When it comes to healing from the pain of our past, many of us focus on our thoughts or emotions, but what about the trauma our bodies carry?

In a recent podcast conversation with Dale Hodgeson, longtime story work facilitator and member of the Narrow Gate team in Tucson, we explored the profound ways trauma becomes “trapped” in our bodies and how connection, love, and intentional practices can set us free.

Any Movement Toward Healing Is Monumental

One of Dale’s most important reminders is this: Any step toward healing, no matter how small, is monumental.

We often think we should be further along in our process. But healing is not about comparison, it’s about courageously choosing connection and repair. Every moment you move toward grace, mercy, and redemption is significant.

Trauma That Stays in the Body

Our bodies are designed to process stress in short bursts. But when harm is ongoing, or when grief is suppressed, that stress lingers. Dale explained that unaddressed trauma can amplify physical illness, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and relational disconnection.

In other words: If trauma isn’t expressed, it stays.

And it doesn’t just impact the body; it impacts our ability to love and connect deeply. “Trauma ruins and cheapens intimacy,” Dale shared. That’s why entering into our stories and grieving in a safe community is so essential.

Grief as Healing

Dale shared a tender part of his story, the journey of walking with his wife, Cindy, through an 18-month battle with ovarian cancer. Together, they chose to grieve openly, intentionally, and even physically through touch and tears.

“It was a reciprocal connection in suffering,” Dale said. “My tears are never detrimental to me. They carry stress out of my body. They lighten me.”

Six years later, he continues to process waves of grief, and rather than avoiding tears, he embraces them as markers of love, memory, and healing.

Practical Ways to Release Trauma

So how do we begin to move trauma stress out of our bodies? Dale offered several practices:

• Story work in community: Sharing the untold parts of our stories and letting others bear witness.
• Safe expression of grief: Giving ourselves permission to cry, groan, or name our pain.
• Body-based practices: Movement, coloring, walking, or even the use of scent to ground and regulate.
• Breathing and co-regulation: Learning to calm our nervous systems and receive comfort in connection with others.

Each of these practices works to regulate our bodies and create space for healing.

Why We Need Community

One of the most powerful truths Dale emphasized is that we cannot do this work alone. We need spaces of care where people are kind yet honest, willing to sit with us in discomfort and speak truth into our stories.

“That’s why story groups matter,” Dale shared. “They are structured to help unpeel the layers and bring healing where we’ve been silenced or disconnected.”

Taking the Next Step

Healing trauma isn’t a one-time event. It’s a lifelong journey of releasing what’s stored, grieving what’s lost, and discovering deeper intimacy with God and others along the way.

As Dale beautifully put it: “My failure is the launching point to connection. There’s so much freedom when I’m not trying to be perfect.”

If you find yourself feeling “stuck” or noticing patterns you can’t seem to break, perhaps it’s an invitation to explore your story, connect with others, and take one monumental step toward healing today.

To listen to our whole conversation with Dale, listen to episode 152 of Living the Reclaimed Life. 

Stay connected with Dale and The Narrow Gate at thetensionofhope.com. Dale offers in-person story work in Tucson, AZ, and can help you find story work in other parts of the country. 

Reclaimed Story offers virtual intensive 12-week healing groups. Fill out the interest list HERE today. Groups open in the Spring and the Fall. You will be the first to know.