Why stabilization, safety, and compassion come before transformation When writing memoir, prescriptive nonfiction, or personal essays, there’s a common recommendation: write from the scar, not the wound. In other words, don’t tell the story while you’re still raw and bleeding—while it’s actively unfolding. Tell it once you’ve moved through it when there is perspective and integration. This idea often makes me think about healing. I see clients and friends moving through their healing journeys...

While my most intense healing journey has been happening over the last 10 years, I have received counselling from my early 20s on. I...