Why We Need to Talk About Toxic Positivity in Energy Work

In energy healing spaces, you hear it a lot:

“Raise your vibration.”
“Focus on the light.”
“Stay positive.”

It’s usually said with good intentions, but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless.

What Toxic Positivity Does

Toxic positivity shows up when hard feelings are brushed aside for constant, curated positivity. It might sound like “just be grateful” or “it could be worse.” And when that’s all someone hears, it can land like this:

Your pain is inconvenient.
You’re making it too heavy.
Just shift your mindset.

This can quickly turn into spiritual bypassing in spiritual spaces—using energy work, affirmations, or love-and-light language to avoid sitting with what’s real. But skipping over the hard parts doesn’t heal anyone; it hides the hurt.

Why It’s a Problem

When someone’s going through something — trauma, burnout, grief, anxiety — telling them to “look on the bright side” doesn’t help. It often makes them feel more alone.

It sends the message:

• You’re too much

• Your feelings are a problem

• You're doing it wrong if you're not smiling

That kind of dismissal doesn’t make someone feel supported. It makes them feel unseen.

People Don’t Need to Be Fixed. They Need to Be Heard.

You don’t heal by ignoring what hurts. You heal by feeling it safely, without judgment.

At Healing Arts Center, we work with people who’ve spent years performing calm while their nervous systems are screaming. We use somatic coaching, mindfulness, Reiki, and body-based approaches to help people reconnect with themselves.

Not to force a breakthrough. Not to “fix” anything. But to finally stop abandoning the parts of themselves carrying the weight.

Grief, fear, and anger aren’t signs that something’s wrong with you.
They’re signals. And when someone finally listens, something shifts.

If You Hold Space for Others, You Don’t Have to Sugarcoat Reality

Whether you’re an energy worker, a therapist, or the person everyone leans on, you don’t always have to be the cheerleader.

You don’t have to hand out silver linings when someone is clearly in pain.
Sometimes the most healing thing you can say is: “Yeah, this is hard. I’m here.”

Let’s stop calling it “high vibe” and ignore people’s pain.
Let’s stop mistaking silence for peace.
Let’s do better — with compassion, not platitudes.

We're here if you’re looking for support that doesn’t skip the hard parts.

We won’t rush you to feel better.
We’ll help you feel safe enough to feel what’s real.

🌿
Healing Arts Center | Virginia Beach
www.healingartsvb.com
https://www.vagaro.com/healingartscenter