Angel DeSantis
Religious trauma: Dealing with family for the holidays.
updated
I'll be back in LA soon, can't wait to be on the mountains and beaches with y'all ! 🫶🏼
This is a meditation to help you realign focus. I hope it's helpful.
I made it for my community while I'm away but figured I would share it with everyone and hope it benefits all! I hope you are thriving ! xo
-Angel
Whenever I run a ross a complex problem i try to think my way through the layers of it and search fir a remedy from the root up. Here is my little story and advice for anyone who is truly searching on how to heal but keeps running up against the same problem.
You're doing a great job, I'm sending courage your way!
I took a much needed break after 2 years of uploading videos every week. I feel rejuvenated and ready to step back into this space. I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who continued to support and share my videos. I learned a lot and am so grateful for the time off, and glad to come back and have more to share with you.
I appreciate your courage to grow along side me. I am truly thankful for this community. ❤️
Link for mailing list below!
theprocessbyangel.com/join-mailing-list
I've been working on something and excited to share it with you. I hope everyone has been well.
Here is the link to join !
theprocessbyangel.com/join-mailing-list
Also I realize I mis-quoted Yoda, 😆 He said there is no try, just do. And I think there's just try in order to do.
Here is the link if you are interested in joining me for this next phase!
theprocessbyangel.com/join-mailing-list
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and excited for what's to come!
When we stop taking how we feel into consideration we put ourselves at risk of contributing to our own suppression.
Begin listening to your feelings and work on cultivating the courage to act on them, especially if they've been consistent surrounding a subject.
Links below to the Process :)
theprocessbyangel.com
If you have suffered from childhood sexual abuse, I know that it's not pleasant to talk about - and some of us never do. I personally tried to suppress acknowledging mine for years and continue on as if nothing "that serious" happened to me.
This course was the most difficult to create (and one of the longest!) but it was one that I knew I had to share because I want as many people as possible to know that the burden of shame from being a victim of childhood sexual abuse does not, and never has belonged to you. The goal of The Childhood Sexual Trauma Recovery Process is to begin the work to put that burden down.
I'm sending love and courage to everyone seeking to heal from something they haven't yet been able to express out loud.
You are not alone.
the-process-by-angel.teachable.com/p/the-childhood-sexual-trauma-recovery-process
Many of us might feel like "yes of course we're willing" but it's helpful to pick the actual part of yourself you are actively trying to heal before you begin the journey,
It's also okay if the answer is "No, I'm not willing to heal anything right now, I'm just trying to survive." That was my answer for many years, and survival is crucial. I hope that you feel okay to be where you are. It's okay if you are not willing to heal anything now, and it's okay if you find something to begin healing. It's all part of the process and you're not doing life wrong.
Link to my website theprocessbyangel.com
Link to courses! the-process-by-angel.teachable.com/p/home
Thank you guys for your support! Got something to fit into your lifestyle coming soon as well! Sign up for the email if you want to stay connected! Appreciate you!
You are wise in your own way. Learn to trust your gut instinct, sit through the noise and listen. There is a wisdom in you that is worth getting to know.
Side note, I messed up the settings so there's a lag visually, this one might me better to just listen to 😅 Still figuring it out as I go along!
Towards the 5:15 mark I explain why I believe this work is important and why abuse is cyclical.
As always, these are my personal experiences; I hope my sharing them is helpful, and thank you for watching :)
It's my sincere hope that you take any good that you learned from the information that he gave nad use it to walk yourself forward. Sometimes the message is good even if the messenger is disappointing.
Wishing everyone peace and clarity today.
In this video I share how to consciously move forward and leave a traumatic past behind, instead of being continuously retraumatized by current or future events.
Learn to see things as they are right now, not through the lens of your past. Hope you guys are having a beautiful day today!
There is a reason your brain was set up to hold you back, and there is a way to ask questions that invite you to truly think about it, and move yourself past those blockages.
Thank you for watching!
I hope my personal experience with this topic is useful to you! Appreciate you being here, and let me know what part of you, you are going to believe today!
You aren't alone. We are all so proud of you.
Links to therapy and my religious trauma course below.
religioustraumacounseling.com
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
I hope everyone is having as good a holiday as they can. This video is a explanation of how I set my New Year's' intentions. I usually don't try and create something new so much as I look back, pick out all the good that I was able to create for myself, then let that boost my confidence for the upcoming year!
Look for your progress, I promise you, you've done a lot more than you think!
Happy New Year !
-Angel
1. Does this bring me to life/ what can I do to bring myself to life
2. What does the next iteration of myself look like?
Remember, there is not a "right" way to heal. Just keep inviting yourself deeper into the journey and you will find your way to joy.
Look I remembered my links!
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
religioustraumacounseling.com
For Empathy
1. Realize that people never "deserve" bad things to happen to them.
2. Be self sufficient so you don't have to think about how others "bad news" affects you, you can think about how it affects them.
For Self awareness,
Remember this journey is not about being better than religious people, this is about understanding yourself and the things that stand in your way. Other people are not the enemy, flawed mindsets like superiority and lack of empathy are the enemy. Fix the mindsets in yourself and watch the the world around you change.
Thank you guys for doing the work, I know it's difficult, but here we are!!
1. 3:03 identify your main objective.
2. 5:50 let your idea of yourself go. The people who contributed to your trauma are not the people who will see / support the new version of you. Don't waste time trying to prove yourself to them.
I hope ya'll are beginning to surround yourself with people who actively celebrate you!
Looking forward to hearing how you receive this one. As always, thank you for being here!
8:50 The set up of a traumatized brain
10:46 Brain exercise
One day at a time, still works.
Also, thank you for the tips on audio, I hope this is better!
It's important to understand how we were set up in order to be able to move past the things that are holding us back. You are not intrinsically flawed, but you may remember feeling incapable a lot of the time especially if you grew up in a traumatic environment under traumatic beliefs .
I hope this video is helpful in understanding yourself a little bit better. There is a way forward and you are not alone in the journey.
The next time you feel inadequate, remind yourself where it comes from and that you no longer need to believe it.
🙏🏼- Angel
2. State your feelings without over explaining 2:12
3. Take responsibility for your feelings as you set the boundary. 3:18
4. End by wishing them the best and close out interaction. 6:02
Remember, their response will tell you how they feel about you, and generally it will inform you that you needed that boundary.
Stock texts below, and get in the comments with your contexts / drafts of your texts and we'll help you craft one!
Text 1: 7:46
Hi, I thought a lot about our talk yesterday and I am feeling sad that it went the way it did. I did my best to communicate with your but it seems like I made a mess and hurt your feelings, and I’m sorry. I feel like we are moving in two different directions and while I wish we could stay close, it seems that we mostly end up with a lot of miscommunication.
During these next few weeks I’m going to take a step back for my own sake and learn more about what my triggers are and how to communicate better. I ask that you please don’t contact me as I work through my stuff. I don’t mean for this to hurt you but I understand if it does and I’m sorry. I wish you the best and am hopeful that time apart with be good for both of us.
Text 2: 5:15
Hi ___
I wanted to send you a text to clear the air a little bit. First I want to say thank you for reaching out and trying to connect, but after sitting with it for a while I think I would like to cancel our coffee date.
I have been feeling a little awkwardness between us and while part of me wants to get along and try and repair our friendship, I am also in this space of really honoring my boundaries and I would like to wish you the best, but I think It’s best for me to stay stepped back from our relationship for now.
I understand that this might come as a shock or be hurtful to you, please know that isn’t my intention at all, but I understand if it's hurtful to you and I am sorry for that. I truly wish you the best, but have to go with how I’m feeling. Thank you for understanding.
I'm going to do another video breaking down the dating ones because this caption is getting looonnng! that'll be up next week.
I hope you feel supported by me sharing these things with you. Remember you're not alone in the journey, and the journey is worth taking. 🙏🏼
1.1:58 Identify your barriers
2. 4:28 New friends will treat you different than the forced friendships of religion. You can expect more from the new friendships, grow and expect a healthier bond.
3. 6:38 Real friends vs fake friends. Is it a people problem? or is it a black and white thinking problem that is leftover from religion.
4. 13.13 Look for commonality - make it easy for yourself to show up
5. 16:07 remember you don’t owe anyone your story, you do not need to “show your ugly” as fast as possible. Grow a safety bond first, and when you feel safe enough to share then do it
19:50 How not to base your friendships.
21:05- What if its been too long and you feel like you can’t share your story?
As usual these are my personal thoughts and lived experiences that I am sharing with you. Remember to believe your own experience, to create safe spaces for yourself and move towards the relationships and experiences that make you feel loved and alive.
Again I want to state I am not an expert, these are simply things I've noticed that have helped me and I want to share them in the hopes they help you too.
As always I am looking forward to your comments/ discussion. Please feel free to share this with those you think would find it useful.
If you want me to make a part two feel free to leave questions / suggestions below and I will see them! Thank you, as always, for being here.
1. Learn about reactions v root fear- address the actual fear. Example at 4:08 Address a macro fear and create a safe space
2. Humanize yourself through sharing your vulnerabilities 11:40
3. Leave 15:51 - take this with a grain of salt. This is to prevent the person who has experienced trauma to go back into the cycle of feeling like they have to earn your love. 18:42 for the core statement
4. How to be romantic with someone with trauma 20:20 how they tell you what they want at 22:40
5. Keep yourself safe, sometimes people who have been through trauma can’t see that they are hurting you 23:10
27:49 closing statement
religioustraumacounseling.com
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
complexintegrationmbs.com
I appreciate you being here, I hope this is useful.
It's important to remember that there is not one quick fix that will heal you, but your willingness to work on yourself over time will save you.
I hope this is useful. Looking forward to feedback and if it makes sense for your brain. I appreciate you all!
2:01 1. You are not broken beyond repair
5:06 2. Look for someone you feel safe with 2.2 8:04 Choose a licensed therapist that specializes in what you need.
10:40 3. Be as honest as possible
11:50 4. Start with Talk therapy
14:30 5. Therapy won't heal you
You deserve to feel good about yourself and therapy can help you see what's stopping you. I hope this helps, please also share what kinds of therapies or self care processes have been helpful to you! We're all in this together.
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Links to therapist
cicadarecoveryservices.com
religioustraumacounseling.com
My Religious Trauma Course
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
I know these are hard subjects and I hope this is useful! As always, I would love to hear your experiences and listen to your stories and questions.
You're not alone.
Question 1 (internal) 6:30, 7:50
How religious people argue 9:08
Question 2 10:00
Why my marriage dissolved 13:50
Question 3 14:29
What your job is in the relationship16:00
All the questions recap 17:40
(link below for how to deal with family during the holidays)
youtube.com/watch?v=_QgJHUDWgsQ
(religious trauma course)
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
Link to article : victormarx.com/12-life-impacting-symptoms-complex-ptsd-survivors-endure/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3f6HBhDHARIsAD_i3D8ffl8EcO8dFhh2K-7qcFAZYVWByyccIkdfIQRVJJ3yDDBDGn1sh6AaAs-9EALw_wcB
Link to Religious Trauma Course:
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
As always, sending you love and support. I hope this is a helpful step for you on your journey. 💕
Remember there is a reason why your brain does what it does, if you can find the origin point of a thought, then you can decide what to do with it.
Remember the words of Pooh bear : You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think
Course link below.
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
Sometimes as an outsider we can see a situation clearly while the person in the situation cannot. It's tempting to pull someone out especially if we feel they are in danger, but life has very different plans than we do. Here is what I have found works, even though it takes longer than forcibly removing someone from a situation.
One day at a time still works. Keep building yourself up and keep building up others.
Link to the book from Steven Hassan.
amazon.com/Freedom-Mind-Helping-Controlling-Beliefs/dp/0967068819
0:43 Answering a question about sexuality and a rant on purity culture.
6:10 Struggling to step away from god
9:50 Worried about finding a relationship?
13:55 TV and music deprivation vs obsession
16:15 Do I still hate people from my past?
22:00 Where can you find motivation?
As always, I appreciate you guys watching and engaging with me. Keep loving yourself into existence, xo!
Checking in to see if I can respond to any questions you might have, and also really excited to launch a new company surrounding mental and physical health resources. I appreciate you being on this journey with me, and look forward to more!
Link to religious trauma course below:
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
There is a very beautiful life that is still available to you. Go get it!
Link to Therapists:
religioustraumacounseling.com
Link to my Religious Trauma Course: resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma