The Stitcher: Why Healing Is Your Default Setting
Healing isn’t magic... it’s what your body (and brain) are wired to do.
When we think about healing (especially trauma healing) it can feel like something mysterious or far away, like only other people know how to do it. But the truth is: healing is your default setting. Your body and mind are built to repair themselves.
Think about it. A scab forms. A bruise fades. A fever burns out what doesn’t belong. Your body is constantly working toward balance and repair. And your mind? It’s doing the same thing—through REM sleep, through crying, even through that big sigh you let out when you didn’t know you’d been holding your breath.
But here’s the catch: some wounds are too deep to close on their own. That’s where The Stitcher comes in.
For me, that metaphor started when I was a kid getting my first stitches. The doctor didn’t magically heal me. He simply brought the edges of the wound together so my body could finish the job. The same is true for emotional wounds. Sometimes you need a “stitcher”, such as a therapist, a trusted friend, or a supportive peer or community, to help create the conditions for healing.
Trauma recovery works the same way. Therapy, support, or even modalities like Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) don’t “fix” you. They set the stage so your brain and body can complete the healing work they were always meant to do.
Here’s what I want you to know:
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Healing is a built-in process. You don’t have to “earn” it or fight for it, know that your body and mind are already working for you.
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Wounds don’t mean you’re broken. They mean you’ve been hurt. And hurt things can heal.
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It’s not weakness to need help. Sometimes healing needs a stitcher. That’s normal. That’s human.
If you’re feeling stuck, like your wounds aren’t closing, maybe it’s time to find your stitcher. Because the truth is—you were built to heal.
✨ Listen to Episode 125 of After the Tones Drop to hear more about The Stitcher and why your body’s resilience is stronger than you think.
Listen To Episode 125 Here 👉 https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/stitcher
Cinnamon
Host
Cinnamon has spent over 25 years in the trenches of trauma work—but for the last eight, she’s been all-in with one mission: making sure the people who run toward chaos have somewhere to land when the dust settles.
She’s a trauma therapist, a trainer, and a national speaker on first responder mental health. From firehouses to squad rooms to conference stages, she shows up with honesty, respect, and the tools to help responders move from surviving to actually living.
And here? She’s your host.
After the Tones Drop is her raw, unfiltered podcast built for the first responder community. Because staying alive isn’t enough. Her work is about reclaiming life—on your terms.
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