What if the reason nothing is working isn't because you haven't found the right strategy, but because you haven't felt safe enough to implement it?
In this episode of The Soulful Catalyst, I'm joined by Victoria Duarte, Co-Founder of Healing Arts Center in Virginia and a trauma-informed somatic and mindfulness coach with over 15 years of experience.
Victoria works with clients including active duty military, veterans, and their families through the Navy SEAL Foundation, helping them build personalized toolboxes for regulation rather than searching for the perfect formula that doesn't exist.
What makes her centre's work unique is its belief that healing requires creativity, and she integrates writing, movement, artwork, and tactile practices to help clients reconnect with safety in their bodies.
What we covered:
➤ Why you can't strategize when your body is screaming threat - what happens when clients come to Victoria after years of therapy but still have no tools to use when they're home, upset, angry, or frustrated
➤ Victoria's unforgettable grocery store story - the moment during the pandemic shutdown when she chose to do EFT tapping in a crowded aisle, and what happened next when she picked up her daughter from school that revealed everything about why self-regulation matters
➤ The Navy SEAL who brought his guitar to work - what Victoria asked this client with anger management issues to do that he thought was crazy, how it proved her point, and why she tells everyone to stop delaying comfort
➤ Why your trauma won't match someone else's formula - how Victoria builds personalized toolboxes using everything from writing poems and singing songs to tactile objects and movement, and what she's discovered about creativity unlocking parts of ourselves other methods can't reach
➤ The real reason people stay stuck in dysregulation - what Victoria sees happening when someone excitedly tells her about a change they want to make but their body language tells a completely different story, and how she uses creativity to create a sense of safety first
This episode is for anyone who's tried everything and nothing is working, who keeps watching themselves get more upset, or who realizes they're always waiting for the perfect moment to comfort themselves...and for those ready to stop delaying and start building their own personalized tools for safety and regulation.
Connect with Victoria Duarte
Instagram: @healing_arts_center_vb
LinkedIn: Victoria Duarte
Website: healingartscentervb.com
Connect with Joanna Ingram
Website: joannaingram.com
Instagram: @iamjo.ingram
Messaging Impact Audit: Get a personalised review of your messaging using my six-pillar framework, plus a clear report with your scores, gaps, and the opportunities you’re missing to attract higher-frequency clients.
Book here: joannaingram.link/audit.
Want to be a guest on The Soulful Catalyst?
If you're a coach, healer, or spiritual expert doing powerful work that transforms lives, and you'd love to share your story and methods with a global audience, I'd love to hear from you.
👉 Apply here: go.joannaingram.com/soulfulcatalyst