By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate
“Karma and God work in mysterious ways. Sometimes it takes months… sometimes years. But what happens if you don’t have years? God and Karma will find a way.”
These words carry the quiet force of truth—the kind we often only come to understand in hindsight. Whether you believe in divine intervention, universal justice, or simply the natural consequences of human behavior, there’s something universally human about hoping that harm done in malice, greed, or control will not go unanswered.
But how do we make sense of karma from a psychological and therapeutic perspective? How do we find peace when we feel we’ve been wronged, especially if we fear we may never live long enough to see justice served?
At Linda C J Turner Therapy, we believe that karma is more than just a cosmic scale—it is a mirror, a teacher, and sometimes, a quiet reckoning.
🔄 Karma as a Psychological Loop
In its simplest form, karma refers to the idea that actions have consequences. From a psychological perspective, this aligns closely with what we know about behavioral conditioning, emotional patterns, and relational dynamics.
What we do—not just once, but habitually—shapes:
- Our neural pathways (how we think and respond emotionally)
- Our relationships (how others trust or distrust us)
- Our sense of self (how we perceive our worth, power, and purpose)
When a person lies, manipulates, or causes harm for selfish gain, they may not see immediate consequences. In fact, sometimes they appear to “get away with it.” But psychology tells us: the internal cost is always accruing.
Unchecked guilt becomes shame. Chronic manipulation breeds distrust. Power won through control leads to isolation. The narcissist may believe they are winning, but beneath the surface, their ability to form deep, secure connections is eroding. Eventually, what they took from others becomes what they lack themselves.
That’s karma—not always in dramatic, divine lightning bolts, but in the slow, painful unfolding of one’s own psyche.
🧠 The Brain, Belief, and Behavioral Echoes
Our actions shape our brains. Neuroplasticity teaches us that the brain wires itself in response to repeated behavior. This means:
- A person who constantly lies reinforces cognitive dissonance, eroding their trust in others and in themselves.
- Someone who harms others to control them often ends up driven by fear—paranoid of betrayal, projecting their own motives onto others.
- Greed fuels emptiness, not fulfillment, because the pursuit of more is a bottomless pit when not accompanied by empathy or connection.
From a therapeutic lens, this is karma in motion. What we do repeatedly becomes who we are. And who we are—our energy, intentions, and emotional patterns—shapes what comes back to us in life.
🔍 When Justice Feels Delayed
If you’ve been harmed—lied to, manipulated, isolated, stolen from—it’s natural to want justice. And when it doesn’t come quickly, it can feel like the universe has failed you.
But here’s the truth that therapy often reveals: healing is the justice.
- When you reclaim your voice after being silenced, the cycle starts to break.
- When you live with honesty and heart, even after betrayal, you escape the poison.
- When you stop needing revenge and start needing peace, you set yourself free.
And while you grow, often quietly and painfully, those who have harmed others remain stuck. They do not change without effort. They repeat. And eventually, they find themselves alone, misunderstood, or surrounded by the same toxicity they once inflicted on others.
You may not be there to see it. But psychology, patterns, and emotional intelligence confirm it—unhealed people end up caged by their own harm.
⚖️ Karma in the Therapy Room: What We Teach and Witness
In our practice, we see karma play out in ways both subtle and profound:
- The emotionally abusive partner who loses the respect of their children.
- The manipulator who ends up in relationships where they are controlled and gaslit.
- The greedy sibling who inherits wealth but no love, surrounded by empty loyalty.
And equally:
- The survivor who walks away, builds a new life, and finds joy they never thought possible.
- The child who was told they were nothing who grows into someone deeply kind, wise, and respected.
- The person who was isolated and smeared who becomes a source of light for others.
This, too, is karma.
✨ A Quiet Invitation to Live Differently
So if you’re holding anger, waiting for karma to do its work—trust that it already is. You don’t need to carry the weight of justice alone. Life has its own way of returning what we put out into the world.
Instead, ask yourself:
- What do I need to let go of?
- Who do I want to be, no matter how others behave?
- What legacy do I want to leave?
Karma is not just punishment. It is reflection. And in that reflection, we are offered a chance to choose again, to live with clarity, integrity, and peace.
💬 Final Words: Let the Universe Do Its Work
You may never see the apology. You may never witness their downfall. But healing means you no longer need to. Because karma, in the end, is not just about what comes to them—it’s about what is returned to you when you stop chasing justice and start claiming peace.
And that peace is yours to have. Starting now.
— Linda C J Turner
Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment
