When a child shuts down his painful emotional side, he also loses the ability to express his joyous side. Emotions are a whole. With anger comes the ability to express delight; with sadness comes the ability to express lightheartedness. This is the breadth of emotion that allows an adult to experience intimacy with a spouse, with God, and with his children.”
David Carder et al., Secrets of Your Family Tree: Healing for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families
The Power of Smell to Heal Trauma
Odors take a direct route to the limbic system, including the amygdala and the hippocampus, the regions related to emotion and memory.
In this powerful episode, “The Power of Smell to Heal Trauma,” I get to introduce you to one of my favorite clinical psychologists and friend, Dr. Ben Perkus.
In January 2019, I was introduced to him through a vivacious friend and life hasn’t been the same since. There are those times in our lives when a day changes the trajectory of one’s course.
She said to me, “You have to know about AFT.”
I said, “AF-what?”
She then shared everything she knew about Aroma Freedom Technique + how it had helped her resolve some deeply rooted, trauma-related issues in her life.
Two days later, I had signed up for the practitioner training and became certified in AFT six months later.
It changed my life.
It changed my practice.
It changed me.
Today, I pray it brings a beautiful change into your life. Or at least the beginning of one.
In this episode, you will:
- Learn all about Aroma Freedom Technique and how it works.
- Listen to Dr. Perkus’s story and how the “idea for AFT” came to him.
- Be schooled in the four parts of the memory complex.
- Be inspired to trace God’s hand in your own life story.
- Be invited to use the power of smell to heal trauma that might be keeping you from freedom.
- Experience a beautiful heart-centering exercise.
- Start your HEARTLIFTING JOURNEY today.
This week’s resources
Sometimes the story we tell ourselves is not really true. Sometimes the story others tell about us is not really true. On “Today’s Heartlift with Janell,” Author, Trauma-informed therapist, and Professional Heartlifter, Janell Rardon, opens conversations about how emotional health and mental fitness effects absolutely every area of our lives. When we possess and practice healthy, strong, resilient emotional health practices, life is so much better.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week in the States, we take time to reflect with gratitude on the goodness of God. This week's episode invites three questions: When was the last time you noticed the grandeur of God in your everyday life? Did it make you smile and maybe even take your breath away? Finally, did you take a moment to thank Him? In this episode, we welcome Rachel Ridge, author of ”Your Mountain is Calling: Finding God in Untamed Places,” and listen to her invitations to welcome liminal spaces into our lives. That might look like swinging in a hammock or walking through your neighborhood. Liminal comes from the L. root, linen, which means ”threshold.” Rachel shares that ”the world of the Spirit is found in liminal spaces.”
Links + Resources from this Episode:
So excited that the podcast has been voted in the Top 100 Mental Health Podcasts on Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/mental_health_podcasts/
- Meet Rachel Ridge: RACHEL
- Order her stunningly beautiful new devotional: YOUR MOUNTAIN IS CALLING
- Receive her weekly newsletter, SUNDAY GOLD
- Follow Rachel on Instagram: @rachelanneridge
- Listen to more great podcasts: ACCESS MORE
- Subscribe to Janell’s podcast and newsletter: SUBSCRIBE
- Download your FREE GUIDE FOR SEASON 1: How Am I Doing in My Everyday Life?
- Follow Janell on Instagram: @janellrardon
- Please, leave a REVIEW of the PODCAST.
Connect with Dr. Perkus & Aroma Freedom Technique
- Dr. Perkus’s Training Vault
- Order Dr. Perkus’s book, Aroma Freedom Technique
- Article on “Why Smells Trigger Such Vivid Memories”
- Article: How scent, emotion, and memory are intertwined
- Aroma Freedom website
- Become a Certified Practitioner
- Order Your Aroma Freedom Essential Oils Starter Kit
- Schedule your FIRST AFT SESSION with Janell