‘I created the trigger journal I needed in therapy.’
It was during trauma counselling, a survivor of domestic violence was encouraged to journal her feelings but she struggled with a blank piece of paper. It was this that prompted 38-year-old Victoria Hopwood-Fox to create her own trigger journal with prompts.
The mum-of-three from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, said: “I like to doodle but I found it hard spilling out my thoughts onto plain paper. I searched to find a structured journal which reflected what I needed to heal but I couldn’t so I started doodling my own.”
That was several years ago. Then in Lockdown Victoria found love again this time with an “incredible man” who made her feel safe.
Victoria said: “Jody and I met at the right time. I was healed enough from the trauma and he helped me find faith in men again.
“I think lockdown intensifies what’s right and wrong in your life. I fell for him straight away. I knew I would marry him.”
Personal trainer Jody Hopwood was equally infatuated with Victoria. The couple moved in together in Wakefield before having their first child together.
“Jody proposed. It was a dream come true. I finally felt at peace and happy. This gave me the space in my mind to create my own coaching company to help others heal from trauma,” said Victoria.
Her company Phoenix Recovery Coaching started to gain followers and clients via instagram.
It was while she recruited clients that she remembered the journaling idea from counselling.
She said: “I wanted to create a journal for my clients that would prompt them and help them heal. It’s what I had needed but didn’t exist.”
Victoria set about making her own Time to Heal journal working off the doodles and structure that had worked for her.
“Late last year I published The Healing Journal. Knowing that I was helping others with my lived experience really gave me a purpose. My clients loved it and I got so much positive feedback.”
Journaling is proven to boost your mental health and process your emotions when it’s done in a positive way.
To buy time to heal, go to: https://amzn.to/3vGKAsU
