Actually No...You Don't Need to Fully Understand the Problem to Heal. Here's Why.
You are someone who’s committed to your healing journey yet you often find yourself searching for understanding…replaying old conversations…dissecting painful events…or trying to piece together the why behind certain experiences and events.
It can feel frustrating, you’re doing the healing work but you still feeling trapped in your head. 😤😤😤
You may be trying to FIGURE OUT why you feel anxious, have looping thoughts, or can’t shake certain patterns…
…and you might even believe that if you UNDERSTAND why this is happening then you’d finally find peace. 🕊️
The belief that fully understanding the problem is the gateway to healing is comforting—it offers a sense of control, ya know?
In some ways it can make healing feel less murky if you aim for the goal of understanding….so it can be quite tempting to try to do most of the work inside your mind.
Here’s the truth: you don’t need to fully understand the problem to heal.
Healing doesn’t hinge on uncovering every reason for your pain. 😮
Instead, healing happens when you feel your experiences fully—when you drop out of your head and into your body and heart. Healing doesn’t happen in your mind; it happens in your body and heart. ⬅️⬅️⬅️
The answers you’re seeking might not even bring the relief you’re hoping for, but learning to connect with your feelings will. (I know that probably seems totally counter intuitive but read on and you’ll understand why.)
Together, we’re going to explore why the myth of needing to fully understand is so prevalent, how it might be holding you back, and what truly leads to healing. 🕵️🕵️
By the end, you’ll not only see why but you’ll also learn how to release the need to understand everything opening the door to more presence, ease, and connection you’ve been searching for.
Ready to take the first step? Let’s dive in.
Here’s what I’m covering… (you can click on any link to jump to that section.)
Why It’s So Easy to Believe This Myth
What You Can Do Differently Now
Why It's So Easy To Believe This Myth
It’s no wonder you believe you need to understand the problem fully to heal.
We live in a society that prizes logic and understanding above all else.
We’re rewarded for solving problems with our minds, while our emotions are often dismissed or labeled as unreliable. This teaches us to prioritize intellect over emotion. 🏛️📊📉
Additionally, our culture often associates understanding with control and safety. Is this really true, though?
Does understanding = control & safety?
If we can just figure it out, we think, then we can prevent it from happening again, right?
Ugh, I wish! Wanting to avoid pain is natural. 😣
This belief can be especially strong if we’ve experienced trauma or situations that left us feeling powerless.
And let’s be honest, who here hasn’t experienced pain and powerlessness? 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♂️🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♂️🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♂️
The idea of “figuring it out” becomes a way to reclaim some of that lost control.
I totally get it. ❤️
We often try to “rationalize” or “just get over it” believing that understanding the problem is the only way to move past it.
…. and yet we also know emotions don’t follow the same rules as logic….right?
Trying to fully under the problem often keeps us stuck, spinning in mental loops without ever reaching peace.
The truth is, emotions are not problems to be solved; they are experiences to be felt. ‼️‼️‼️
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What Is Actually True?
Understanding why something hurtful happened often doesn’t offer the closure we hope for.
The “why” might give us temporary comfort, but it rarely resolves the deeper feelings of hurt, betrayal, or confusion.
Healing comes not from understanding the “why,” but from exploring the “what” -
What did you experience?
What did you feel?
What did this mean to you then?
What does it mean to you now?
By dropping out of your head and into your body and heart, you can access the stories, memory and meaning stored in your muscles, mind, and behaviors.
These stories need to be felt and heard, not solved.
When these emotions are fully allowed and moved through in the body, they begin to lose the overwhelming power they once held. ⚡
This is where healing begins.
Healing doesn’t require logical understanding.
In fact, logic can become a barrier to healing.
When we try to rationalize or intellectualize our pain, we’re often avoiding the very feelings we need to allow and acknowledge.
(Our memories, emotions, and sensations are experienced in our body, nervous system, muscles, heart…. as truth! Our body doesn’t stop know the difference between a true memory and an imagined scenario. This means the things we picture in our minds are felt in our bodies as truth whether they are true or not! This is one reason why what you consume online is so important to your overall health and vitality.💃)
Our feelings may be uncomfortable - and that’s okay! ❤️
Your breath will always be one of your greatest allies when you feel uncomfortable.
Simply being aware of and reconnecting with your breath will help you move through and with those big sensations.
Emotions, sensations, tensions, contraction, it’s all energy that can be moved through us by being connected with our breath - the less we try to understand what is happening and the more we can breathe 🌬️ with what is happening the better.
As you create space to feel your emotions, you allow your body’s natural healing processes to take over.
(Bonus Tip 💡 this is why unstructured, swamping, ecstatic dancing helps us to move stuck emotion, memory, and energy because when we move with pure sensation and expression as the motivation we give our bodies space to move years of yuck and stuck.)
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, truly…
…as you build safety within your body and heart, you also build trust in life itself. 💎💎💎
The need for intellectual understanding begins to fade as you realize that healing and relief come from connection - connection to your emotions, your body, and the present moment. 🌅
Clarity often emerges from this connection, rather than as the starting point.
Found this helpful? 📌 Pin it to your ‘Healing’ board and come back whenever you need.
What Can You Do Differently Now
Now that you know the truth about healing, here are some steps you can take to move forward:
(1) Get Curious About Your Need to Understand
Reflect on the deeper motivations behind your desire to understand.
What do I think fully understanding would give me?
What do I need to understand or know to let this go?
Notice where in your might feel tension or contraction in your body as you explore these questions. With each exhale, imagine releasing some of that tension.
Journaling or voice noting can be a powerful tool here to explore, and uncover more layers.
(2) Explore Alternative Sources of Safety
If your desire for understanding stems from a need for control or safety, consider what actions or practices might help you feel safe without requiring intellectual answers. For example, you could:
Explore what safety means to you, consider how your beliefs were created, reflect on informative experiences that impacted your understanding of safety.
Use grounding and release techniques to anchor yourself in the present moment.
Learn to recognize early signs of emotional discomfort.
(3) Connect With Your Body and Heart
Healing begins when you allow yourself to feel your emotions without judgment or the need to make logical sense of them.
🧘🏻♀️❤️ Body Scans: Spend a few minutes each day scanning your body for areas of tension or sensation. Breathe into the tension, visualizing your exhales as a release.
🧘🏻♀️❤️ Stillness & Silence: Spend time fully immersed in the present in silence and stillness connecting with your breath bringing yourself back home to your body.
🧘🏻♀️❤️ Movement: Gentle stretching, dancing or even a walk can help you reconnect with your body and release stored tension and help get you out of your mind.
🧘🏻♀️❤️ Loving Self Touch: Place your left hand on your heart, and be quiet and listen. Loving self touch is a powerful way to bring us back to our body.
Shift your focus from “why” to “what.” Instead of asking, “Why did this happen?” or “Why do I feel this way?” try asking: “What am I feeling?” or “What do I need to know right now?”
This small shift can help you move out of your head and into the present moment, where healing occurs.
(4) Seek Support When Needed
Healing doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Working with a somatics and energetics coach or therapist can provide a safe space to explore your emotions, patterns, and needs.
In a supportive environment, you can gently uncover the blocks that have been holding you back and find practical tools to move forward.
In my Healing Sessions, we work together to slow down and create a safe space for curiosity.
I guide you in exploring what your mind, body, heart, and spirit are asking for and finding ways to meet those needs…without striving for impossible goals like complete understanding or control. 🌅
What Becomes Possible When You Take These New Actions
By shifting your focus from understanding to feeling, you free yourself from the endless loop of overthinking. 🪽🪽🪽
This creates space for creativity, joy, and presence to flow into your life. Here’s what can become possible for you:
🦁 Stronger Self-Trust: As you connect with your body and emotions, you begin to trust your own instincts and inner wisdom. You’ll feel more confident navigating life’s challenges without needing all the answers upfront.
❤️🔥 Enhanced Emotional Resilience: By allowing yourself to fully feel your emotions, you build your capacity to process and release them. This resilience helps you bounce back from setbacks more quickly and with greater ease.
👯 Deeper Relationships: When you’re no longer stuck in your head, you can be more present with the people around you. This presence fosters deeper connections and more authentic communication.
🎨 Creative Freedom: Without the mental clutter of overthinking, you’ll have more mental and emotional space for creativity, inspiration, and problem-solving. You’ll find yourself more open to new ideas and possibilities.
🚶🏻♀️Physical Ease: Emotional tension often manifests as physical tension, so you may notice improvements in your physical well-being, such as reduced muscle tension, better sleep, and increased energy.
One of my clients, Emily, experienced this transformation firsthand. She was deeply curious about what it meant to be embodied and always felt stuck in her head. Through our work together, she learned to stop overthinking and connect with her body. Now, she feels lighter, more present, and genuinely excited about her future. ✨✨✨
When you stop searching for understanding as the only solution, you make room for wisdom, creativity, and even unexpected clarity to emerge.
You’ll notice a deeper connection to yourself and others, and a greater sense of trust in life itself.
Most importantly, you’ll feel free - free to live in the moment, free to pursue your dreams, and free to be your authentic self. 🌅
You Might Be Wondering...
“How can I address something if I don’t understand it?” 🤨
It’s a valid question.
Healing doesn’t follow the same linear, problem-solving path we’re used to.
While your mind craves intellectual clarity, your body and heart already know how to heal. 🧘🏻♀️❤️
Think of it like a physical wound: you don’t need to understand the mechanics of cell regeneration to let it heal. You just need to create the right conditions.
Similarly, when you create space for connection and safety within yourself, healing unfolds naturally.
Paradoxically, clarity often emerges as a side effect of healing—not the other way around.💡
Your Next Step
If you’re ready to stop overthinking and start healing, I invite you to book a 1:1 Healing Session with me.
Together, we’ll create a safe, supportive space to explore your experiences, connect with your body, and begin the healing process.
You don’t have to wait for all the answers to feel better—healing is possible right now. ✨🪽🌱❤️
