Boundaries, Guilt & Gaslighting: A Body-Based Healing Circle

Boundaries, Guilt & Gaslighting

Note: This is an experiential practice. In this session you’ll be gently guided into body-based techniques to feel, acknowledge, and release stored emotions.

Have you ever set a boundary… only to feel overwhelming guilt afterward?

Have you been told you’re “too sensitive,” “selfish,” or “difficult” when trying to stand up for yourself?

Do you sometimes second-guess your own feelings or memories — wondering if you’re the problem?

You’re not alone. And you’re not crazy.
These are the aftershocks of gaslighting, emotional manipulation, and growing up in environments where boundaries weren’t honored — or were punished.

In this gentle, trauma-informed healing circle, we’ll explore the body-based impact of:

• Internalized guilt and shame when setting boundaries
• The disorientation of gaslighting and emotional invalidation
• How people-pleasing patterns live in our fascia, breath, and posture
• Reclaiming your right to say no — and your right to feel safe doing it

What to Expect:
This is not a lecture or support group — it’s a somatic healing space. You’ll be gently guided through grounding, reflection, and body-based practices including:

• Nervous system regulation to unwind guilt and bracing
• A healing visualization for boundary repair
• Gentle journaling and optional sharing
• A Body Talk script to reconnect with your truth

You’ll leave feeling more grounded, validated, and supported in your boundary work — not from the mind, but from your nervous system and fascia up.

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Come As You Are:
This space is open to anyone navigating family dynamics, emotional confusion, or recovery from narcissistic abuse. No prior experience is necessary — just a willingness to be gentle with yourself.

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Natalie Bussell
Healing & Embodiment Coach | NB Holistic Health
Trauma-informed. Nervous-system aware. Body-based healing.

### Core Principles of Trauma-Informed Practice

1. Safety – Physical, emotional, and energetic safety are prioritized. People aren’t pushed to do anything that feels overwhelming.
2. Choice – Participants have agency; they can opt in or out of any practice, change positions, or just observe without pressure.
3. Collaboration – The facilitator and participants are in a shared experience, rather than a top-down “expert/subject” dynamic.
4. Empowerment – Focus is on strengths, resilience, and self-trust rather than on deficits or “fixing.”
5. Cultural Humility – Recognizing and respecting that people’s experiences, beliefs, and bodies are shaped by diverse backgrounds.

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### Why It Matters for Healing

• Many trauma survivors are hyper-aware of threat cues (tone of voice, body language, abrupt changes), so being mindful of these creates a safe space where healing can actually happen.
• The nervous system learns safety through experience, not just logic — so a calm, respectful, choice-based space helps the body downshift out of survival mode.
• Avoiding re-traumatization means you don’t accidentally trigger someone into reliving their trauma through overly intense, invasive, or fast-paced practices.