The foundation of PTSD recovery is creating inner safety.
We’re not trying to force healing or force recovery. What we’re trying to do is create the inner environment that supports healing to happen naturally.
In this fourth video of my PTSD series, I want to explore how we can begin creating that inner safety through mindfulness, self-acceptance, and gradually reconnecting with our feelings and body sensations.
When we’ve experienced trauma, we may have learned to disconnect from our feelings because what we were experiencing was simply too overwhelming. But as we begin rebuilding trust within ourselves, we can gradually learn to feel more comfortable with what we’re experiencing.
How Loving Support Helped Me Feel Safe During a Panic Attack
In the previous video, I shared an experience from many years ago when I was having severe panic attacks connected to unresolved trauma.
I was in a public place and suddenly felt overwhelmed. I perceived people everywhere, almost shoulder to shoulder, and felt an intense need to escape.
I told the person I was with that I needed to leave.
What made this experience different was that she was completely loving and supportive of what I was feeling.
She wasn’t trying to convince me to stay or pushing me to leave. She wasn’t judging me or making my experience about herself.
She simply accepted what I was going through.
Because I felt supported, I decided to stay a little longer. When the panic returned, I asked whether I could simply be there with her and experience whatever I was feeling.
She said she would be honoured.
And something remarkable happened.
After a while, we began laughing and enjoying ourselves. When I looked around, I realized there were hardly any people there at all.
Earlier, I had perceived the place as crowded and dangerous. Now I could see that there were only a few people around.
What I began realizing was that my subconscious mind had been interpreting the situation through protective patterns created by unresolved trauma.
It was assessing whether I was safe, and its response was essentially, “People are dangerous. We need to get out of here.”
I had even felt as though I was going to die.
Yet when I experienced loving support and acceptance, my perception of what was happening began to change.
Creating the Inner Safety We Need for Healing
What made that experience so meaningful was that this person gave me something I had needed when I was younger, during experiences that had been overwhelming and traumatizing.
I needed someone to accept my feelings, listen without judgment, and offer affection and understanding.
She provided a supportive environment where I could begin feeling safe enough to experience what was happening within me.
And this is something I believe is very important when we’re recovering from PTSD and unresolved trauma.
We need to begin developing that same loving, supportive environment within ourselves.
Having supportive people around us can be incredibly helpful, but we don’t always have someone available when we’re struggling.
Ultimately, we need to develop an inner place of safety and trust that we can return to.
One of the best ways to begin doing this is through a gentle practice of mindfulness and self-awareness.
Learning to Feel Safe With Our Emotions
Think about what may have happened during the original traumatic experience.
Something occurred that was simply too overwhelming to handle emotionally. Our subconscious mind may have protected us by disconnecting us from the feelings and sensations associated with that experience.
But in doing so, we may have developed an association that feelings themselves are dangerous.
We learned to move away from what we were experiencing, and over time, this can become a subconscious coping pattern.
Part of rebuilding inner safety is gradually changing our relationship with our feelings.
Instead of automatically pushing uncomfortable sensations away, we can begin developing greater familiarity and comfort with what we experience in our bodies.
We’re feeling beings designed to feel.
It’s through our feelings that we experience joy, happiness, affection, and connection. Our feelings also help guide us through life, helping us recognize what matters to us and where we want to go.
When we’re constantly disconnecting from what we feel, we may also be limiting our ability to experience these wonderful parts of life.
A Simple Mindfulness Practice for Building Inner Safety
One of the things I encourage people to do is begin a regular awareness practice.
I personally like the morning because it gives us an opportunity to start the day by reconnecting with ourselves.
Find somewhere comfortable where you feel reasonably safe and won’t be disturbed, rushed, or judged.
Simply sit comfortably and begin noticing your breathing.
Feel the sensations of your breath moving in and out.
You don’t need to control your breathing or make anything happen.
And then something will probably happen.
You’ll get distracted.
You’ll begin thinking about something that happened yesterday, something you need to do, or something you’re worried about tomorrow.
That’s okay.
Simply notice that your attention has moved into your thinking mind and gently return to your breathing.
You might only notice part of one breath before your thoughts pull you away again.
That’s perfectly fine.
The practice isn’t about stopping your thoughts. It’s about learning to recognize when your attention has wandered and gently returning to the present moment.
You can also reconnect with your body through simple physical sensations:
•Feel your feet resting against the floor.
•Place a hand on your chest and notice the sensation.
•Feel your back supported by the chair.
•Notice the sensation of sitting on your seat.
•Gently return your awareness to one natural breath.
The important thing is to notice something that’s actually happening here and now.
When we’re caught up in anxious thoughts, worrying or imagining what might happen, our subconscious mind can begin responding to situations that aren’t actually occurring.
By gently returning our awareness to our bodies, we’re practising reconnecting with what is happening in the present moment.
If focusing on your breathing or internal sensations feels uncomfortable, begin with something simpler, such as feeling your feet on the floor or noticing familiar objects around you.
There’s no need to force yourself through overwhelming sensations.
Building Familiarity, Acceptance, and Self-Love
This practice takes time, especially if we’ve spent many years learning to disconnect from our feelings.
You might begin with just one or two minutes each day and gradually increase the time as you become more comfortable.
Every day will be a little different.
Some mornings you may feel relaxed and peaceful. Other mornings you might feel restless, anxious, or distracted.
As you continue practising, you gradually become familiar with a wider range of feelings and sensations.
And that familiarity can help create a growing sense of safety.
But there’s another important part of this practice.
When you take the time to sit with yourself, become aware of your feelings, and accept what you’re experiencing, you’re doing much more than practising mindfulness.
You’re learning to give yourself the loving attention and acceptance you may not have received during difficult experiences in your past.
Think about what I described earlier, when that person helped me feel safe during my panic attack.
She accepted me, listened without judgment, and allowed me to experience what I was feeling.
Through mindfulness, we can begin offering ourselves that same support.
We’re taking time for ourselves, acknowledging our feelings, and developing patience and compassion.
For someone who learned that their feelings weren’t acceptable or safe to experience, this can be a meaningful change.
We’re gradually creating an inner environment where our feelings are welcomed rather than rejected.
And this is an important foundation for rebuilding inner safety and trust.
Explore the Complete PTSD Video Series
This article is part of my 10-part PTSD video series, where I explore how overwhelming experiences can create subconscious coping patterns, influence our perceptions, and affect our ability to feel safe in everyday life.
Throughout the series, I explain these patterns in simple, relatable ways and introduce mindfulness practices that can help us reconnect with ourselves, develop greater inner safety, and build a more compassionate relationship with our emotions.
Each video builds upon the previous one, offering a step-by-step understanding of the healing process without needing to force ourselves to relive overwhelming experiences.
Explore the complete PTSD video series and supporting articles:
https://www.hypnotherapyvictoria.com/ptsd/
FREE Self-Help Mindfulness Series
If you would like some guidance with developing this practice, I’ve created a FREE Self-Help Mindfulness Series to help you begin building greater awareness, acceptance, and connection with yourself.
This six-section program provides a foundation for learning to recognize your thoughts, reconnect with your body sensations, and gradually develop a more supportive relationship with what you’re feeling.
For people experiencing PTSD or trauma-related anxiety, these practices may help you:
•Develop greater comfort and familiarity with your body sensations.
•Recognize when your attention becomes caught up in anxious thinking.
•Gently return your awareness to the present moment.
•Practise accepting your feelings rather than automatically resisting them.
•Build greater self-compassion, inner trust, and emotional safety.
You can begin with just a few minutes at a time, working at a pace that feels manageable for you.
FREE Self-Help Mindfulness Series
Counselling Hypnotherapy
Sometimes the protective patterns we’ve developed through traumatic experiences can be difficult to recognize or work through on our own.
Through mindfulness-based counselling hypnotherapy, I help people explore the subconscious beliefs, emotional responses, and coping patterns that may be contributing to ongoing anxiety, fear, and difficulty feeling safe.
My approach emphasizes developing self-awareness, compassion, and the inner safety needed to support emotional healing.
You can learn more about the therapy methods I use here:
Counselling Victoria
Hypnotherapy Victoria
Free 1-Hour Video Consultation
If you’re experiencing PTSD, trauma-related anxiety, panic, or difficulty feeling safe within yourself, I offer a free 1-hour video consultation. We can talk about what you’re experiencing, how these protective patterns are affecting your life, explore possible underlying causes, discuss your goals for healing and change, and look at my therapy process to see whether working together feels like the right fit for you.
https://calendly.com/arnepedersen/free-consultation
Moving Forward With Greater Inner Safety
The foundation of PTSD recovery is learning to create a supportive relationship with ourselves.
When unresolved trauma has taught us to disconnect from our feelings and the present moment, we can begin gently changing that pattern through awareness, compassion, and acceptance.
As we become more comfortable with our feelings and body sensations, we can gradually develop greater confidence in our ability to handle life’s experiences.
Instead of constantly anticipating danger, we can begin recognizing when we’re safe and become more comfortable engaging with life.
In Video 5, we’ll explore reconnecting with our body sensations in more detail and how we can begin learning to be with and process what we’re feeling.
Remember, we’re not trying to force healing. We’re creating the inner environment that supports it.
I hope this has been helpful, and I wish you a wonderful rest of your day.
Arne Pedersen
Registered and Certified Counselling Hypnotherapist
Hypnotherapy Victoria
