Rebekah Russell Naturopath - Trauma Aware

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Mona Vale, NSW
Rebekah Russell Naturopath - Trauma Aware

My passion is helping people experience optimal wellness in a kind and supportive environment.

As a naturopath of over 20 years experience, I have been privileged to witness the gentle healing power of natural therapies within a framework of wholism.

01/07/2025

Thought for the day 🌻
Thank you for the reminder.

22/06/2025

an extraordinary woman with an extraordinary story .
❤️‍🩹Pulled from the wreckage of the underground bombings in London (2005) losing both her legs , most of her clothing and was rendered almost unidentifiable in the carnage of that blast .
❤️‍🩹When she regained consciousness, Gill thought she had experienced a heart attack - all was black (deep in the belly of the London Underground) - she could not recall hearing an explosion .
❤️‍🩹Whilst her mind was trying to make sense of what had happened, Gill said she distinctly heard two voices - one urging her to let go and surrender to death ( living without limbs would be too hard , there would be no more pain - so enticing ) but the other voice encouraged her to live - and in her mind and senses - she replayed the highlights of the life she had on earth..
❤️‍🩹She rallied - tying her own scarf as a tourniquet for her ravaged legs
✨And then the light came. ..
Literally - a torch of the brave, unsung heroes we know as the first responders . ✨These First responders had defied orders - broke rank and made their way underground - there were ( legitimate) concerns that there were other bombs that might detonate.
I believe it was “Tracy “ who arrived first at Gills side .
❤️And even though made unrecognisable by horrendous physical injuries - the palpable love, care and attention given by Tracy and the ensuing army of paramedics, the nurses and hospital staff - was and continues to be -the infectious motivation for much of Gill’s work for peace, promoting forgiveness , for creating connection, facilitating conversations that nourish and unify community- even 20 years after that fateful day.

Her story is living inside me and not a day has gone by when I am not reflecting on it.
Thank you and for encouraging Gill to speak - Thank you for providing such incredible speakers who remind us what is important in dark times such as these. And thank you for introducing her story to me all those years ago - your passion and enthusiasm caused me to investigate Gill and her message all those years ago .

01/06/2025

Lavender and pink hues on a winters morning .. 🌄🌅

30/05/2025

This 💯.
Emotional regulation is not a soft skill - it is essential - for creating safety within the self and within community.

Thank you

13/05/2025

In our Counselling course tonight , we were given the opportunity to watch this award winning documentary and its profoundly moving vision for a world where the principles of trauma informed care are central to caregivers, policy makers and institutions …
The intention of the documentary makers is to “ inspire an active movement towards a trauma informed society, a society where :
🌿we recognise the prevalence of trauma among all of us
🌿we learn to notice and feel the trauma symptoms in ourselves
🌿we acknowledge that whenever we feel an emotional reaction, an old wound is being triggered
🌿we understand the imprint of trauma on our behaviours and it’s impact on our relationships
🌿we recognise the pain in others and understand how that pain might be driving their behaviour
🌿we see the real person underneath the behaviour and the trauma
🌿we support connection and compassion as the foundations of safety
🌿we know the experience of safety is the beginning of healing
🌿we understand that all trauma is intergenerational

Dr Gabor identifies the arc of trauma as the initial injury of much of our suffering as individuals and society and “ the common template of all disease.”

He draws on his experience as a physician who worked for 12 years in Vancouvers downtown east side with patients challenged by drug addiction , mental illness and HIV where he witnessed that behind the addiction there was intolerable pain -and the substances / behaviour were an attempt to anaesthetise the ache.

Included in the documentary was the incredible work of .prison.project , and the - all organisations seeking to create more compassionate systems in the world , recognising the transcendent potential of each human caught in trauma’s destructive aftermath.

❤️‍🩹 I chose the photo as this interaction between Dr Gabor and his patient ( during a therapeutic psychedelic intervention ) was so moving in its genuine warmth, humanity and compassion .

The video is available for a small donation at https://thewisdomoftrauma.com/store/ if you would like to watch 🌿

02/05/2025

Another spectacular morning 🌅 .

I am so grateful to have the healing ❤️‍🩹 power of nature so close to me - the ocean 🌊 the trees, the sand, the grass.. and I am aware of my privilege - and somehow I want to make this accessible to all.

Nature 🌿helps to regulate our nervous system - in all its rhythms - listening to birdsong lets us know the environment is safe from predators , looking at the morning light sets the circadian clock, and mindful breath can help to modulate the stress response .Breath is the bridge between parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.

Breathing in and out with gratitude .

01/05/2025

It’s been a while since I have watched the sunrise 🌅 and today it was just a small shimmering glow in the midst of the clouds and rain - spectacular and hopeful nonetheless.

And then - a double rainbow 🌈 🌈!

Treasuring these ‘glimmers ‘- these moments of awe and wonder, the sense of ok- ness , of hope in the moment .

It was Deb Dana , the clinical social worker and therapist who coined the term - she identified that glimmers are the opposite of triggers- they can be experienced alone or as a collective ( think of a choir, a dance floor, an orchestra ) , they are moments of nervous system regulation and ultimately these glimmers act like “ psychoplastogens” - where they can create small neuroplastic changes that can even re- wire the way we see the world .

Take care of yourself today 🌿
I hope you can be present for those moments of “ok- ness “( because sometimes being ok is all we can manage ) and may there be moments of wonder , comfort and hope in the midst of it all today x

20/04/2025

The lush tropical and ancient oasis that is the island 🏝️ of Bali .

The first time here was spent on a fasting / meditation/ yoga/ deep ecology retreat with the amazing naturopaths Sally Mathrick and 🌿🌿.

Over five years have passed and this time was again gratefully spent seeking rest -and a reset of the nervous system -in the fascinating place that is Ubud.

The Balinese people are extraordinary in their kindness and respect towards everyone.
Their rich history , connection to ceremony and attention to daily spiritual practices is gently aspirational ✨.

07/04/2025

Hallmarks of Post traumatic growth :

🌿spiritual development
🌿awareness of new possibilities
🌿acknowledgement of personal strength
🌿cherishing of close relationships
🌿greater appreciation of life

Post traumatic growth ( PTG) is not resilience . Resilience was adopted from the engineering field - referring to the way a material ( eg steel/ wood) could “ bounce back “ after external pressure was applied .Although a useful term in the right context , humans are neither steel nor wood.

Post traumatic growth is what occurs when we grow and transform around our traumatic experiences . We will never be the same again but the version of ourselves that emerges is capable of living a life rich in meaning, relationships, gratitude, awareness and a deeper connection to all that it means to be alive .

Thank you https//insights.vitalworklife.com for the graphic .🙏🏼

05/04/2025

Listened to this wonderful Ted x talk by the gentle nature focused revolutionary 🌱🌻. Thank you Katie for the recommendation.

It is a call back to the garden, the plants, the ancient and enduring medicine that is herbalism.

Erin encourages us that connecting with this call can be as simple as potting a plant , enjoying the scent of a flower or brewing a herbal tea with mindfulness and gratitude.

Herbs have always been our first medicine and somewhere deep in our DNA 🧬 - we recognise this .

Erin encouraged us to reconnect with plants and each other as an act of peaceful rebellion.

Further stating “ this peaceful practice QUIETLY rages against the disconnected machine .” Brilliant . It does. 🌱🌻🌺

30/03/2025

A beautiful and simple illustration of how co- regulation can help restore calm to a dysregulated nervous system .

Learning to become a steadying presence- for ourselves , our clients, our families, friends and even for our animals could be the way we gently and slowly change the world 🌎.

27/03/2025

It’s happening !!! 🌱🌱🌱‼️✨✨✨

An invitation to speak the Naturopathic Symposium 2025 ( Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia ) …

The presentation :
“ How the trauma informed lens applied within naturopathic practice can improve chronic health outcomes and mitigate practitioner burnout .”

Having immersed myself in the understanding of trauma , trauma informed practice and the hope of post traumatic growth for almost a decade now - I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity to share , with absolute humility , the learnings I have found helpful over this time .

I remain convinced that understanding and applying the principles of trauma informed / trauma aware care are essential for any individual or organisation that desires to serve and help humanity - as the framework supports those we want to help and ensures we are able to continue doing so - protecting us from burnout .

I am thrilled , and trembling - and REALLY going to have to regulate my nervous system for this 🙃and I keep reminding myself that’s it’s all about the message and if one person / practitioner finds it helpful information - it will be worth it !

For more information , please visit the Nhaa website to see the speak line up https://nhaa.org.au/events/naturopathic-symposium-2025

Address

Mona Vale, NSW

Telephone

+61427667351

Website

http://naturopathrebekahrussell.com/

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