First posted to: https://surehopecounseling.com/pathways-to-healing/
Research often shows various approaches to healing different areas of our being such as biological, psychological, social, and spiritual. But I recently read an article that took a whole-person approach to healing and referred to hope as medicine. This caught my attention because who of us could not use a little hope?
Romans 15:13 reads, “May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Some of you may be in a place where it feels impossible to even consider the possibility of overflowing with hope. I want to ask you to stay open to the possibility, understanding that we do not get there in our own strength, by doing better or trying harder. No, instead we allow the Holy Spirit to create in us a clean heart (Psalm 51:10), we stop conforming to the world and be renewed by the transforming of our minds (Romans 12:2), and we start trusting the Lord with all our hearts, not leaning on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
When we lean on our own understanding or conform to the world, we usually get stuck in the Doom Loop, focusing day after day on our trauma, grief, or emotional pain which then carves deep grooves into our brain that reinforces our suffering. The article calls this neuroplasticity gone wrong. Typically, we experience a pain trigger that activates fear, followed by the automatic negative thoughts (ANT’s). Is this resonating? I would imagine most of you also experience muscle tension or high blood pressure, then numb with substances, social media, TV or other things, leaving you feeling stuck, hopeless and disconnected from God and others.
Here’s the good news. Your brain has the ability to rewire itself for peace by activating the relief loop, redirecting your brain circuits toward hope and restoration. Once you identify the cause of your emotional pain, calm your emotional brain by practicing relaxation techniques that quiet the limbic system such as diaphragmatic breathing, grounding exercises, or picturing a place where you feel at peace. Next, practice picky thinking. Don’t let the ANT’s ruin your picnic! Identify UFO’s (an Untruth that creates a False narrative that leads to an Overreaction). Work on uprooting, weeding out unhealthy thought patterns, and replanting, replacing them with divine truth. Journaling and even giving yourself a hug are ways that activate bilateral hemisphere stimulation and help released stored tension and trauma. This whole-person approach also requires embracing brain-healthy habits such as getting a good night’s sleep, exercising and practicing good nutrition. Lastly, hope is not just spiritual, it’s biological. Hope strengthens the prefrontal cortex which in turn helps to ease your suffering.
Experiencing hope does not mean ignoring your pain or predicament but being honest about it, lamenting to God and recognizing that you get to choose your attitude and response. My prayer is that you choose to glorify God in the midst of your suffering, remembering that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
-Pamela Adkins – learn more about working with Pamela here!
References
Amen, Daniel G., 2026. Christian Counseling Today, Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 16-20.
Lucado, Max. (2025). Tame Your Thoughts. Thomas Nelson.
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