Blog – Irma Schutte

Trauma - a way home

Trauma - a way home

The retreat recommended I fast for 10 days. Said if I could go without food, then I would go within, let go of the pain. Said my mind would feel l...

When things fell apart - what I really needed the day I hit rock bottom

In July 2015 I went into a medical detox program at a respite care facility after suffering a psychological crisis fuelled by immobilised, undischa...

Trauma symptoms - a list everyone should check

To begin with, it’s important to note that we need to view these common symptoms of trauma for what they truly are. When our bodies are feeling une...

Cacao - does it contain serotonin and is it safe if I'm using an anti depressant?

Serotonin is a chemical found in the brain, blood, intestines, and connective tissues of the human body. It causes blood vessels to contract, helps...

Why releasing our trauma matters

I’m committed to speak about trauma.I know it’s not sexy.Provocative.Spiritual. Fluffy.It’s real.But mention the word trauma and most people try to...

Can sound help you heal trauma?

Today, sound therapy is used in hospitals, schools, and psychological treatment programs as an effective treatment to reduce stress, lower blood pr...

Healing - I didn't know how to do this, but something inside me did

The first time I allowed fear to move through me, instead of ignoring it, was in my mid thirties when I started healing from trauma, addiction and ...

Hold on. Please stay. The world loves you

This picture of me was taken exactly 4 fours ago. I was in South Africa. It was mid morning. I was with my younger sister, her husband and thei...

Grief - an African lesson

This is Rosemary. My other mother. I’ve known her for over 30 years. She's given birth to 9 children.She's buried 4.She is Zulu.And how she gr...

Cacao - how it can open your heart and heal your body

What many of us in the west come to know and love as chocolate, is worlds apart from the plant medicine it is made from. Modern ways of consuming c...

Ceremonies - why they are good for our health

At some point, you and I shifted out of community-based societies, where we met regularly in circles and gatherings to laugh, heal and share.We d...

It's always darkest before the dawn

There have been many moments in my life when I felt unable to carry on. Unable to get up. Unable to show up.Moments when the dark was so real I tho...

Depression - what they don't want you to know will shock you

Recently I attended a mental health conference and what I learned shocked me. Within psychiatry there is growing concern about the safety of anti...