Healing Deep Wounds: A Journey Through Trauma, Family Constellations, and Horses 🐴✨

Welcome back to the Getting Real with Hilary Show—where ordinary people share extraordinary stories that inspire us to live more joyful, purposeful lives! 🎙️💫 In this special episode of the Special Education Series, host Hilary Arnow Burns chats with Gloria Liebecker, a transformational facilitator, trauma-informed coach, and founder of Healing You Sanctuary. Gloria has over 25 years of experience helping spiritually curious women heal deep wounds through neuroscience, somatic awareness, energy medicine, and something truly unique—family constellations with horses! 🐎💖

“The play circuitry only comes on board when that neuroception of safety is there… if it’s safe to play, you can learn something new and apply what you learn.” (43:34)

Gloria’s Story: From Trauma to Transformation 💔➡️💪

Gloria opens up about a deeply personal story—an experience of trauma during her youth. At 14, an innocent motorcycle ride took a dark turn when someone she trusted betrayed her. She didn’t feel safe to tell anyone because she thought she had to be a “good girl” and that speaking up would make her a “bad person.” Sadly, her family believed rumors and hurtful lies without ever hearing her truth. 😞

Yet, Gloria’s healing journey began when she found the courage to seek help and tell her story. She learned that pain doesn’t have to define us or silence our voice. This profound realization sparked her mission to help others break free from trauma patterns and reconnect with their authentic selves.

On trauma and speaking up:

“I know there’s more people out there that really have experiences that are really tough, and they just keep it to themselves, just like I did when I was young.” (2:10)

“I believed I needed to be a good girl, and it wasn’t what was supposed to happen, and that I would be a bad person.” (3:12)

“Nobody asked me what happened. I was told what happened, and it was a lie.” (3:55)

The Power of Horses in Healing 🐴💫

What truly sets Gloria’s work apart is her use of horses in family constellation sessions. Horses are not just majestic creatures—they are deeply intuitive and sensitive to human energy. When people interact with horses during these sessions, the horses pick up on subtle emotions and energies, mirroring them back in powerful ways.

Imagine standing in a corral with horses that intuitively respond to your inner world—nudging your throat to unlock your voice or gently touching your belly to soothe your heart. This somatic, body-centered experience helps people uncover hidden patterns, generational trauma, and buried emotions that words alone can’t reach. It’s healing on a whole new level! 🐎💖🌿

On healing and support:

• “I reached out and got support… I started to tell the truth. I started to learn that you don’t need to condone these things. You don’t have to compromise yourself.” (5:06)

• “Horses… are just incredible, majestic beings, and when you’re near them, your nervous system syncs up with theirs.” (3:55)

What Are Family Constellations? 🧩

If you haven’t heard of family constellations before, it’s a fascinating therapeutic approach that reveals unconscious family dynamics and trauma passed down through generations. Typically, people use representatives or objects to map out relationships and conflicts in a “constellation” to see hidden patterns. Gloria takes this a step further by partnering with horses to create a living, breathing map of your family’s emotional field.

Participants become “seekers,” witnessing their own hidden stories unfold through the horses’ movements and interactions. It’s a sacred space where deep healing and insights emerge naturally, allowing people to reclaim their birthright to joy, purpose, and peace.

On experiential learning and Family Constellations:

“A constellation actually reveals what’s been hidden before.” (9:24)

“It’s experiential learning through their experience, and I’m facilitating walking alongside of them.” (10:06)

The Brain & Trauma: Understanding Our Responses 🧠💥

Gloria also dives into the neuroscience of trauma. When triggered, our brains shift into survival mode—our brainstem (which controls automatic body functions like breathing ❤️‍🔥) and limbic system (our emotional center) take over, often shutting down our creative, rational thinking. This “flipping your lid” effect explains why trauma can leave people feeling stuck, dissociated, or overwhelmed.

Healing happens when we help the brain regulate, calming the nervous system so that creativity, calm, and self-awareness can return. This is exactly the kind of transformation Gloria facilitates through her holistic methods combining mind, body, and spirit.

On early beliefs and imprinting:

• “We are totally helpless when we’re born… we get imprinted with all these belief systems… I learned as a small child I needed to be a good girl. I needed to smile a lot, because if I smiled, then people would be nicer to me.” (5:28)

On nervous system regulation and neuroplasticity:

• “If people ever learned it… sometimes you can actually find a caring person to learn co-regulation with… that’s why I do a lot of what I do.” (25:10)

• “Because of neuroplasticity… there are different types of systems… you can recalibrate, reorganize… it has to go a little bit into chaos.” (32:36)

On creating safe spaces and teaching others:

• “When you can create these sacred containers that have the neuroception of safety… you can develop more consciousness, more awareness when you pay attention with intention.” (25:20)

• “When someone is able to have compassionate understanding… you can have the power, take your power back and step into your heart and who you came here to be.” (46:31)

On the value of play and safety in learning:

• “Most of the time you can be that person that’s safe by being vulnerable and authentic.” (44:12)

On teaching self-regulation to children:

• “When you flip your lid, you create a superhighway to bring that middle prefrontal cortex back quicker… the child learns to regulate.” (33:28)

• “He was not made wrong. He was having a limbic burst… once he was able to come back, he would be ready for a hug. Relationships are healing.” (48:59)

Why This Matters

Gloria’s story and work remind us how important it is to listen—truly listen—to ourselves and others. Trauma doesn’t define worth or goodness. Healing is possible, especially when we tap into innovative methods like somatic healing, family constellations, and connecting with nature’s gentle teachers—horses. 🐎✨

If you’re curious about exploring family constellations or trauma healing, Gloria Liebecker offers retreats, online courses, and intimate sessions through her site: glorialiebeckercoaching.com.

Let’s reclaim our stories, unlock our voices, and live aligned with purpose and passion! 🌟💖

Feeling inspired? Share this story with someone who might need a little healing light today! 🌈✨

Connect with Gloria

http://glorialybecker.com/

https://glorialybeckercoaching.com/

Youtube: @glorialybecker

Facebook: gloria.lybecker

Instagram: healing_you_with_gloria

Linkedin: glorialybecker

Course: https://course.glorialybecker.com/