When I look back at my own childhood, I can see how much of who I’ve become as an adult started forming, long before I had words for any of it. I’ve since learned that our early environment lays down the blueprint for how we understand relationships, manage stress, and imagine our own potential. Studies have shown that when children experience strong, attuned caregiving, it helps wire the brain for trust, regulation, and resilience.

Gratitude is often spoken about as a simple ‘positive thinking’ practice; something you do because it’s good for you, or because you should appreciate what you have. But in mind–body recovery, gratitude is something far deeper, far more powerful, and far more physiological than most people realise: Gratitude is not about ignoring pain. It’s not about pretending everything is fine. It’s not about bypassing your lived experience.

Many of us were taught that forgiveness means excusing harm, reconciling, or ‘being the bigger person.’ We were told it’s about letting someone off the hook — about moral virtue or spiritual maturity. But when you’ve lived through deep hurt, those definitions feel impossible. They can even feel like betrayal. You might think: “If I forgive, I’m saying what happened was okay.” “If I forgive, I’m letting them win.” “If I forgive, I’m abandoning myself.”