Dr. Anita Phillips | Trauma Therapist

“Be well with your whole story.” - @dranitaphillips May you find peace with all you are and every piece of your story as we close another week. 🙏🏾💐 Dr. Anita gave us so many gems for dealing with the duality of life, and how to remain faithful in the face of deep joy and debilitating pain. If you have some time, check it out. Thank you to all those who have already watched. According to the DM’s and comments we’ve been getting— we know this episode will bless you and give you tools for the journey. 🎯 Episode 11 of @healedgirlerapod is streaming now on YouTube.com/Gia.Peppers and on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio. Thank you again, Dr. Anita. ————- #healingjourney #itiswell #healedgirlerapod #inspiringquotes #griefandloss #TrustGod Credits: ⬇️ Host and EP: #giapeppers Guest/Talent: #DrAnitaPhillips Producers: @victoryadministration , @chanel_laren , @iamdinorah , @ciera31mcgrew , @bodega7_   Editor: @franco.collective   DP: @rickyjdee17   Set PA’s @befiercebefab @__gavo BTS Photographer: @destinyfulfild   Still Photographer: @bexxfrancois   GP MUA: @marquiswardbeauty   GP Stylist: @graffitiface GP Hair: @octobergloryhair styled by @shearphysique   Social media editor: @goodworkscreative @carmenjcarroll

It’s time for your heart to flourish. This book will help you. I wrote The Garden Within to change the way you think about how you feel. Whether you control, repress, or “manage” them, emotions are too often cast as the opposition in a war that never seems to end. But, my friend, your heart isn’t meant to be a battlefield. Your heart is a garden. The seeds of this book were planted in my own heart at the tender age of six after untreated mental illness devastated my family’s life. When it was finally time to write these words, I thought it would take six months. It took two years. But every heavy moment, every pang of self-doubt, every labor pain, and every non-prospering weapon formed was worth it to get this book to YOU. This book isn’t about illness. The Garden Within is a book about what it truly means to be well. This book isn’t about self-help. It’s about self-understanding. Once you truly understand how the Creator designed you, the rest is simple. The Garden Within is for you if you want to learn how to cultivate a state of emotional well-being that can: 🌿 Unleash a new level of spiritual power in your life. 🌿 Calm anxiety and renew your mind, 🌿 Heal your nervous system and reverse the effects of trauma, and 🌿 Nourish your relationships, your purpose, and your legacy. ✨ Order yours today anywhere books are sold or go to TheGardenWithin.com I hope you are ready to start living your most powerful life. I’m so honored to be the vessel for this message — and to share these teachings — with you. . #TheGardenWithin #PowerGrowsHere #EmotionallyWellSpirituallyPowerful #EmotionalWellbeing #TraumaHealing #Somatic #VagusNerve

I love explaining that our thoughts grow from the soil of our hearts, not the other way around. Emotional pain signals areas where we’re hungry for connection, value and safety. Emotions are like hunger pangs indicating a need, not something to overcome. Neurobiology confirms what the Spirit has said all along - our feelings water our thoughts. When we embrace emotions as a source of wisdom, it cultivates true peace and power. A truly powerful life isn’t conquered, it’s continually cultivated through caring for the soil of our hearts. . Watch the whole @SuperSoul conversation on the @OWNtv YouTube channel [Link in bio] . #TheGardenWithinBook #dranita #Oprah #SuperSoul #EmotionalWellbeing #TraumaHealing #VagusNerve #Somatic

In Luke 10:38–42, Martha was overwhelmed by everything that needed to get done, while Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet. 🤍 This week’s message from Pastor @dranitaphillips reminded us that prayer isn’t about performing perfectly for God. It’s about bringing Him your real authentic self. Jesus can handle your honesty. ✨ Save these sermon notes and watch the full message “Same Posture, New Pour” on our YouTube channel.

JOY>HAPPINESS : Joy and happiness are different. Happiness is connected to temporary circumstances: comfort, pleasure, relief, achievement, or good news. Joy is deeper. Much deeper. A 2020 review of the research found joy to be rooted in meaning, safety, connection, vitality, transcendence, and wholeness.Because of that joy persists even in difficult circumstances. Joy is not the absence of pain. Joy is the presence of something pain can’t destroy. 2 Cor 6:10 (NKJV) affirms it. I can be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” Joy can help anchor our mental health. So how do we get more joy? Joy can be cultivated through practices like: 1. Prayer and contemplation 2. Gratitude 3. Awe and wonder 4. Generosity 5. A life of meaning and purpose 6. Deep relationships and belonging In other words, joy is not just stumbled upon. It can be nurtured. Mental health awareness month is not only about reducing suffering. It is also about creating the conditions where joy can grow. And of course my greatest sources of joy? My children. My friends. My faith community. My Creator. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NKJV) . 🪡🧵: @bruceglen

Pastor @dranitaphillips said it best: “Every faith produces works, but not every work is fueled by faith.” Martha and Mary both loved Jesus. Martha and Mary both believed in Jesus. Martha and Mary both said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:17-37). But, Martha kept talking about her religious knowledge while Mary fell at His feet and waited for Jesus to speak. A Pharisee already has their answer prepared. A priestly posture waits to hear the voice of God. Bring God your real emotions, your real fears, and your real questions to the feet of Jesus…and let Him love you there. 🤍 Watch the full sermon “Same Posture, New Pour” from @dranitaphillips on our YouTube channel. 💻

Some days my self-care regimen is tight: eating healthy food, drinking my water, and going to bed early. And some days it’s talking to Jesus while eating way too much ice cream and I believe Jesus fully understands. 😩🍨 Self-care and mental health go hand in hand. It can show up in all sorts of ways: - going outside for 10 minutes - saying “no” without guilt - still saying no even when you do feel guilty - praying honestly instead of performing spiritually, - taking your vitamins consistently - laughing until your stomach hurts - asking for help - going to therapy - answering the phone when your safe people call - or eating ice cream with somebody you love. And honestly, one of the most important forms of self-care is healthy relationship. Human beings are not designed to do life alone. Support, connection, laughter, non-sexual touch, conversation, community, and feeling emotionally safe with other people all matter for mental health too. Your nervous system does not need perfection from you. It needs care, consistency, rest, joy, and connection. Happy Mental Health Awareness Month. 💚 How do you do your self-care? Let us know in the comments. You might inspire someone!

DAY 10 of 31: Can I honor my mother and still maintain boundaries in the relationship ? . It’s Mother’s Day. For some it’s filled with an ambiguous kind of grief because their mom is alive but the relationship has been, and remains, incredibly difficult and painful. Exodus 20:12 (NKJV) says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” so, when it comes to the intersection of faith and mental health this topic can feel extra hard! But there is hope. Take a listen and then check out these recommendations: Set Boundaries, Find Peace by @nedratawwab Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay C. Gordon You may also want to follow @tiffanytheeempress and @morganpommells - both focus on adult children healing from painful parent relationships. Take care of you. You deserve it. And you are worthy of it.

DAY 9 of 31: How do I know if my distress is a spiritual issue or a mental health issue? That is the MOST asked question I get. And since I missed a few days of posting I decided to go live to answer this one (and some other questions too)! Talk to you again soon. I love you! ❤️ #mentalhealthawareness #mentalillness #faithandmentalhealth

Physical illness and mental illness are the same except for one thing… Symptoms. If the symptoms show up in your emotions, thoughts, or behaviors it’s categorized as a mental illness. All other symptoms get categorized as physical illness. That’s it. That’s the difference. Recognized mental illnesses are listed together in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Schizophrenia, PTSD, and Bipolar Disorders are in that book. But so are Alzheimer’s and Insomnia! Mental illness is something that happens in your body just like catching a cold or developing diabetes. We don’t just think our way out of a disease. And we don’t just think our way out of mental disorders either. Something else that’s the same about mental illness and physical illness is that treatment and recovery are possible. A mental illness doesn’t have to be a life sentence but an untreated mental illness might be! Get the help you need. And encourage people you love to do the same. Your mental health matters. What did you think the difference between mental and physical illness was? Did this explanation clarify anything?

1 Peter 2:9 reminds us that we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood…” We’re not called to live stuck in cycles of sin and striving. We’re called to live as priests. 👑 When you shift your heart, your life follows. When you surrender, God fills the space. When you take on your priestly posture, you can actually sustain the abundance He’s releasing. Save this + go back through the notes this week ✨ Listen to the @dranitaphillips full sermon “The Good Life” on our YouTube channel. 💻

DAY 4 of 31: “Christian” doesn’t guarantee alignment… . . 1. Just like people may look for shared gender or cultural background, many look for shared faith. It makes sense. But you may not find someone who has the expertise you need who is also a Christian. Don’t delay healing waiting for both. 2. Even if a therapist is Christian, they may not approach it the way you do. Christian beliefs and practices vary widely. And, in my experience, culture does more to shape that than scripture (I said what I said!). Ask yourself: What am I expecting their faith to add to my process? 3. Your pastor is not your therapist AND your therapist is not your pastor. Therapy is a profession. Spiritual guidance belongs to your faith community and, most importantly, your own study of scripture. If your faith community is emotionally unhealthy it may be time for a move. 4. Fears that a non-Christian therapist will try to change your faith are largely unfounded. Licensed therapists are ethically required to respect client beliefs. Their role includes addressing any diagnosis, helping you self-reflect, process your experiences, and function more fully while honoring your values. If that’s not happening, it’s not ethical professional care. ⸻ Bottom line: I am a therapist who is also a Christian but I would not accept a client looking for a Christian if I did not have the proper training to address their mental health needs. In the therapy room my professional capacity matters most. Your FIRST choice should be a trained skilled therapist. Then, go from there! #dranita #faithandmentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness