What is Healing?
The word "heal" originates from the Old English root word "hælan," which means "to make whole." At its core, healing is the journey toward wholeness, both on an individual and collective level. It is not merely the absence of illness or suffering but the integration of all aspects of our being—mind, body, heart, and spirit—into a unified, harmonious existence.
I believe that every one of us is on a path toward greater wholeness. Healing is not a linear process; rather, it is an unfolding, an expansion, and a deep embrace of all parts of ourselves. When we fully acknowledge and integrate the many facets of our being, we cultivate coherence within ourselves, with each other, and with the greater universe.
Embracing the Full Spectrum of Experience
True healing requires us to acknowledge and hold space for the full spectrum of our emotions and life experiences. It is about welcoming joy, bliss, and unconditional love just as much as we open ourselves to grief, pain, and suffering. Healing does not mean eliminating the so-called "negative" aspects of our reality but rather allowing them to coexist alongside the beauty, joy, and light.
The path to wholeness invites us to witness and honour both the highs and the lows without judgment. It calls for the ability to sit with our pain without becoming consumed by it and to celebrate our joy without becoming attached to it. When we do this, we create an inner space that allows us to move fluidly through life, rather than being caught in resistance or denial.
The Dance of Duality and Polarity
We experience life through duality—light and dark, expansion and contraction, creation and destruction. These polarities exist in every aspect of nature, revealing the fundamental cycles of existence. Nothing is static; everything is constantly shifting and evolving.
During a shamanic journey, I witnessed a vision of a forest regenerating itself in fast motion. It was an endless cycle of death and rebirth—trees decaying, breaking down, and feeding the soil, only for new growth to emerge. This vision was a powerful reminder that the forest’s vibrancy and life force were deeply intertwined with its process of decay and transformation.
Similarly, our own healing requires us to honor these natural cycles. When we resist change, deny suffering, or attempt to remain in a neutral space where nothing is fully experienced, we hinder our growth. To heal, we must embrace the full dance of existence—both the light and the dark—allowing the cycles of life to move through us rather than attempting to control or avoid them.
Facing Our Shadows with Courage
There are times when we may wish to avoid our personal and collective grief, pushing aside suffering in favour of more pleasurable or blissful experiences. Some individuals find solace in spiritual practice, using it as a means to escape from pain rather than confronting it. But true healing requires us to face the shadows as well as the light.
It takes immense courage to sit with grief, to acknowledge our wounds, and to process the pain we carry from both our past and present. It is much easier to turn away, to numb ourselves, or to seek only the comfort of transcendent experiences. However, denying our suffering does not make it disappear; rather, it festers in the unconscious, creating deeper fragmentation within us.
Healing asks us to meet our pain with presence and compassion. It invites us to hold our suffering with tenderness, to allow ourselves to grieve, and to honour the wounds we carry. Only by doing so can we truly integrate and transform them.
The Ever-Changing Flow of Life
One of the greatest sources of suffering is the fear that pain is permanent. Many of us attempt to escape suffering because we believe that if we fully embrace it, we may never emerge from it. Yet, just as day follows night and the seasons shift in perpetual motion, our experiences are always evolving. Nothing remains the same forever.
When we recognise that everything in life is in constant flux, we develop the ability to be present with whatever arises without clinging or resisting. We understand that even the most difficult moments will pass, just as joy is also fleeting. In accepting this truth, we move beyond fear and into a space of fluidity, where we can meet life as it is—moment by moment.
Moving Toward Wholeness
To deny any aspect of our being, whether it be our pain or our bliss, is to create further separation within ourselves. Some of us may feel a sense of transcendence through spiritual practice alone, yet if we avoid engaging with our emotions and wounds, this transcendence remains incomplete. We may experience states of peace in meditation, only to be triggered by external circumstances that shake our sense of stability.
Real peace, real healing, and real wholeness arise when we integrate all aspects of our existence. When we no longer turn away from discomfort, when we no longer chase only after bliss, we begin to embody a deeper state of presence. By looking directly into the heart of our suffering, with compassion, patience, and courage, we allow movement toward the wholeness we seek.
Healing is not about fixing what is "broken." It is about remembering that we were never broken to begin with—it is about reclaiming the fullness of who we are and embracing the ever-changing, cyclical nature of existence with an open heart.
About the Author
Jules De Vitto has a BSc in Psychology, MA in Education and MSc in Transpersonal Psychology, Consciousness and Spirituality and is an accredited transpersonal coach, trainer and experienced educator. She is the founder of the Highly Sensitive Human Academy - a central hub that offers courses, coaching, articles and a podcast for Highly Sensitive People. She helps those who identify with the traits of high sensitivity to navigate emotional overwhelm, step into their authentic power and align with their true purpose in life.
She is a published author and wrote one of a series of books on Resilience, Navigating Loss in a time of Crisis. Her research has also been published in the Transpersonal Coaching Psychology Journal and Journal of Consciousness, Spirituality, and Transpersonal Psychology.
In addition to her academic and coaching pursuits, Jules has spent years engaging in deep transformative healing work. She is a Reiki Master and Teacher and has completed Michael Harner’s Shamanic Practitioner Training through the Foundation of Shamanic Studies and a Grief Ritual Leadership Training with Francis Weller.
Jules is passionate about creating community for Highly Sensitive People and embracing the full spectrum of our emotional and sensory capacities rather than trying to ‘fix’ ourselves. Deepening the connection to our sensitivity enables us to open our hearts and form better relationships with ourselves, others and the world.