In trauma healing, progress means not only addressing the past but also preparing for the future. The Reorientation Phase in Waji is designed to empower you to face potential triggers with resilience and confidence. This phase helps you visualize and create healthier responses to situations that might remind you of your trauma. By practicing these new reactions and anchoring yourself with symbols of strength, you can reinforce the progress you’ve made and equip yourself to handle challenges ahead. Let’s explore how this phase works and how it can support your healing journey.

Future Stimulus Exposure: Shaping New Responses

One of the core steps in the Reorientation Phase is Future Stimulus Exposure, where you prepare for situations that might trigger old patterns or responses. Instead of reacting as you might have in the past, this step empowers you to imagine responding in a way that reflects your growth. By practicing calmness, control, and resilience in these scenarios, you’re laying the groundwork for real-life responses that align with your healing journey.

Objective:

The goal of Future Stimulus Exposure is to empower yourself to respond to future triggers in a way that supports your healing. By visualizing healthier reactions, you create a mental pathway to navigate similar situations with strength and self-assurance.

How It Works:

As you follow the eye movements, you’ll be prompted to think about potential future triggers and visualize how you’d like to respond. This process helps shift your mindset, replacing fear or discomfort with confidence and calmness.

Tips for Practicing Future Stimulus Exposure:

1. Visualize Your Ideal Response: Identify a potential trigger and picture how you want to respond—focusing on calmness, control, and resilience.
2. Shift Your Mindset: Instead of replaying past discomfort, envision the strength you want to embody in future situations.
3. Stay Grounded: Remind yourself that you now have control over how you respond. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about making progress.
4. Give Yourself Permission: Acknowledge that it’s okay for these situations to feel challenging. What matters is that you’re now equipped with tools to handle them better.

Examples:

• Mia’s Story: Mia anticipates feeling rejected at a family gathering. Instead of withdrawing, she visualizes herself staying present, breathing deeply, and reminding herself of her strength and worth.
• Alex’s Story: Alex imagines speaking confidently in a work meeting where he fears being dismissed. He sees himself staying composed, presenting his ideas clearly, and maintaining self-control.
• Bella’s Story: Bella foresees a family event where she might feel ignored. She imagines herself staying grounded, asserting her presence, and feeling confident in her ability to be heard.

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Identify a Potential Future Trigger: Think about a situation that could remind you of your trauma. Picture the event and how it might unfold.
2. Visualize a Healthy Response: Imagine responding in a way that reflects your healing—calm, collected, and in control.
3. Anchor the Response: While following the eye movements, focus on how it feels to handle the situation differently.
4. Reinforce the New Reaction: Remind yourself that this new response is possible. Each time you practice it, it will feel more natural and attainable.

Supporting Object: A Symbol of Strength and Protection

Another powerful element of the Reorientation Phase is choosing a Supporting Object—a mental or physical symbol that embodies the strength and resilience you’ve cultivated. This object serves as a reminder of your progress and provides grounding during challenging moments.

Objective:

The purpose of the Supporting Object is to give you a tangible or imagined source of strength, grounding, or protection that you can carry with you into future situations. It’s a tool to help you navigate triggers with greater resilience.

How It Works:

As you follow the eye movements, you’ll be guided to choose an object, trait, or symbol that resonates with your healing journey. This object becomes a mental anchor for strength and calmness, helping you stay grounded in moments of stress.

Tips for Choosing and Using a Supporting Object:

1. Select a Meaningful Object: Think of something that represents protection, strength, or comfort for you. It could be a physical item, a symbol, or even a personal trait like courage or patience.
2. Focus on Its Purpose: Reflect on what this object represents—whether it’s grounding, resilience, or self-compassion.
3. Imagine Its Presence: Picture carrying this object with you in challenging situations. Feel its support and strength as you visualize.
4. Empower Yourself: Remember, this object symbolizes your ability to choose how you respond to challenges. It’s a reminder of your progress and potential.

Examples:

• Mia’s Gemstone: Mia chooses a protective stone to symbolize her resilience. She imagines holding the stone when feeling overwhelmed, drawing strength from its presence.
• Alex’s Shoes: Alex selects sturdy shoes as a symbol of his grounding and confidence. He imagines wearing them in moments when he needs to stand firm.
• Bella’s Picture: Bella picks a childhood photo to remind herself to treat her inner child with kindness and compassion, fostering a sense of self-care.

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Choose Your Object: Select an object, tool, or trait that symbolizes strength or support for you.
2. Visualize the Object: Picture it clearly in your mind. Focus on its appearance, feel, and meaning.
3. Imagine Using It: As you follow the eye movements, visualize carrying this object with you in challenging moments.
4. Anchor Its Symbolism: Let the feeling of protection, strength, or calmness from the object spread throughout your body, reinforcing it as a source of resilience.

Conclusion: Moving Forward with Strength

The Reorientation Phase is about reclaiming your future. By practicing new responses to potential triggers and anchoring yourself with a symbol of resilience, you’re building a powerful toolkit to navigate life’s challenges. This phase is not about eliminating discomfort entirely but about empowering yourself to face it with the strength you’ve gained.

Each time you engage in this process, you reinforce healthier neural pathways, making your new responses feel more natural. As you continue your healing journey, remember that progress isn’t about perfection—it’s about equipping yourself to handle life in ways that align with your growth and resilience.

Your future is yours to shape, one step at a time.