The Ripple Series | Post 1: The Afterglow

“The afterglow is not the end. It’s the beginning of integration.” – Mary Coughlin

The Afterglow

The moments after presence are often overlooked. But what if that quiet space is where the healing begins?

After the baby finally settles and sleep takes over.
After the last breakout group says goodbye and the Zoom room goes quiet.
After you speak the words you’ve been holding in for months—and they’re received, not rejected.

This is the afterglow.

A stillness that isn’t empty, but full.
Full of what was said.
Full of what’s now possible.
Full of what we haven’t yet put words to.

If you joined me for The Presence Workshop on June 6th, you may still be carrying a piece of it in your chest.
If you weren’t able to attend, but you’ve been walking alongside the Presence Prelude series, you’re part of this ripple, too.

Because presence isn’t a single event.
It’s a practice. A frequency. A way of living that changes everything.

The Science of the Afterglow

In trauma-informed work, we often focus on the stress response—what activates, overwhelms, or dysregulates the system.

But there’s another side to the story.

Co-regulation. Attunement. Safety. Reflection. Integration.

These are the conditions that allow for healing after the moment.
This is where post-traumatic growth begins—not in the crisis, but in the gentle return.

In TIDC, this might look like:

• A baby’s nervous system stabilizing after skin-to-skin

• A parent who finally cries, and doesn’t apologize

• A nurse who chooses rest over rigidity, permission over perfection

Healing doesn’t end with the intervention.

The afterglow is the intervention.

Caring Science: Integration as Sacred Work

Jean Watson reminds us that the work of caring is not just technical—it is transpersonal.
And after we offer presence, we must also tend to the space after presence. The sacred pause.

This is where wholeness takes root.
In the space between.

BUFFER: What Comes After the Moment

In the BUFFER framework, presence lives within—and beyond—the six values:

• Belonging: Did I feel safe in that space? Am I still welcome here?

• Understanding: What meaning did I take from that moment?

• Forgiveness: What needs to be released to integrate the experience?

• Frameworks: What will support me going forward?

• Equanimity: Can I stay grounded even as it all sinks in?

• Respect: What do I now see in myself, and others, that I didn’t before?

Integration is not an add-on. It is the evidence of transformation.

A Reflection to Carry With You

💭 What lingers in your body, your heart, your thoughts after the workshop—or after any moment of presence?
💭 What wants to be honored?
💭 What feels ready to ripple forward?

You don’t need to know the answer.
But you deserve the space to ask the questions.

With presence, purpose, and a heart wide open,
Mary

P.S. If this kind of presence speaks to you, the Trauma-Informed Professional (TIP) Program was made for you. It's where science meets soul, and where care becomes a form of advocacy. Enrollment is open now—and the ripple you start there might just change everything. LEARN MORE