Emotional Overload and Trauma: How Brainspotting Brings Peace for Highly Sensitive Women — Guidance from a Christian Therapist in Houston
When Emotions Feel Too Big — The Reality of Trauma for Sensitive Women
When you are a highly sensitive woman, your emotions feel BIG. Whether it’s joy, anger or sadness, you feel very deeply. Now let’s get this straight, it doesn’t mean that your emotions have to control you. You are in fact in complete control over your own emotions. But when you have too many things going on at the same time, it feels as if the world might implode on you. You also are typically on the verge of tears when you’re angry, sad, overwhelmed or even sad. Emotional exhaustion is real because you sometimes get tired of riding the emotional wave. One minute you feel happy, and another minute, something else shows up. You sometimes wonder if you’re normal.
And if you’re a highly sensitive woman who has experienced trauma, these big emotions will be magnified. Normally trauma causes people to be hyper sensitive to what’s around them. So when you’re someone who already feels emotions deeply, who is also going through trauma, it becomes a tidal wave. Sometimes you’re overwhelmed in every area of your life. Work deadlines have you feeling harried. You and your husband are not getting along, and the kids just won’t give you a break. So in every domain, you feel like the burden is so heavy.
This is where I come in. As a Christian therapist in Houston who is especially versed in working with highly sensitive women, I understand that you can’t stop yourself from feeling so deeply. It’s simply how God wired you. My job is to understand the level of emotional depth that you bring to the table. I’ll show you how to come to acceptance with your sensitivity, learn how to use your emotions for good, so you don’t feel like you’re weighed down all the time.
Brainspotting as a Safe Space for Emotional Release
Brainspotting is one of my golden tools for processing trauma and deep emotions. I find that it takes much less time than traditional talk therapy. Maybe you’re sick and tired of talking about your life experiences over and over again. You’re sick and tired of turning life events over in your head without a solution. Well brainspotting helps to pinpoint the trauma, actually process it and finally digest it so that it stops living rent free in your head. You won’t forget that the trauma happened to you, but it will no longer elicit a strong emotional reaction when you think about or talk about it.
In the moment when you’re brainspotting, it might feel emotionally heavy because the memories come flooding back. You will also feel the emotions in your physical body, but as time goes on, you will actually feel a sense of relief and resolution. Just like a tidal wave. It might come in fast at first, but it eventually returns back to its source.
I especially love that brainspotting is gentle. You can unpack trauma and go right back to work afterwards. Will there be tears involved? Perhaps. Is it always easy? No. But it tends to be quicker and more effective over time than traditional talk therapy methods for trauma. Some of my clients love it because they don’t have to do so much talking. It sounds strange, but I’ve sat with clients in silence for about an hour and they’ve walked away with massive relief.
Brainspotting is ideal for highly sensitive women because you don’t have to spend so much time trying to express the myriad of emotions that are coming up for you. We go straight to the source of where the actual emotions are being held in your brain. No beating about the bush. Maybe it’s time to work with a trauma therapist in Houston who offers brainspotting sessions.
The Spiritual Side of Healing — Inviting God into the Therapy Process
As a Christian therapist in Houston, I hold the belief that you should not have to separate your spiritual beliefs from your mental health. Your mind, will and emotions are stored within your soul. So that being said, how can we separate your beliefs from your healing? It’s impossible. Your faith is a matter of your soul. Therapeutic healing does not have to conflict with your faith. There is lots of room for prayer and Bible scriptures in the therapy room. After all, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). As you feel yourself being pulled by the emotions that will undoubtedly come up as we process trauma, it is important to ground yourself. Sometimes clients are silently praying as they are brainspotting. I can also pray with you if you so desire and I love to pull scriptures of comfort so that you have The Holy Spirit guiding you in your healing.
A skilled Christian therapist in Houston can hold both trauma and faith in balance. I can put on my therapist hat and also invite faith into the room. The two are not mutually exclusive. I can understand how trauma has affected you, but also understand that you have Jehovah Rapha who can heal every broken heart. You do not have to sideline your beliefs when you work with me. Therapy can simply be viewed as part of your healing journey with God. Sometimes God sends you a professional whom He works through.
How Brainspotting Reduces Emotional Burnout and Restores Mental Energy
After you’ve experienced either one or several traumatic events, it begins to take a toll on you. You might feel irritable- snapping at everyone around you. You find yourself bursting into tears or your emotions are all over the place. Trauma will do a number on you. Trauma is also emotionally exhausting. You get tired of crying, looking over your shoulders, feeling unsafe, isolated, worrying if something bad will ever happen again. It’s rough. Brainspotting helps reset your nervous system and restore clarity. It’s almost like all the heavy thoughts finally clear out of the way so that you can get back to the real you. No more doubting yourself, no more fear, no more hiding, You get to show up just as you want to be. Freedom!
Imagine being able to connect with new friends, go out like you used to, without worrying about getting hurt. You can get on a plane and travel without worrying for 7 hours. You can deeply connect with a romantic interest and show up authentically. Little things won’t trigger you anymore. No more nightmares, scary dreams, worrying, crying yourself to sleep. You can lay down at night and actually look forward to rest.
As a Black therapist in Houston, not only do I understand the unique needs of highly sensitive women, I also understand the importance of helping Black women heal from trauma. I know how you have to hold everything on your shoulders. I know how difficult it is for you to even trust someone enough to open up to them. You don’t have to pretend to be someone you aren’t. Show up just as you are. You don’t have to explain your life or culture to me. I just get it. And if you choose to wear your bonnet, I’m all for it.
You Don’t Have to Be Strong All the Time — Let Support Hold You for Once
You don’t have to continue to hold it all together. You need a space where you can finally open up and be vulnerable. You get to talk about all the things that have held you down for years. You don’t have to be the strong woman when you are in therapy, you get to be the healing woman. I want you to know that there is strength in being able to open up and be honest. Just lay your burdens down.
If you have been feeling weighed down, know that there is someone out there who is ready to support you through your trials. You’ll feel seen, you don’t have to be the strong woman, and you can just breathe easy.
You’ve carried those heavy emotions long enough — it’s time to let someone else hold space for you.
As a Christian therapist in Houston, I use Brainspotting Trauma Therapy to help highly sensitive women process trauma gently and reconnect with peace. You don’t have to keep bottling it up or doing it all alone. Book your free consultation for trauma counseling in Houston today and experience emotional relief with care that honors both your heart and your faith.
About
My name is Ibinye Osibodu-Onyali. I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist in California and Texas. I help women who are struggling with trauma, anxiety and insomnia. I also help couples learn how to speak each other’s language, date each other again and manage conflict in a non-painful way.
