We often walk through life carrying weights that no one else can see. For many of us, the process of healing isn’t just a mental exercise; it is a physical reclamation of the inner child through the body. We frequently hold onto “pollution”—repressed feelings and traumatic events—that create a desperate need for emotional release.
The silence we keep is often born from a desire to be “good little boys and girls” who “clamp down” on our true expressions to remain loved. Yet, true strength is found when we stop running from our physical pain and find the courage to look at the stories stored within our muscles and joints. When we come out of the mind and into the body, we allow for a profound emotional release, beginning the real work of transformation.
Who Is Pat Jackman?
In Episode 62, we sit down with Pat Jackman, a pioneer in Emotional Release Therapy with over 30 years of experience. Pat’s journey began after experiencing severe chest pains on Christmas Day, leading her to a session where she “completely lost it” and began the deep work of somatic healing.
Pat brings a raw, unfiltered perspective on how life circumstances “slap” layers of trauma onto our bodies, covering our natural state of joy. Her background in working with thousands of clients has given her a unique lens into how physical ailments like back pain or headaches are actually the “inner child calling out” to be expressed. Today, she shares her wisdom to ensure that others can “crawl through the muck” and reach the safety and connection they deserve.
1. Why Is the Body the Key to Unlocking Inner Child Healing?
True healing is found in physical integration rather than just intellectual understanding. Pat Jackman defines her work as “coming out of the mind” and into the body because the body remembers what the mind forgets.
- Every physical pain is equivalent to an amount of stored emotion from “little kids” inside us.
- While we can express anger or sadness “until the cows come home” through talk, the breakthrough happens when we physically open “doorways” in the body.
- Opening the “heart point” on the back—located under the scapula—is the essential first step, as all emotion is expressed through the heart.
2. How Does “Pollution” Mask Our Natural State of Joy?
Shifting your perspective from being “tortured” to being “covered” can break the cycle of shame. Pat explains that we are born as beings of love, peace, and joy.
- Life events and family dynamics act as “pollution” that gets layered on top of our original, wonderful selves.
- We often freeze or shut down because we were told to “take that smile off your face” or “go to your room” when expressing feelings.
- Healing involves moving through these “slapped on” layers of fear and grief to reconnect with the light that was always there.
3. Why Is “Safety and Connection” the Prerequisite for Release?
Creating a secure environment provides the closure that isolation cannot. Pat emphasizes that if a person does not feel safe or welcome, they will not be able to release anything.
- In a group setting, seeing that “you’re not the only one” who experienced abuse or neglect allows the nervous system to begin to relax.
- This sense of community acts as a bridge, moving an individual from a state of “clamping down” to a place where they can finally speak what they could never say to their parents.
4. Why Is It Vital to Find Love for the Wounded “Part”?
Healing requires viewing our younger selves with compassion rather than just reliving the trauma. Pat asks her clients to look into the eyes of their five-year-old selves and identify what they love about that child.
- Simply expressing anger or fear is “not enough” to complete the cycle of healing.
- The real shift occurs when we find the “kindness” or “smartness” in that wounded part and bring it into our hearts.
- This process allows us to provide the comfort and love to ourselves that our caretakers may have failed to provide.
5. Why Is Healing a “Path” Rather than a Destination?
Making the choice to thrive means committing to a lifelong journey of “waking up”. Pat Jackman is candid that after 30 years, she is still on the path.
- Healing is not a one-time session; it is a path to follow that requires constant practice, much like meditation.
- Profound moments of “spirit” meeting the body may only last minutes, but they are enough to provide the “truth” and the courage to keep going.
- By choosing to “crawl through the muck” of our past, we gain the courage to live with big love, big sadness, and big joy.
The Message to Carry With You
The journey of Emotional Release Therapy is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. It reminds us that physical pain is not an enemy, but a signal that a part of us is ready to be heard and loved.
Pat Jackman’s story teaches us that we are not “tortured beings”—we are lovers, peace, and joy who simply need to “come through the wounds” to get back to ourselves. If you are in pain, reach out; there are practitioners ready to help you hold the space you deserve. You are a spirit with a story that deserves to be felt and a body that deserves to be free.
Connect with Pat Jackman
