A Guide to Thriving Through Trauma and Rising While Healing
- Brainz Magazine
- Jul 17
- 4 min read
Written by Aleya Belamour, Relationship Recovery Coach
Aleya Belamour is a manifestation expert and energy healer. She is the founder and CEO of Reclaiming Radiance, where she offers a 6-month program to help women heal from narcissistic abuse, a free support group, and leads healing journeys around the world.
Healing from trauma can feel like walking through a storm barefoot. You're trying to move forward, but the weight of what you’ve experienced pulls at your feet, your energy, and your clarity. For many people, success, whether in career, relationships, or personal goals, can feel completely out of reach during the healing process.
But here's the truth: You don’t have to wait until you're fully healed to begin thriving again.
In fact, success and healing can coexist. You can rise while you're still rebuilding. Here's how:
1. Redefine what success means to you
Traditional definitions of success, such as money, titles, and status, don’t always apply when you’re healing. During this time, success might mean:
Getting out of bed and showing up for your self-care or fitness goals.
Saying “no” when it costs you comfort.
Setting a boundary, even if your voice shakes.
Taking a break without guilt.
Redefine success as something rooted in self-honoring. When you make choices that align with your healing, you are already succeeding.
2. Work with, not against, your energy
Trauma recovery affects your nervous system, sleep, memory, and energy levels. Rather than pushing through exhaustion, learn to honor your natural rhythms. You can still be productive, just differently. Try:
Time-blocking focused work periods with rest in between, even just for ten minutes.
Scheduling your most important tasks when your energy is highest.
Letting go of hustle culture in favor of sustainable progress.
Remember: Consistency beats intensity. Small, steady steps are still movement forward.
3. Use your pain as fuel, not a limitation
Your trauma doesn’t disqualify you from greatness; it can deepen your compassion, sharpen your intuition, and make you a more powerful leader, creator, or healer. Many successful people don’t rise despite their trauma; they rise because of the wisdom they gain from it.
Ask yourself:
What has my pain taught me that I can now share with others?
What strength have I developed through surviving this?
What kind of life do I now feel even more committed to building?
Transform your pain into purpose, one insight at a time.
4. Create a safe inner environment
You can’t build your dreams on a foundation of self-criticism. Healing and success both require safety. That starts inside.
Start by:
Practicing self-talk that’s kind, even when you’re struggling.
Replacing “I should be further along” with “I’m proud of how far I’ve come.”
Acknowledging your triggers with compassion, not shame.
Make your inner world a place where your future self would want to grow.
5. Surround yourself with trauma-informed support
You don’t have to do this alone. Whether it’s a therapist, coach, mentor, or trusted friend, having support can accelerate both healing and success.
Look for people who:
Understand trauma and won’t shame you for your process.
Encourage your dreams without forcing toxic positivity.
Allow space for your vulnerability while still holding your vision.
Healing is hard, and being around people who don’t understand trauma can add to your exhaustion.
6. Celebrate progress, not perfection
Progress during trauma recovery often looks nonlinear. Some days you’ll feel like you’re soaring. Other days, it’s a win just to breathe.
Track and celebrate the small wins:
Finished a project even while anxious? Celebrate it.
Asked for help instead of isolating? That’s growth.
Took a nap instead of numbing out? Huge.
Decided to work or work out when all you wanted to do was hide in bed? That’s discipline in action.
When you celebrate tiny victories, they compound into big ones.
7. Trust that you can thrive, not just survive
Trauma convinces us that survival is the best we can hope for. But that’s a lie. You were made for more. Healing may slow you down temporarily, but it doesn’t eliminate your potential; it expands it.
You can build the life you want.
You can create something meaningful from the rubble.
You can succeed and heal at the same time.
One doesn’t cancel out the other. In fact, they can be the perfect partners.
Final thoughts
Thriving while healing is not about faking emotions or pushing through pain; it’s about honoring your healing as part of your strength. It’s about showing up authentically, listening to your body, building your dreams with intention and unwavering belief in yourself, and knowing that your trauma does not define you.
Healing and success are not opposites. Together, they create the most powerful transformation of all: a life built on truth, resilience, and radical self-determination.
If you need support to begin your transformation, join us at Break Up to Blissful to join a powerful community of women on the road to radiant reinvention after trauma.
Read more from Aleya Belamour
Aleya Belamour, Relationship Recovery Coach
Aleya Belamour is a relationship recovery coach and energy healer. She is the author of Breakup to Blissful and Heal From Narcissistic Abuse: A 90-day Journal. Aleya offers coaching and worldwide retreats to help women thrive after painful breakups and divorce.
