Trauma Bonded

We don’t talk enough about the space between trauma and “healed.” In this first episode of the Still In It mini series, I’m saying something out loud that feels uncomfortable but honest: I don’t think I’m healed. I thought healing would feel like peace. Like arrival. Like a version of me that no longer flinches when certain memories resurface. But that’s not my reality. In this episode, we talk ab...

This week, I’m sharing something I didn’t include when I talked about my health scare before. I’ve tested positive for HPV multiple times over the years - including right before I got pregnant with my daughter. What followed were abnormal Pap smears, a colposcopy, pre-cancerous results, and ultimately a LEEP procedure. HPV is incredibly common, but the shame around it is loud. So we’re talking abo...

Some days, there isn’t a big lesson. There isn’t clarity. There’s just honesty. In today’s episode, I talk about the kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from lack of sleep — but from holding things together for too long. The quiet, low-energy days that don’t look like crisis, but don’t feel okay either. This is a conversation about emotional depletion, the pressure to always have insight while he...

Healing doesn’t happen all at once—and it doesn’t require telling the whole story before you’re ready. In this short solo episode, I build on last week’s conversation and talk about what it looks like to heal in layers: sharing parts of your story while honoring boundaries, pacing yourself through hard truths, and recognizing the difference between avoidance and readiness. BUT knowing that you ARE...

In this episode, I share a high-level reflection on my childhood- one shaped by anger, control, and unpredictability. This isn’t a deep dive, and it isn’t every detail. It’s the version of the story I’m ready to tell right now. Growing up meant walking on eggshells, following rules that went far beyond behavior, and learning early that perfection felt safer than authenticity. Those experiences did...

In this episode of Trauma Bonded , I sit down with my dear friend Lindsay to talk about what it means to grow up before you’re ready. Lindsay shares her story of a childhood shaped by parental separation, instability, and witnessing abuse- and how those early experiences quietly followed her into adulthood. Together, we explore how trauma lives in the body, how it shapes our understanding of safet...

Trauma doesn’t always build slowly. Sometimes it arrives all at once - before we have context, language, or time to prepare. In this episode, I share a personal story about a moment when trauma arrived without warning and how my body responded before I had words for it. Through this experience, I reflect on what happens when safety disappears in real time, how the nervous system holds on after the...

The New Year doesn’t always arrive gently- especially when you’re still carrying what the last one left behind. In this mini-series episode of Trauma Bonded , we slow things down and release the pressure to become a “new version” of ourselves overnight. This conversation isn’t about resolutions or reinvention- it’s about safety, awareness, and honoring the ways your body and nervous system have le...

Healing isn't about erasing trauma or pretending it didn't shape us- it's about learning how to live with the awareness, compassion, and choice. In this episode, we talk about integration: what it looks like to move forward without rushing the process, how to meet old patterns with grace when they resurface and how to build safety within yourself after living in survival mode. This epi...

Trauma doesn’t just live in our thoughts- it lives in the body. In this episode of Trauma in the Everyday , we explore the physical sensations that stay with us after trauma, from tight shoulders to racing hearts. We discuss how the body learns to stay alert after danger, how these reactions don’t always match the present moment, and how we can support the body in healing. This episode is about le...

In this episode of Trauma in the Everyday , we break down one of the most common trauma responses: the mental spiral - that instant jump to the worst-case scenario over something neutral, small, or seemingly insignificant. We explore why trauma trains the brain to expect the worst, how spirals show up in everyday life, why they feel so real, and how to gently interrupt them. Clarity, grounding, an...

Why do little things still trigger us? In this episode, I dive into the everyday moments that bring old trauma back to the surface. why it's okay, what to do, and why the people around you matter. This is Part 1 of Trauma in the Everyday , inspired by my recent layoff and my daughter’s seizure, and a reminder that your reactions make sense.

In this episode of Trauma Bonded , I’m opening up about one of the scariest moments of my life — the night my daughter experienced a febrile seizure. What began as a simple fever turned into a moment no parent is ever prepared for, and today I’m sharing the full story: what happened, what I felt, and how it continues to shape me. I’m also reflecting on last week’s episode and the whirlwind of emot...

In Episode 10, I open up about something incredibly real and incredibly raw: being laid off for the third time in two years. We talk about the heartbreak, the shame nobody admits, the emotional freefall, and the pressure of rebuilding your life over and over again. If you’ve ever faced job loss, instability, or that terrifying “I don’t know what happens next,” this episode is for you. You’ll hear...

No one prepares you for the moment you realize that love alone isn’t enough to keep a connection alive. In the final episode of The Conversations We Don’t Have , Cat opens up about the quiet heartbreak of outgrowing people you love — friends, partners, even family — and what it means to honor relationships that can’t meet you where you’re going. This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt that stra...

No one warns you that healing can feel like betrayal. You start to feel lighter — but instead of peace, you feel guilt. Like you’re leaving behind the people or pain that made you who you are. In this week’s episode, Cat opens up about The Guilt of Healing — the strange, quiet grief that comes when you finally start feeling okay. She dives into the fear of leaving people behind, the discomfort of...

There’s a version of you that still wonders if you are enough — enough for your dreams, for your family, for yourself. This episode is for her. We’re kicking off a brand-new mini-series, The Conversations We Don’t Have , starting with the one we all avoid: the quiet ache of never feeling like we measure up. Cat opens up about the way comparison rewires our worth, the guilt that follows growth, and...

In this deeply heartfelt episode, Cat sits down with her very dear friend, Kristen to share a story of loss, love, and lasting connection. At just 22, Kristen lost her mom- her best friend, her safe place, her person. What unfolds is a conversation about navigating grief that doesn’t fade, finding strength in the memories that remain, and learning how to carry someone’s light long after they’re go...

In this episode, we sit down for an anonymous and deeply raw conversation about growing up in the shadow of chaos — where love, anger, and confusion were often tangled together. Our guest opens up about her childhood and the emotional scars left behind by fractured family relationships. Together, we unpack what it means to grow up walking on eggshells, to crave love from people who couldn’t give i...

What should have been a monumental time in my life turned into a $20,000 nightmare. In this episode, I share how a travel scam tested our trust, drained our savings, and pushed us to stay calm in the chaos. It's a story about resilience, resourcefulness, and finding connection through crisis. A reminder that healing isn't linear- and it's okay to only share the parts that you're re...

In this episode, Colin and I share the story of our car accident while on our babymoon in California. I was six months pregnant at the time, and what was supposed to be a joyful trip turned into one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives. We talk about the moments leading up to the crash, the fear and chaos of what happened, and how it has shaped us since. This is more than just a story ab...

In this episode, I open up about the health issues I've been facing over the past 3 years- the symptoms, the uncertainty, and the emotional toll of not knowing what's happening inside of your own body. I talk about how fear, frustration, and even guilt can creep in when your health feels out of your control. This isn't just about test results or doctor visits- it's about the mental...

Life doesn't always go as planned. In this episode, I share a super personal story with you. I reflect on grief, shock, and how life continues even when you feel like it's stopped. A story of loss, love, and moving forward while remembering that you are blessed with another day.

Welcome to Trauma Bonded, a podcast where real stories of trauma are shared openly and honestly in a community that is OURS- without filters or judgement. This isn't therapy, and it's about fixing the pain. It's about creating a space where you can listen, feel understood, and connect in someone else's story and maybe one day, share your own story in this very same space.