Because most of this information is tucked away in what one might consider a huge vault or storage bin in the brain, it is impossible for us to have conscious awareness of all we think and do, every waking minute. When flooded with too much data, our brain filters material to avoid complete shutdown. Therefore, information not processed consciously, is either discarded or tucked away in an unconscious cache of perceptions and feelings.
Traumatic experience is likely to affect many aspects of our lives.
Psychotherapy is a feedback mechanism, which can give us access to stored information. Recognition of the link between our feelings and how feelings can influence our behavior, is a stepping stone to mastery over despair. A skillful and empathic therapist will work to gain rapport with the client and lay groundwork for a safe learning environment. Change seems more attainable when a part of the self in pain can be reached and given a voice. Ultimately, our emotional healthiness depends on having the ability to see ourselves as a unified whole.