Mansi Poddar- Trauma Informed Psychotherapist Working Globally

psychotherapist in India by Mansi Poddar

"The spiritual trauma of being silenced" refers to a deep, often invisible wound that goes beyond psychological or emotional harm-it's a rupture in a woman's sense of self, truth, and soul.
In many patriarchal and hierarchical cultures-including in Indian society-girls are taught early on to mute their voice, intuition, emotions, and needs. They're told:
- "Don't speak like that."
- "Too emotional."
- "Too opinionated."
- "It's not your place.
Over time, this silencing doesn't just impact confidence-it chips away at a woman's aliveness. Her voice is not just a social tool; it is a channel for her soul's truth, her knowing, her creative life force.

What makes it "spiritual" trauma?

Because the act of being silenced severs a woman's connection to:
- Her inner authority and voice
- Her ability to name what she feels and needs
- Her right to take up space in the world
- Her creative and sacred expression
-whether through words, art, movement, or leadership
This trauma creates soul disconnection-a sense of invisibility, fragmentation, and emotional exile.

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Women often describe this as:

- Feeling numb or muted even when safe- Holding back even when they want to speak
- A lingering fear of "being too much" or "not enough"
- A deep, unexplainable grief or longing

Examples of spiritual silencing in context:

- A girl discouraged from asking questions in religious or cultural settings
- A survivor of abuse who is told to keep quiet "for the family's sake"
- A woman told her anger is sinful, her grief is dramatic, or her joy is selfish
- An artist who abandons her creative path because it's "not practical" or "too bold"

Healing the spiritual trauma of being silenced involves:

- Voice work
- reclaiming vocal expression through journaling, singing, storytelling, or poetry
- Somatic practices
- reconnecting with the throat, chest, and womb to release held energy
- Spiritual reclamation
- rituals, ancestral healing, or goddess archetypes (like Saraswati or Kali) to anchor the right to speak and create- Witnessing in safe spaces
- being seen, heard, and mirrored without judgment
To reclaim your voice is to return to your soul.
It's not just about being loud. It's about being true
Disclaimer- the narrations are not based on a particular persons life. They are the descriptions of how trauma and healing manifest in first person voice.

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