ME & MY DESTINY
The Inner Wild Development Centre for Dogs & People was first dreamed of when its founder, Georgia began Integrative Psychodynamic Therapy for trauma
( Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & PTSD ) twelve years ago.
“After a lifetime of trauma, which began in utero, I eventually found the help I needed to begin to make sense of the mental, emotional, biological & physical dis- ease & illness I had experienced for decades.
Early trauma which we now know as ACEs- Adverse Childhood Experiences meant that life was never easy for me. High levels of early adversity not only affected the structure of my brain, but also its function. It affected my immune system, hormonal systems & the way my DNA was read & transcribed amongst other things.
A lifetime of fear, hurt, confusion, emotional struggles on a daily basis accompanied a long list of physical dis- ease such as-
*A diagnosis/ label for severely poor mental health by age 17..
This was the catalyst to begin a journey of decades long, searching for the answers to emotional balance & health.
* CPTSD ( Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ) & PTSD diagnoses.
*A suspected brain tumour due to severe & debilitating migraines for many years.
*An early diagnosis of ME ( Myalgic Encephalitis )/ CFS ( Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ) at age 21.
* Depression & Anxiety with suicidal tendencies.
* OCD & intrusive thoughts.
* Multiple gut inflammation issues.
* Four experiences with cancer.
* 7.5 year sleep insomnia due to restless arms & legs.
* Mobility issues due to physical injuries.
Every disease on this list is now healed through a multi faceted integrated approach. I still have weakness with mobility, due to the physical damage caused by being in survival system for so long and being tuned out to pain all those years.
The link between early adversity and emotional & physical dis-ease, auto immune conditions & syndromes has been proven since around 1998 & yet it is still not recognised in the mainstream.
I am now a safe, happy, healthy living example of how we can heal, when given the best advice, guidance & encouragement to have autonomy of our mind & body.
I am keen to share my experiences of the metaphysical relationship between mental & physical dis-ease and to inspire others to heal.
Who is telling you that you can heal..? I am!
You can heal!
You deserve to heal!
When people or dogs experience adversity or extreme stress in their lives their mind & body systems need to go through the healing of that trauma in a sequenced way. We can’t/ don’t just ‘release it & feel better.
As a result of the healing process of our APEs TM Trauma Recovery Program we are getting dogs off of Prozac etc, when prescription of these meds are at an all time high sadly. Auto immune conditions, gut issues & allergies are also healing as part of the process of creating wholeness. We specialise in canine anxiety of all kinds.
My wholistic journey to health began 39 years ago aged 15 when I adopted a plant based lifestyle & really fell in love with whole foods & nutrition. The various physical dis-eases I experienced reinforced this, being supported back to health aged 21, after an ME diagnosis by the wonderful Dr Jan De Vries ( eminent & renowned naturopath ). I had been unable to walk for almost 6 months.
Despite living such a healthy life, free from processed food, checking every ingredient/ label and always cooking from scratch, I still struggled with many intermittent health issues, life threatening at times.
I’ve had many experiences of mental health professionals & various forms of therapy from counselling, CBT, psychiatry & many holistic modalities but none of these helped heal me. These professionals are very narrow in their field of observation & treatment. I know of many counsellors who not aware of the nervous system or trauma & its effect on an individual.. Most are not doing the psychodynamic inner work for themselves either.
Mental health professionals can serve the purpose for diagnosis, although at such a young age, that ‘label’ just meant a life of toxic shame for me. If only they had told me that the cause was childhood trauma and a dysregulated nervous system, that it could be healed. I learned temporary coping strategies & tried medicating which had many awful side effects but I wanted to feel better, heal fully.. I just didn’t know how.
I struggled on for decades with poor health interfering in my life plans, few knew, I hid it well. I dropped out of a university degree in Animal Sciences, Behaviour & Management whilst on track for a 1st. Missed out on experiencing motherhood. Never able to achieve any of my dreams.. or so it seemed..
In 2011, I had a life changing experience which was devastating back then, but now I see it as a life healing & fulfilling blessing. I had no choice but to find a trauma therapist who could help me make sense of my life. Help me heal the confusion & pain.. I didn’t want to live on.. This therapist not only literally saved my life, but helped me grow & develop into the balanced, whole ‘grown up’ I am today!
Finding this integrated, psychodynamic approach to trauma healing was exactly what I needed. Healing on multiple levels, undoing the years of programming, codependency, enmeshment, unhelpful behaviours, thoughts & perspectives.
The foundation for all of this healing was a neurological development program which paved the way for deeper growth on a neurophysiological level. Feeling the incredible change this was creating in my mind & body, I began to wonder how this could work for dogs?
I was a dog trainer at that time but my two Dogue De Bordeauxs had emotional issues towards other dogs, which I would have described as ‘aggression’ back then. I quickly learnt that this is an inappropriate, outdated & simply unhelpful label.. Just like my own mental health diagnosis 30 years previously.
It was a Mastiff called Destiny, described as ‘brain damaged’, who was the catalyst for me finding the world of wolves & I trained in the field of wolf and dog development, primal language, communication, psychology & behaviour. It aligned with everything I was already experiencing in my life & also with my dreams of creating a healing centre for dogs & people.
What a beautiful perspective I was viewing the world of dogs from- one where I was actually doing the work, not just trauma informed, teaching about neuroscience & trauma but actually living it, feeling it firsthand & sharing it with others. I was your trauma dog!
Destiny quickly became my first schooling dog, within a month of starting the healing process & together we went on to heal hundreds of dogs, who like her had experienced early trauma. She passed in 2022 aged 12 years. I am forever grateful for all she taught me & she lives on in every dog we meet & heal.
Having begun to study & innerstand trauma, child & canine development over a decade ago through my therapist, she & I began to create a program for dogs which is modelled on the healing process for people. It has been in research & practice now for 7 years. We have intellectual property rights for this program & have named it as our unique APEs TM ( Adverse Puppyhood Experiences ) Canine Trauma Recovery Program. It is an incredibly beautiful & successful process for healing dogs who have disruptions in their development of many kinds.
I have known my best friend & colleague Jane Gill for around 9 years, we met through our days of dog training. She could not find the answers she needed in conventional dog training to bring balance to her puppy farm dogs either.
She too found the world of wolves & we have walked this healing path together. Jane began Psychodynamic Trauma Therapy 6 years ago & is now flourishing along with her dogs. She has been an incredible gift on my healing journey. Walking parallel lives, through beautiful times & the bumps on the road, we continue to help each other grow & work together to bring healing from wolves, to dogs & people.
After years of guiding & balancing the human aspect of the family as a Canine Trauma Expert, whilst healing dogs with emotional issues, I decided to train in Neurological Development Therapy for people (children and adults). I am also an NLP Practitioner, Hypnotherapist, Certified Life Coach and Wellness Guide.
The Inner Wild Development Centre for Dogs & People now offers a multi faceted approach to emotional and social growth & development for all via our extensive services.
ACEs & APEs are the greatest unacknowledged public health threat facing society.
When I began to make sense of my life & discovered the science behind it all, I began shouting from the rooftops! I figured when others were told this unknown info, they too would want to lose their ‘dis ease labels’ & become well. However, few stopped to hear.. This was a massive learning for me. Something I have only begun to find peace with via spirituality.
The journey of healing is not for everyone in this lifetime, but your dog will definitely thank you!
What I consider to be ‘best practice’, I now innerstand to be a movement.
We have always spoken of how it is that “by choosing to heal your dog, a part of you heals too...” Now we encourage- “by choosing to heal ourselves, we heal our family, community & all we connect with on this lifetime journey..”
It takes vulnerability & courage to look at this issue of ACEs & APEs & say
“This is all of us!”
The Inner Wild
are the
‘movement for change!’
