By Nicole Urdang, M.S., NCC, DHM, LMHC

As radical as this may sound, your mind can heal itself without any intervention. Just as a cut will heal without you necessarily tending to it, your mind is capable of a certain amount of change and growth without targeted treatment. Psychological issues, like trauma, definitely benefit from therapy. More minor issues might heal on their own.

How can the mind heal itself? The body is constantly working toward homeostasis, balance, and equilibrium. When the body unconsciously heals a cut, it makes it healthy all on its own. Similarly, as we go through a typical day, the mind is always working to rebalance and find equilibrium.

If you think about it, the body-mind is naturally inclined to heal itself when nothing is especially harmful or emotionally upsetting. The fact that this happens automatically is remarkable. Here’s an example: You experience a loss. I’m not talking about losing someone you love, a pet dear to you, or a family heirloom passed down through generations. Instead, it’s about losing something or someone you like—maybe a friend, but not your best friend—who moves away, or feeling overlooked when someone else gets praised at work. Naturally, you’ll feel sadness, disappointment, anger, or other unpleasant emotions, but they won’t last long. Your mind unconsciously processes it, and soon, it fades into the background. Even if your feelings seemed intense at first, they gradually lessen.

This is good news because it shows that not every disappointment or frustrating situation requires intervention or attention. Of course, just like with a cut, we need to keep the area clean. This principle also applies to the mind and emotions. A mind that is better able to handle the ups and downs of life—especially the smaller ones I mention here—is well-rested and well-nourished. If you’re only getting five hours of sleep each night and eating junk food, your mind will have a harder time adapting to the inevitable frustrations and challenges everyone faces.

In our medically focused world, it’s all too easy to think that every experience or condition needs treatment. But it doesn’t. Sometimes, simply allowing something to heal itself is the best gift you can give, as it frees up energy for other things. This natural healing process requires a certain amount of trust in yourself. It can be helpful to reflect on times when the demands of life didn’t give you the opportunity to focus on a loss or disappointment, and how the related emotions, even if they were intense at the time, eventually subsided. This can happen any day. You might not even notice it because it’s so smooth and natural.

It’s important to understand how the body and mind heal themselves, as it builds greater trust in yourself and helps you relax more. You’ve got this!

Nicole S. Urdang, M.S., NCC, DHM, is a Holistic Psychotherapist based in Buffalo, NY. She holds a New York state license in mental health counseling and a doctorate in homeopathic medicine. Learn more at www.holisticdivorcecounseling.com or call 716-882-0848.