Healing from trauma is one of the most emotionally draining experiences. There’s nothing pretty or poetic about it; healing is ugly, exhausting, infuriating, and defeating. But despite all that it is, it’s also essential work. It’s life-changing work. Just as there are stages of grief, there are stages of healing: awareness, acceptance, reflection, expression, transformation, and corrective experiences. But the one that is the most important is the stage of awareness. You cannot heal unless you acknowledge that you’re hurt.