The Courageous Survivor: The Rewired Journey

"Why don't they just leave?" It is one of the most common questions asked about people experiencing domestic violence—and I believe it may be one of the wrong questions. Last week on The Courageous Journey , we talked about how behavior is information and looked beyond labels like difficult, manipulative, attention-seeking, angry, noncompliant, lazy, and self-sabotaging. In this episode, I take th...

What if the labels we give people describe the behavior we see—but completely miss what is happening underneath it? I've been called lazy, angry, manipulative, attention-seeking, self-sabotaging, noncompliant, and difficult. And here's the uncomfortable truth: at different points in my life, some of my behaviors gave people very good reasons to use those words. I hurt people. I pushed healthy peop...

What if the behavior we see on the outside is only part of the story? Last week on  The Courageous Journey , I talked about changing the question from  "What's wrong with me?"  to  "What happened to me?"  and eventually,  "What happened inside of me because of what happened to me?" This week, we start answering that question. Trauma isn't only something that happened in the past. Our experiences c...

Reframing the Question: I Stopped Asking "What's Wrong With Me?" For years, I asked questions that already assumed something was wrong with me. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't I remember? Why did my brain and body respond the way they did? Why couldn't I just make myself do things that seemed so simple for everyone else? Over time, I began learning to ask different questions. Instead of only as...

I Don't Want to Be an Influencer. I Want to Leave Breadcrumbs. For a long time, I thought I needed to figure out my "lane." Was I supposed to talk about childhood trauma? Domestic violence? Brain injury? Strangulation? The nervous system? Healing? The problem was that none of those things felt separate to me. Then I realized something even bigger: I don't want to be an influencer. When I first bec...

Maybe I Was Never Broken: What Healing Is Teaching Me About Shame, Survival & Who I Really Am What if some of the things you've spent years believing were wrong with you weren't evidence that you were broken at all? What if they were adaptations? In this episode of  The Courageous Journey , I reflect on something that happened while speaking at the National Domestic Violence Hotline Conference in...

Paula Hello Everyone and welcome to The Courageous Journey. I have an exciting episode with for you today. I am actually going to be talking with doctor Mike Hennes from The Neural Connection. He is the doctor that if you've been seeing any of my social media, or you've listened to me talk about in any of my speaking engagements, I often refer to him as doctor Mike. And the person that I have work...

Hello everyone, and welcome to The Courageous Journey. My name is Paula and I am so excited that you are here. I just want to tell you that this is an off the cuff, not planned episode. You know, you complain as much as you want, but sometimes life just gives you what you need to talk about. And you have heard me talk. If you've been following me for any length of time about like, the power of one...

This latest episode is sharing with you how I think I finally found my voice, why everything is changing, and why it all comes back to one simple truth.... And welcome to the Courageous Journey podcast. This episode is going to be, I think I finally found my voice and why everything is changing and why it all comes back to one simple truth.   Today is going to be a little bit different. I'm not te...

  The Beliefs That Hurt Me More Than the Abuse For years, I believed the abuse itself was what kept me stuck. Looking back, I see something different. In this episode, I share one of the biggest breakthroughs in my healing journey: it wasn't just the traumatic events that shaped my life—it was the beliefs and survival patterns my brain developed because of them. Using a simple story about trimming...

  After a three-month break, I'm back—and this season begins with more than just an update.  In this episode, I share what has been happening behind the scenes as I've cared for my mom through advanced dementia, prepared for my first national domestic violence conference presentation, and made the decision to step fully into my calling as a speaker, educator, and advocate.  Healing isn&a...

Listen to this brave episode where Paula discusses her recent medical visit, and what she has learned about her brain function and health. https://thecourageoussurvivor.com/ Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast and YouTube channel is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I, Paula Walters, am not a licensed medical professional, and the information provided should no...

Paula and her friend Kerri unpack what trauma-informed care really means — beyond training modules and checklists — and argue it must include how trauma rewires the body on a cellular level . They share personal experience with lifelong trauma, traumatic brain injury, and the limits of conventional medicine, and call for a holistic approach that connects brain, gut, hormones, sleep, and metabolism...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of The Courageous Survivor , Paula Walters reintroduces herself and shares why she uses the word courageous to describe her healing journey. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and Paula opens up about the honest struggle of choosing discipline, structure, and faith in a culture that celebrates comfort and excuses. As a trauma survivor and brain inju...

In this powerful episode of The Courageous Survivor: The Rewired Journey , Paula Walters shares the frustration, truth, and lived experience that led her to create this podcast. Living with layered trauma and brain injury, Paula challenges the idea of quick fixes and explains why healing is not a destination—but a lifelong journey. She explores how trauma reshapes the brain and body, why symptoms...

In this episode, Paula Walters shares how her recent functional medicine labs finally validated what her body has been communicating for decades. As a survivor of childhood abuse, domestic violence, near-fatal strangulation, and trauma-related brain injury, Paula explains how chronic trauma rewires the nervous system, hormones, and stress response—and why these labs aren’t about a diagnosis, but a...

In Season 2, Episode 2 of The Courageous Survivor, Paula Walters continues her story in real time—sharing what it truly looks like to navigate healing as a trauma survivor with a brain injury inside fragmented medical systems. After surviving childhood abuse, domestic violence, and a near-fatal strangulation that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, Paula spent over a decade searching for answers...

Episode Title: When Something Still Feels Missing: A Continuation, Not a Comeback After several months away, Paula returns to The Courageous Survivor —not for a comeback, but for a continuation. In this deeply personal episode, Paula shares why she stepped back from the podcast, what the past year of reflection and healing revealed, and why something still felt unfinished in her body and brain des...

In this raw and powerful episode, Paula Walters returns with fresh insight and deep personal reflection on one of the most uncomfortable—but essential—truths about the healing journey: the choice between excuses and accountability . Drawing from her own experiences with trauma, emotional overwhelm, and hard-hitting feedback, Paula unpacks the difference between living from the emotional brain and...

Episode Summary: In this powerful first episode of a two-part series, Paula Walters shares her deeply personal story to close out Brain Injury Awareness Month. She sheds light on “the silent injury” —the traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that often go unseen and undiagnosed in survivors of child abuse, domestic violence, strangulation, and human trafficking. Drawing from her own experience as a param...

In this episode of The Courageous Survivor , Paula Walters returns after a long hiatus, joined by Kerri, to share life updates and discuss the challenges they've faced. Paula candidly opens up about how the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 have not gone as planned, leading her to reassess her path forward. She shares two major realizations: You don’t have to engage with toxic people – Pa...

In this powerful and introspective episode of The Courageous Survivor , host Paula Walters celebrates her 51st birthday by reflecting on the incredible journey of overcoming childhood trauma, healing, and defying medical predictions. With a deep sense of gratitude and renewed purpose, Paula shares her goals for the next phase of her life, which include continuing her spiritual awakening, prioritiz...

In this powerful episode, host Paula Walters shares a deeply personal account of a recent work-related concussion and her decision to forego traditional medical treatment in favor of a holistic healing approach. Drawing from her own experiences with brain injuries, misdiagnoses, and a frustrating encounter with the healthcare system, Paula discusses her journey through functional neurology and the...

In this episode of The Courageous Survivor Podcast , Paula Walters, a survivor of multiple forms of abuse and national speaker, reflects on her recent experience speaking at a conference in Los Angeles, where she discussed the intersection of domestic violence (DV), interpersonal violence (IPV), and the healthcare system. Paula shares insights from professionals in California, comparing them to th...

Unraveling Trauma, Brain Injury, and the Broken Healthcare System In this episode of The Courageous Survivor , Paula Walters opens up about her harrowing journey through trauma, brain injury, and the challenges of navigating a fragmented healthcare system. Sharing her personal story of surviving child abuse, domestic violence, and a near-fatal strangulation, Paula sheds light on how these experien...