Why does sitting still make your chest tighten, and your mind race through everything undone? In this episode of Creative Trauma Recovery, trauma therapist and former kindergarten teacher Shelley Mountain-Collette explores why planned time in prayer can change your life, not just spiritually, but in ways backed by research on stress, cortisol, and the nervous system.

Shelley walks through what the research actually shows about daily prayer and mental health, introduces an IFS (Internal Family Systems) look at the “Doer” part that keeps you moving to avoid feeling unsafe, and offers a practical, personalized way to build a prayer practice that actually sticks, grounded in Luke 12:22-25, Proverbs 16:3, and Ephesians 6:12.

In this episode: - What research says about prayer, cortisol, and the nervous system - Why God-image (how you picture God) changes the benefit you get from prayer - An IFS parts-work perspective on the part of you that fears stillness - A short nervous system regulation practice - This week’s activity: building a prayer practice that’s actually yours - A faith-based look at trust, worry, and handing over the striving

Who this episode is for: Christian helpers, caregivers, and trauma survivors who stay busy to avoid feeling unsafe, and who want a prayer practice that’s sustainable, not just aspirational.

Keywords: Christian counseling, trauma healing, nervous system regulation, prayer and mental health, IFS therapy, trust in God, trauma and faith

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING