Dysregulation as Prophetic Voice

A Spacious Trauma-Informed Perspective by Dr. Shannon Michael Pater

There are moments when we lose touch with our center. Our nervous system “reads the room” and senses a threat, it interprets the environment as unsafe.

As we reflect on moments where we’ve lost touch with our agency, it can be confusing and disorienting. In that confusion, it’s pretty instinctual to look at ourselves critically.

In this article, Pater says,

I have witnessed many eyes swell with tears when I have said plainly and compassionately: “Dysregulation is not a moral state. But dysregulation can be consequential.” In an individual or group session, I usually offer these words as medicine for those who are stuck in a cycle of scolding and shaming their dysregulated behavior — it’s a balm for a wound that has become infected. 

Pater’s compassionate, curious lens has changed the way I hold myself in this disorientation and the way I am present with others in spiritual direction.

Would you like some company or gentle guidance as you listen for wisdom and explore new ways of engaging with your soul? Kirsten offers spacious accompaniment and trauma-informed spiritual direction. I’d love to hear what’s stirring in you and meet with you for a free exploration session.