I have talked before about the experience of one of my fibromyalgia coaching clients, Laurie* and her story of transforming post-traumatic stress into post-traumatic growth. 

When I first met Laurie she was on the verge of giving up, feeling extremely hopeless and discouraged.

She found out Fibromyalgia Coaching in a sort of miraculous way and it changed her life.

And now she says  “It is time to tell my story. I am so happy. I feel like a butterfly, I have started a new chapter in my life. This is going to be the best decade of my life.”

Laurie has experienced post-traumatic growth as a result of facing her health challenges and taking charge of her health and her life.**

This growth after a trauma or crisis is not a new phenomenon as history records many stories of people who faced immense challenges and difficulties and on the other side of their trials became strong wise souls and transformative leaders.

This is the essence of the Hero’s Journey, the archetypal story of the person who goes on a mythic adventure facing many challenges and in a decisive crisis wins a victory and comes home changed and transformed.

The impact of that struggle is so intense it is life altering and the person emerges from this ordeal, stronger in the broken places, with greater insight, wisdom and compassion and a clearer sense of their purpose in the world.

You can become the Hero in your own story.

So, this brings me to the question,  Post-traumatic Growth: What would it look like if it happened to you?

For my client Laurie, post-traumatic growth looks like an emotional, physical and spiritual transformation that has resulted in:

1. A deep level of acceptance and appreciation for her life
2. Compassion for herself and the trials she has endured
3. An ever growing set of skills and positive mindset strategies that aid her in managing her fibromyalgia.

What could it look like for you?

If you would like to know more about post-traumatic growth in the context of managing your fibromyalgia, I invite you to schedule a FREE Breakthrough Session with me.

I would be happy to explore ways I could support you in feeling better, taking charge of your health and learning to love your life again.

References

*Laurie graciously gave me permission to share a little bit of her journey with fibromyalgia.

**Post-traumatic growth is a term coined by Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun that describes the positive changes many people experience on the other side of a deep and difficult struggle. 

This theory of how post-traumatic growth occurs has supported assessment, research and the development of therapeutic and coaching strategies to support the process of post-traumatic growth.

Referenced in: Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital Research Dose. “Turn Crisis Into Growth.” Belmont, Massachusetts. May 31, 2020.