Episode 236
E 236: Recovering from Trauma Through Bodywork, Movement & Connection w/Blanca Rodriquez
In this powerful and inspiring conversation, we explore the profound impact of childhood trauma on adult life with special guest Blanca Rodriguez — speaker, educator, best-selling co-author, and CEO of Wounded Healer, LLC. With more than two decades of experience as a licensed massage therapist, Blanca offers deep insight into how trauma isn’t just a memory — it lives in the body.
Blanca shares her personal journey from silence and pain to empowerment and purpose, demonstrating that healing is not a destination — it’s a courageous, ongoing process. She highlights the importance of a holistic approach to recovery, combining traditional therapeutic support with innovative modalities like canine massage therapy, movement, music, laughter, and dance to unlock emotional release and transformation.
This episode is a reminder that life does not get better by chance — it gets better by change. Listeners are encouraged to take small steps toward healing, embrace their inherent worth, and seek support that nurtures both the body and soul.
✅ Key Takeaways
- Untreated childhood trauma has a deep and lasting effect on adult emotional and physical health.
- Healing requires a holistic approach — addressing the trauma stored in the body, not just the mind.
- Creative expression (music, dance, laughter) can serve as powerful tools for emotional release and growth.
- Trauma recovery often accelerates when physical therapies like massage are integrated into care.
- Support systems and community are vital — we heal faster when we’re not alone.
- Personal transformation is a choice — small, consistent steps create a better quality of life.
⏱️ Episode Chapters
00:01 — Introduction to Blanca Rodriguez
10:40 — The Healing Journey: Trauma & Recovery
16:09 — Breaking the Silence: The Journey to Healing
24:22 — Movement, Massage & Emotion: Where Trauma Lives
29:27 — The Power of Support Systems & Taking Action
🔗 Connect with Blanca
Website: www.woundedhealer.us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Woundedhealer1965
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blanca-e-rodriguez-58b20490
More links: https://linktr.ee/woundedhb
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Transcript
Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, hello everybody and welcome to another episode of Blanc of of Adult Child of Dysfunction.
Speaker A:Today we have with us Blanca Rodriguez.
Speaker A:She is with us from sunny Florida as well.
Speaker A:Are you in Florida right now, Blanca?
Speaker B:Yes, yes, I am.
Speaker A:Perfect.
Speaker A:And she's the CEO of Wounded Healer llc.
Speaker A:She's an accomplished speaker, storyteller, educator, a canine massage therapist and bestselling book co author.
Speaker A:Blanca has dedicated her career to helping individuals understand the long term effects of untreated childhood trauma and how music, laughter and dance can provide a creative outlet for healing and transformation.
Speaker A:Blanca's contribution to the personal growth world has helped individuals improve her quality of life by helping them understand that life does not get better by chance.
Speaker A:It gets better by change.
Speaker A:Is that your tagline?
Speaker A:Because I love that.
Speaker B:Oh, yes, it is.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:I was gonna say because I know I hear a lot of them, but that definitely, like, I'm always like, you know, it's choice.
Speaker A:You have to choose, you have to decide.
Speaker A:But I like that it doesn't get better by chance, it gets better by change.
Speaker A:And absolutely, I love it.
Speaker A:And honestly, obviously change is what you help promote.
Speaker A:So I'm going to jump right in because I want to ask you, how did you get into, or do you do on a regular basis, the canine massage therapy?
Speaker B:Yes, I actually do.
Speaker B:And this is very interesting and thank you for that question.
Speaker B:I've been a licensed massage therapist for 20 years and as part of our licensing is our obligation to have continuing education courses every two years.
Speaker B:I was looking for something more interesting to do.
Speaker B:I've been doing this for 20 years already and I always.
Speaker B:I'm an animal lover at heart.
Speaker B:I grew up around animals.
Speaker B:I've been.
Speaker B:Dogs are my thing.
Speaker B:Definitely I was looking for something new to do and there it was.
Speaker B:Equine massage therapy.
Speaker B:I'm like, well, I love horses, but horses are big, intimidating and their muscle mass is gigantic.
Speaker B:So I saw in a random magazine it was a blessing.
Speaker B:Canine massage therapy courses in Sarasota, Florida.
Speaker B:And there I went.
Speaker B:I've had, and I haven't stopped since then, 10 years of being a canine massage therapist.
Speaker B: has been around since, since: Speaker B:actually.
Speaker B:But here in the Americas is a pretty young practice.
Speaker B: eally know about it until the: Speaker B:And the akc, or American Kennel Club, approve of the practices of massage therapy for better quality of life of our beloved dogs.
Speaker B:So that's exactly what I do.
Speaker B:As much as massage therapy is highly beneficial for us humans, it is equally beneficial for dogs because we both are mammals.
Speaker B:We have nerves, arteries, body systems, muscle emotion.
Speaker B:So, yes, that is definitely one of my biggest passions is canine massage therapy.
Speaker B:No doubt.
Speaker A:Well, it, it's funny you say that because I have a little pug and I always say, like, that is her happy place when she's sprawled on her back with her legs out and I'm rubbing, like massaging, like deep in, you know, those little, what I call her chicken legs.
Speaker A:And I'm like, dog.
Speaker A:And I always said dogs need massages too.
Speaker A:It's not.
Speaker A:Oh, that's great.
Speaker A:So is that your business?
Speaker A:Like your main business?
Speaker B:Part of my business is canine massage therapy.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And I do human massage therapy as well.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay, perfect.
Speaker A:And you do that.
Speaker A:I mean, massage is so beneficial.
Speaker A:And a lot of people, I mean, you treat trauma and it just goes to reason, and we talk so much on this podcast about the fact that the trauma is not stored in your mind, it's stored completely in your body.
Speaker A:I mean, it's in your mind too, but it's in your body.
Speaker A:And until you get that out, you.
Speaker A:So talk a little bit about that.
Speaker B:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker B:Thank you for that.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:I've been medical massage therapist for 20 years.
Speaker B:This has been my scope of practice ever since I got license.
Speaker B:I have worked in many environments, but one of the most powerful environments that I worked at was at rehab centers for drug abuse and alcohol abuse.
Speaker B:I work at two of these powerful facilities.
Speaker B:And the most important part of this is that in these places, people have nothing to lose because they lost it all.
Speaker B:And the one, the place where, I mean, that is filled for.
Speaker B:With strangers, where I experience more brutal honesty than anywhere else in my life was in these centers.
Speaker B:And most of the time, I could say like 98% of the time that people get numbed by drugs, alcohol abuse, whatever the case may be, whatever the addiction may be, the root cause of it is childhood trauma.
Speaker B:There's no doubt about that.
Speaker B:I come from childhood trauma.
Speaker B:And all I needed to do is say, how are you feeling today?
Speaker B:And the box will open.
Speaker B:And definitely, if there is something that all patients that I took care of in these years, it was this.
Speaker B:They felt better with a seven minute massage than they felt in a full session of psychotherapy.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And they failed with having pills to numb their pain because that's a big problem with recovery centers here in the state of Florida, is that they substitute an addiction with another addiction.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:They numb people with pills so they can supposedly recover.
Speaker B:To me, that is not the answer.
Speaker B:That is not the road.
Speaker B:They have feel.
Speaker B:And I can confirm this because I took care of three, over 3,000 people in one year.
Speaker B:And what they will, almost all of them will say is like a massage did much better than me, than the damn pill.
Speaker B:And definitely it was a great help to their recovery process.
Speaker B:Yes, emotions are stored in the body.
Speaker B:Stress levels that we have in our mind will reflect directly in our body in the weakest points that we have.
Speaker B:For example, you have, have the tendency to have migraines.
Speaker B:You get stressed out, guess what's going to happen.
Speaker B:A migraine will follow.
Speaker B:And like this, so many other parts of our bodies that yes, the body keeps a score and we may have some kind of trauma when we were even babies.
Speaker B:And your body will remember for the rest of your life.
Speaker B:Now how are we going to address these challenges?
Speaker B:That's another story.
Speaker B:And massage therapy is a beautiful, powerful way to address being in touch with our bodies, recognizing that our bodies deserve to feel better, to heal in some other way versus regard, I mean, besides a medication.
Speaker B:Because medication is a temporary fix for a permanent issue.
Speaker B:And definitely we got to be very, very aware and create that mindfulness about how are we going to.
Speaker B:What is going to work better for me?
Speaker B:Is it going to be taken on a leave because I have a headache or is it going to be, let me book a massage with this person because my full upper back is hurting and when the leaf is, the effect is gone, then the pain will come straight, right, right back.
Speaker A:So, and, and not only that, but like you said, if you go into a recovery center, I mean, these people are stuck and trying to break the habit of turning to something external when things are not going as well or when they can't, when they can't cope.
Speaker A:You know, it's very easy.
Speaker A:We want, we're, we're a quick fix kind of nation.
Speaker A:We wanted just a quick, quick fix.
Speaker A:And sometimes, yeah, I mean, yes, that pill, I mean sometimes even just holding that pill and getting ready to hand it to someone has been shown to lower their cortisol levels.
Speaker A:Like their stress like drops because they know they're going to get it.
Speaker A:But what if we could take them outside and run them around or like you say, dance with them, play with them, distract them in another way and let them just get it out of their body.
Speaker A:It was, I was talking to my husband the other day and we were, he said something about, I wish I could shake like a dog.
Speaker A:And so we got in that conversation about how the dogs shake to reset nervous systems.
Speaker A:I'm like, sometimes you need to, sometimes you just need to like, like shake it like crazy.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:You know, I mean, it's just so, so vitally important.
Speaker A:So, so your, your work is the trauma.
Speaker A:Do you still work in the recovery centers or no?
Speaker B:No, I don't work in the recovery centers anymore, but I work in a wellness center.
Speaker B:And this wellness center is more of a holistic approach to medicine.
Speaker B:There is a nurse practitioner, there's a medical doctor, and then there is me, and then there is a nutritionist.
Speaker B:Holistic life coaching.
Speaker B:I do holistic life coaching too.
Speaker B:Mental health counselor.
Speaker B:It's a beautiful facility that offers whatever works for you in a holistic way.
Speaker B:East meets West.
Speaker B:If you need your medication for whatever the case may be, but you can have, have the help of a massage, of a meditation session, reiki session, energy work that is so powerful, then it's more than welcome as well.
Speaker B:But yes, what the, the, the mission that I fulfilled in these recovery centers was the, one of the most impactful things that I have ever done in my career as a massage therapist.
Speaker B:Because I was in that trauma.
Speaker B:I was that loss for many years of my life.
Speaker B:I was depending on alcohol and drugs to numb my own pain.
Speaker B:So I know exactly where these people come from when it comes to, it's like, okay, I am lost in my silence.
Speaker B:I am lost in my shame.
Speaker B:How am I going to channel all of these?
Speaker B:How am I going to let it out if I even let it out?
Speaker B:And it takes hard work and dedication to start the speaking process, to start the long recovery process, because recovery is not like a quick fix like you just said.
Speaker B:Recovering, recovering.
Speaker B:It takes most likely the rest of our lives to recover.
Speaker B:The triggers will come when you least expecting.
Speaker B:Now, how do you address them?
Speaker B:That's a whole different story, right?
Speaker B:And definitely, you know, in, in my process of healing from childhood trauma, from untreated childhood trauma for so long.
Speaker B:I understand that the triggers are there.
Speaker B:The triggers will come.
Speaker B:But I am safe, right?
Speaker B:I am safe.
Speaker B:I am okay.
Speaker B:It's going to be okay.
Speaker B:Life is different now.
Speaker B:I am not at risk like I was.
Speaker B:I am not living around chronic untreated mental illnesses like I used to.
Speaker B:It's a whole different ball game.
Speaker B:I, I, I, every time that I feel a little bit shaky, so to speak, it's like, okay, is time to do some breathing exercises and meditation.
Speaker B:And that to me, that is one of the best medicines that I Still use to this day, and I use it every single day.
Speaker B:I take care of a lot of people in my.
Speaker B:In this beautiful career of mine.
Speaker B:So taking care of myself is the rooting of it all.
Speaker B:Because if I don't take care of myself, how am I going to be?
Speaker B:You know, expressing to people and communicating to people is like, oh, you got to take care of yourself, because the effects are great, because you will have better quality of life.
Speaker B:I gotta practice what I preach, man.
Speaker B:Otherwise it's all for nothing.
Speaker A:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker A:And just the fact that, I mean, like you said, if you're not feeling safe there, the people that you're working with are feeling that you're not feeling safe as well.
Speaker A:It's super important.
Speaker A:So you talked about breathing, you talked about meditation.
Speaker A:I mean, I think that's the biggest thing.
Speaker A:And a lot of people, especially listening to this podcast, it's called Adult Child of Dysfunction, they're kind of at the starting point.
Speaker A:They kind of understand, like, wow, yes.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh, Tammy, you said something to me the other day, or you said something on your podcast and I felt like you were talking to my soul.
Speaker A:But what.
Speaker A:Where do I go?
Speaker A:What do I.
Speaker A:Where do I start?
Speaker A:You know, that's a lot of the times, the big question.
Speaker A:And a lot of people aren't ready to jump into therapy.
Speaker A:A lot of people are kind of still battling with that.
Speaker A:I can't say anything.
Speaker A:Or if they're.
Speaker A:If you're just in the starting point, what would you suggest would maybe be a first step?
Speaker B:Well, I can tell you of what works for work for me.
Speaker B:I was in the world of silence for 47 years of my life.
Speaker B:That's a long time.
Speaker B:And what worked for me, little by little, because now we have this age of technology.
Speaker B:And yes, there are many bad things, but there's many things that are within reach, which are many people.
Speaker B:And YouTube.
Speaker B:YouTube University, to me, is a powerhouse.
Speaker B:I listened to Brene Brown.
Speaker B:Brene Brown is a powerhouse.
Speaker B:This woman I went to, to Anthony Robbins, unleashed Unleash the power within.
Speaker B:That was the first big event that I did of personal development and healing.
Speaker B:And it was online while the Pand was happening.
Speaker B:And it was transformational in my life.
Speaker B:And I was alone in a room going through this healing process.
Speaker B:I didn't really reach out to nobody because that was.
Speaker B:I mean, for me, that was the.
Speaker B:My biggest fear was, how am I going to reach to anybody when I don't feel worthy about it?
Speaker B:Because I didn't feel that I was worth anybody's help.
Speaker B:I didn't feel that I was worth every.
Speaker B:Anybody's attention.
Speaker B:Support, support.
Speaker B:Being there for me, helping me navigate through all of these things and challenges that I went through, all through these very dark seasons in my life that lasted so long.
Speaker B:How am I gonna start with so much information that I had within me?
Speaker B:And I started with just jumping in and YouTube for me was, it's like, you know what I need to listen to words of wisdom, to words of comfort, to words from the professional.
Speaker B:Let me, let me approach the best of the best when it comes to this healing journey that has been so rocky, so silent, so lonely because I was on my own.
Speaker B:I grew up in an environment of.
Speaker A:Shh.
Speaker B:You don't talk about the dead.
Speaker B:What does an 8 year old girl understand upon the tragic death of her father and not being able to talk about the dead?
Speaker B:Well, I cannot talk about anything wrong then.
Speaker B:And that was my mindset.
Speaker B:And I did it.
Speaker B:I survived it on my own.
Speaker B:I didn't know how to grief.
Speaker B:I had to figure it out on my own because those were the years of silence, a world of silence.
Speaker B:And it was, it was a hard road, but it taught me so many lessons.
Speaker B:And that's one of the reasons why I'm here, sitting with you today to help others.
Speaker B:It's like if you've been in the world of silence, hey, let's talk.
Speaker B:Because I was there for decades upon decades of my life.
Speaker B:But definitely the.
Speaker B:To me, the first step was say to myself, I cannot do this alone anymore.
Speaker B:I can't.
Speaker A:Nope, you have to surrender.
Speaker A:You have to surrender and realize that it's bigger than you.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:You can't.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, you absolutely can't.
Speaker A:I know, because I tried.
Speaker A:I tried for about 25 years and I was like, this is not working.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, I was going, I was going in that vicious circle of, oh, yeah, I can do it.
Speaker B:Oh, I can do it on my own.
Speaker B:No, no, you, you cannot do it.
Speaker B:And there's certain.
Speaker B:There's so many things in life that why try to do it on your own when there's a lot of people like ourselves, willing to lend a hand, willing to listen to what you're saying and give you a word of comfort, of wisdom, maybe an experience that I had, maybe can help someone out there, right?
Speaker B:And this is why we're here today.
Speaker B:Because maybe all of these things, all of the childhood trauma, all of the darkness, all of the silence, the drug abuse, the alcohol abuse, jumping from person to person will help someone out there.
Speaker B:Maybe Our openness will help.
Speaker B:One person, two, a million.
Speaker B:Oh, even better.
Speaker B:Even better.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And without.
Speaker A:And listening.
Speaker A:Len, you said everybody's, you know, there's people out there to listen.
Speaker A:There's people out there to listen and not judge.
Speaker A:That's the thing, too, is because I know when you grow up like that, you're just like you said you didn't.
Speaker A:You were in silence for 47 years because not only did you not feel that you were worthy, but you don't want to be shamed again.
Speaker A:And it is, you know, you don't want to be judged again.
Speaker A:You don't want to be laughed at again.
Speaker A:You don't want to be told that your feelings don't matter or that, you know, nobody's doing that now.
Speaker A:Like, if those are.
Speaker A:If somebody's doing that, those are not your people anyway.
Speaker A:So, again, you know, there's so many people out there that care and there's so many people.
Speaker A:I tell people, you know, although your experience was very unique to you, there's so many people out there that have traveled a very parallel path, that have had the same experiences just in a different version.
Speaker A:So people get it.
Speaker A:Like, nothing.
Speaker A:You tell me whatever shocked me.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:That is right.
Speaker B:And to me, in my experience with the rehab centers, there were so many stories.
Speaker B:And yes, just like you said, the parallels of our stories is like, wow, we are.
Speaker B:We meet here.
Speaker B:And out of everywhere else that we could be in this planet, here we are together.
Speaker B:And it's for a mission.
Speaker B:It's for.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It is part of the plan.
Speaker B:I'll never take it for granted because the same way that these beautiful humans learn something from me, I surely learn a tremendous amount with them.
Speaker B:And definitely every single day I will go in grateful.
Speaker B:I'm grateful because it's not for everybody to work at a rehab center.
Speaker B:It's not for everybody because the things that I saw and heard were very, very intense.
Speaker B:They're not to be repeated and.
Speaker B:And talked about here.
Speaker B:But it's part of the huge lesson.
Speaker B:It's part of something bigger than myself that I was doing there is like, wow, all of this dark.
Speaker B:The dark season that I have, which lasted a long time of self sabotaging and not taking care of myself and undermining myself and not bad.
Speaker B:I'm not giving myself any value.
Speaker B:Definitely a turn around in 180 degree turn.
Speaker B:When I landed this very important job with these people, definitely.
Speaker B:And I would talk to patients and I will tell them part of my story.
Speaker B:And it's like, well, you definitely seem like you never had a problem.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker B:Exactly, exactly.
Speaker B:This is why.
Speaker B:It's like, wow, this is one of the most powerful reasons why I was there is to.
Speaker B:For them to see.
Speaker B:It's like, wow, you were there.
Speaker B:Wow, you did that.
Speaker B:And look at where you are now.
Speaker B:And like, bingo.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:I mean, you're a walking test.
Speaker B:Really is possible.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I, I look at that and I say, that's what our job is.
Speaker A:Our, our job is to be walking testimonies that you can come from a really deep, dark place and you can do the work and you can certainly, you can be happy.
Speaker A:You can find that inner peace that so many people struggle with.
Speaker A:I know, I remember.
Speaker A:And I don't know who the psychologist was, and I, I said this a couple times.
Speaker A:So if you, if you're out there listening and you've already heard this, I'm sorry, but, you know, and, and she says just that, that one piece of that unworthiness, because that's where it all stems from.
Speaker A:It all stems from that, that belief that you're not worthy from whatever was fed to you as a child.
Speaker A:That's really what it is.
Speaker A:And she said, you know, picture.
Speaker A:She goes, picture your favorite ice cream and think about how that feels in your body.
Speaker A:And it feels warm, right?
Speaker A:You picture your favorite food or curling up on the couch with a bowl of ice cream, whatever it is, and it feels warm and fuzzy and happy, right?
Speaker A:And then say to yourself, I deserve all good things.
Speaker A:And sit with that for a second, because some people go like, I'm over it.
Speaker A:I did it.
Speaker A:I did the work.
Speaker A:I'm over it.
Speaker A:But when they do that one little test and then all of a sudden they get that little twinge in their stomach or their back tenses or their jaw tightens, it's like you still, you still don't feel 100 worthy.
Speaker A:So that's, you know, it's kind of like a very good, easy, quick test to see where you're at.
Speaker A:You can do it with anything.
Speaker A:Like you said, your body keeps score.
Speaker A:So any question, it's like muscle testing.
Speaker A:Any question you ask yourself, you're going to get some kind of physiological reaction.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:That is absolutely right.
Speaker B:Without, without question.
Speaker B:I love essential oils.
Speaker B:I love aromatherapy.
Speaker B:And as an aromatherapist, the first thing that, the, the first approach for aromatherapy is this.
Speaker B:You show the bottle to the person and then it's like, okay, smell the scent.
Speaker B:If your body backs off, you don't need it.
Speaker B:But if you're like, oh, my God, that smells so good, then your body is receiving it because it needs that.
Speaker B:That.
Speaker B:It needs that essence.
Speaker B:So it's.
Speaker B:It's very interesting how, yes, our body really does keep the score.
Speaker B:There's even a book that is called the Body Keeps its score.
Speaker B:Love it highly.
Speaker B:Oh, my God.
Speaker B:That was.
Speaker B:That was one of the.
Speaker B:This.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Another wake up call.
Speaker B:And another wake up call is like, yeah, absolutely, Absolutely.
Speaker B:I. I'm a sexual violence surv myself, and I had issues with my reproductive system.
Speaker B:And yesterday I'm.
Speaker B:I'm sharing this with you because it's very important.
Speaker B:Yesterday I went to a OBGYN for the first time in many years, because I was running away from going to an obgyn, feeling baited with, going there against my will, being seen against my will, being tested against my will.
Speaker B:For the first time in my life, I told the practitioner, hey, I'm a sexual assault survivor.
Speaker B:Please be gentle with me.
Speaker B:And it was one of the most liberating experiences that I had in my life.
Speaker B:And I was like, wow, I never did this before.
Speaker B:I told the practitioner even.
Speaker B:It's like, I never told anybody, anybody.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So this is about still breaking my silence at age 60.
Speaker B:I'm still breaking my silence with something as intimate as it is going to the doctor.
Speaker B:I spend my whole menopausal stages on my own.
Speaker B:I did everything on my own.
Speaker B:Everything.
Speaker B:And honestly, my menopause stages was not that bad.
Speaker B:I just followed.
Speaker B:And I do.
Speaker B:I did a lot of research.
Speaker B:I did my own homework.
Speaker B:I don't recommend that everybody does what I did.
Speaker B:Don't do.
Speaker A:I did.
Speaker B:But definitely, you know, that was a big stepping stone in my life to let the nurse practitioner know where I was, where my.
Speaker B:My trauma comes from.
Speaker B:And she was extremely gentle.
Speaker B:And I felt safe.
Speaker B:Here we go again.
Speaker B:I felt safe in this woman's hands.
Speaker B:And I'm very grateful for that.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker A:And no.
Speaker A:And that's.
Speaker A:It's huge.
Speaker A:That's a huge step.
Speaker A:And it just goes to show you it doesn't matter how old you are, which I'm still blown away by the fact that.
Speaker A:Fact that you're 60, because if anybody that's out there, if you're watching this on YouTube, should look 60.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:When you said last time we talked and you said, I've been keeping my silence for 47 years, and I'm like, so pre birth, I was like, I wasn't gonna question you on it because I'm like, okay, I just met her, so I'm not gonna say anything, but, yeah, thank you.
Speaker A:That, that was great.
Speaker A:But, no, I mean, it makes a difference.
Speaker A:And think about now, like, if you're out there listening and you're younger and you're not 60, have those conversations now.
Speaker A:Sometimes those conversations are the hardest to have.
Speaker A:But how, like you said, how liberating.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And had you done that when you were 25, your whole.
Speaker A:The whole trajectory of doctors and, and having that annual exam and all of those things would have probably been 100 different.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker A:100 different.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Without a doubt.
Speaker B:Without a doubt.
Speaker B:That was an open door for me.
Speaker B:I mean, it was really, really liberating.
Speaker B:It was empowering in a big way that I finally tell a practitioner that this happened to me, so please be.
Speaker B:Be gentle.
Speaker B:And it was very empowering.
Speaker B:Definitely.
Speaker B:I'm very, very grateful for that moment.
Speaker B:I mean, in a big way, I feel like I kind of needed this.
Speaker B:Yeah, I. I needed that.
Speaker B:And it's like, this is another step to my recovery at this age.
Speaker B:So remember, everybody out there, there is no certain age for recovery.
Speaker B:You can recover.
Speaker B:You can.
Speaker B:You can restart that button at any age, no matter what.
Speaker B:You're worth it.
Speaker A:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker A:And I think that's the biggest message, and that's the biggest message I try to share with people is just every.
Speaker A:Every single step you make forward is worth it.
Speaker A:And also to remind people, too, that it's not.
Speaker A:It's not linear.
Speaker A:How many times during your recovery did you go forward and then five step back, steps back.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, it doesn't come with an instruction book, that's for sure.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:And there's no shame in 57 years old getting triggered by something and having to work through something.
Speaker A:Like you said, that's just a.
Speaker A:You know, I truly believe that God doesn't give you any more than you can handle.
Speaker A:So as you get stronger, he unravels a couple more layers here.
Speaker A:And that's why it's a lifelong thing.
Speaker A:It's not, you know, you don't see a stop sign up four years from now and go, oh, when I get to that stop sign four years from now, I'm going to be good.
Speaker A:Because that's.
Speaker A:That's not what it's about.
Speaker A:But like you said, it's about being able now to take something that triggers you and very easily and safely cope with it and deal with it.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Big time.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Without a doubt.
Speaker B:Yesterday was.
Speaker B:I mean, I was triggered, and I am so thankful that I have an amazing husband that I can.
Speaker B:He's.
Speaker B:He's my best friend, and he.
Speaker B:He knows my story entirely.
Speaker B:And I called him and I told him, listen, I am not good with this appointment that I'm going to.
Speaker B:And he was there to support me and.
Speaker B:Definite feeling that support, especially from a man, it's.
Speaker B:It's a very important part, Very important part of my recovery.
Speaker B:I'm grateful for him.
Speaker B:Yeah, tremendously.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And hopefully, hopefully everybody out there listening has that one person.
Speaker A:And it doesn't always have to be your spouse.
Speaker A:It can be a best friend.
Speaker A:It can be a therapist, it can be a coach.
Speaker A:It can be anybody.
Speaker A:It can.
Speaker A:It can be the crossing guard that.
Speaker A:When you walk your kids to school.
Speaker A:Yep, that's right.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker A:You just want.
Speaker A:Everybody needs that one person, especially when you're younger.
Speaker A:And they say that even with children that are going through that kind of trauma, if every child had one, one supportive, at least one where they could go to with absolutely everything, the trajectory of your life would be a hundred percent different.
Speaker A:I didn't have that person.
Speaker A:You probably have that person.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I can.
Speaker A:I can remember saying to my kids, you know, hey, if you don't feel safe coming to tell me something, find someone.
Speaker A:Find someone.
Speaker A:You can tell if it's a teacher, if it's a guidance counselor, whoever it is, if you don't trust me with it, trust someone with it.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:So that's what I. I tell my kids, too.
Speaker B:They are full.
Speaker B:They're.
Speaker B:They're adults and they live their own lives.
Speaker B:But definitely I tell them, I always tell them I'm here to lend a hand.
Speaker B:I'm here to listen.
Speaker B:I'm here to make you company, even if you don't want to speak a word.
Speaker B:I'm just here because I want you to know that you don't have to go through this alone.
Speaker B:But if you have a friend, if you have a therapist, if you have a co worker, if you have whatever the case may be, but make sure that it's someone that will give you words of support, not criticism.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Because when it comes, when criticism and bullying is in the equation, then you rather not go that route.
Speaker B:I mean, that's why I. I come from a very big family.
Speaker B:I'm Puerto Rican, and it was a huge family.
Speaker B:And I had all of these cousins, uncles, aunties.
Speaker B:Everybody was there, and still I felt that I was the only person in the middle of that room.
Speaker B:And nobody will reach out to Menahan.
Speaker B:Nobody will say Nothing about, hey, I'm here for you, that really, really didn't happen.
Speaker B:And that I take as a less as.
Speaker B:As, you know, words of wisdom for someone that is like, no, don't do it alone, because it's not easy.
Speaker B:The world gets much more complicated than that when you even try to do things alone.
Speaker B:Because it's not real.
Speaker B:Definitely.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's not real.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:And also, you know, we don't know what we don't know.
Speaker A:So what you're thinking is, you know, especially when you start on the journey and all of your feelings, all of your emotions, everything is wrapped up in.
Speaker A:In memories or what was kind of dictated to you.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You know, it's like I tell people, it's even like when you start affirmations, it's good to have somebody to be.
Speaker A:To.
Speaker A:To validate even those affirmations, because you can say, oh, you can wake up in the morning and you could look at a picture of yourself on the mirror and say, I am beautiful.
Speaker A:I'm amazing.
Speaker A:I am good.
Speaker A:I am.
Speaker A:I am worthy.
Speaker A:I'm going to stand up for myself.
Speaker A:But the first time the rubber hits the road and you got to make a decision, you're not.
Speaker A:Not now going.
Speaker A:Coming from that logical person that just said all those things, you're coming from your subconscious, and so you're going to act differently.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So that's why I think that's one of the biggest reasons.
Speaker A:And having that support system, too, is that what you see is your normal.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you think you're just going to continue those patterns because it's your norm.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:Until.
Speaker B:Until you get out of that comfort zone and start breaking the chains of generational trauma.
Speaker B:That is a big, profound, lengthy process, that is for sure.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:And like I said, though, and I think you've already said, too, every step forward is so worth it.
Speaker A:It's every single tiny step.
Speaker A:So I always ask people, you know, what's one.
Speaker A:One little tiny thing you can do today to just go a little forward?
Speaker A:You know?
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:Stand up for yourself a little more.
Speaker A:Be a little more the person you want to be.
Speaker A:Take care of yourself a little more every day, do one little thing, and that just.
Speaker A:It compounds.
Speaker B:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker A:Literally compounds.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Well, Blanca, I could talk to you all day long, but I know you do.
Speaker A:You're here in Florida.
Speaker A:Do you work remotely?
Speaker A:Do you work.
Speaker A:Do you have an office?
Speaker A:I mean, obviously for animal massage, you need an office, but so for animal.
Speaker B:Massage and a human massage.
Speaker B:I have an office for animal massage.
Speaker B:I go to the animal house because that's where they feel safer and more at ease.
Speaker B:So I go to.
Speaker B:I do home calls for dog massage.
Speaker B:Not for humans humans.
Speaker B:They go to the office where I am at here in Stuart, Florida.
Speaker B:And I work remotely for people with.
Speaker B:For holistic life coaching.
Speaker B:I do that remotely.
Speaker B:And I have my.
Speaker B:I see most of my clients, I see them online actually.
Speaker B:I'm a group fitness instructor as well.
Speaker B:So I do Sumba classes for populations 55 plus.
Speaker B:So I am very happy to do that.
Speaker B:I'm a speaker educator.
Speaker B:I do my authorship.
Speaker B:But yes, all of these hats that I wear are all with the same exact purpose, to help others improve their quality of life, no matter what age we are.
Speaker B:And I am very humble, grateful and honored that all of these different craft that I've been building over the years, they came in together into one umbrella that is called Wounded Healer.
Speaker B:So I'm, I'm very happy about that.
Speaker A:Very proud and I think, yes, that's great.
Speaker A:So if people want to reach out, find you, how is the best place to find you?
Speaker B: -: Speaker B:Woundedhealer.us.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And I will put that in the show notes.
Speaker A:So if you just tried to listen to that real quick and try to write it down, don't worry about it.
Speaker A:It'll be in the show notes so you can get hold of Blanca.
Speaker A:And I so appreciate you coming.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Tammy, thank you so much for, for having me.
Speaker B:What an honor has been to be here.
Speaker B:What a joy.
Speaker A:Well, you have a most wonderful day.
Speaker A:And for everybody else out there listening, like she said, just one step at a time.
Speaker A:There's.
Speaker A:There's so many different things you can do.
Speaker A:I think she mentioned reiki, she mentioned massage, she mentioned aromatherapy, she mentioned all of these things and they're all good.
Speaker A:Everything works.
Speaker A:It's a body, mind and spirit.
Speaker A:You have to integrate it all together.
Speaker A:You can't just fix one.
Speaker A:It's a big package deal.
Speaker A:That's why having these wonderful people that have encompassed it all in their training is amazing.
Speaker A:So she has quite a box of tools and we appreciate you coming and everybody else, as always, if you have any questions, if any of this resonates with you, please reach out.
Speaker A:If you're on YouTube, like comment and subscribe.
Speaker A:We want to grow this channel and grow our reach so that we can help more and more people.
Speaker A:Thank you all and you have a blessed day.
