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Breathe gently in, then slowly out, at a comfortable pace. No forcing. Notice how you feel.
The enlightn app includes ACE and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE) assessments and tools drawn from our decades of work. Our book, From Trauma to Enlightenment, takes you deeper.
Link in bio.
Comment “MINDBODY HEALING” and I’ll share a technique I use to help people respond to that old voice with acceptance.
Share this with someone who needs hope.
