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.
Rejection is a really big part of living this life and being a human. We will be rejected. That might sound a little doom and gloom, but it is a vital reality that we need to face and equip ourselves to deal with. Welcome Jessica Van Roekel, Author of ”Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everything.” In Part 1 of my two-part conversation with Jessica, we talk about the 4 types of rejection, 9 practices to fight the spiraling negative rejection feedback loop, and identify 4 new lenses through which to ”see” and therefore, overcome, the effects of negative rejection. This is an episode you will want to listen to several times. It is jam-packed with remarkable truth and power.
Please send your questions here: janell@janellrardon.com and I'll answer them on the show.
Be sure to subscribe and leave a review: www.janellrardon.com/podcast
Be sure to join the community and subscribe to the podcast: www.janellrardon.com/free-content-for-subscribers
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 Author Jessica Van Roekel and learn more about Welcome Grace: Jessica Van Roekel
- Order Jessica's book: ORDER NOW
- Download Jessica's Guide to Reframing Rejection: REFRAMING REJECTION
- Join the private Stronger Every Day online community on FB: STRONGER EVERY DAY
- Listen to more great podcasts: ACCESS MORE
- Follow Janell on Instagram: @janellrardon
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