What If Healing Isn’t Linear? (And That’s a Good Thing)

You’re doing the work. Then something triggers you—and you feel like you’re back at square one. Sound familiar? Healing isn’t a staircase—it’s more like a spiral. And that’s not a setback. It’s a return, with deeper awareness.

Let’s stop grading ourselves on “how far we’ve come” and start honoring how we keep showing up. That’s where the real growth is.

WHY LINEAR THINKING FAILS US

The idea that healing should follow a clean, upward path is comforting—but not realistic. There is NO easy button. Especially when trust has been broken, or boundaries have been crossed.

Real healing includes:

Two steps forward, one step sideways

Setting a boundary that feels selfish but is actually self-respect

Rebuilding trust with others—and ourselves—bit by bit, not all at once

BOUNDARIES + TRUST ARE BUILT OVER TIME

It’s not about perfection.
It’s about:

Owning your truth, even if your voice shakes

Recommitting to your boundaries when you mess up

Seeing relapse or regression not as failure—but as feedback

But here’s the truth: healing is messy, honest, non-linear, and deeply human.

Broken trust isn’t rebuilt in one conversation. It’s rebuilt in consistent choices over time. Starting with you.

SKILL SPOTLIGHT: Reframe Setbacks as Feedback

When trust feels shaky or a boundary gets tested:

Pause and name what happened without judgment

Ask: “What is this moment trying to teach me?”

Decide: “What is one aligned step I can take right now?”

Our Rebuilding Trust & Setting Boundaries course walks you through how to regulate your emotions, understand your triggers, and rebuild trust with boundaries that feel firm and kind.