Courageous Journeys® ~ Impact & healing from childhood trauma

Video mentioned: The Pain of Hoping They’ll Change: Grief in Trauma Healing- https://youtu.be/SI-V5zFU8XU There’s been more talk lately about the so-called “epidemic” of adult children cutting ties with their parents. As a parent, I understand how painful and confusing that can feel. And as a therapist who works with survivors of childhood trauma, I also know there’s a deeper story behind it. In t...

It’s one thing to lose someone. It’s another to grieve the version of them that only ever existed through hope. If you've ever found yourself mourning the parent who never truly saw you, or feeling guilty for pulling away from someone then this conversation is for you. In this video, I talk about the layers of grief that show up during the healing process, especially when it involves complex f...

If you've ever felt confused by (or avoided) the term inner child or unsure what it really means in trauma healing, you’re not alone. It can feel vague, over simplified, or even a little disconnected from your lived experience. But, learning to see your inner child clearly can be one of the most powerful (and shame-reducing) steps in your healing. In this video, I talk about: What “inner child...

Getting a mental health diagnosis, or even self-diagnosing, can feel like a relief, overwhelming, or anywhere in-between. So often, people believe the symptoms and struggle associated with the diagnosis are something they’ll have to learn to live with and/or manage forever. People are starting to talk more about C-PTSD, which is important. But there’s something that isn’t being said enough, not ju...

Link for Returning to Wholeness https://courageousjourneys.com/courses/returningtowholenessjc Ever felt like you’re doing everything right on your healing journey but nothing’s really changing? Like you’re circling back to old coping patterns and wondering if any of this even works? If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone and it doesn’t mean you’re failing. As a childhood trauma therapist, I’ve...

Let’s be honest, sometimes it feels easier to open up to a chatbot than to a human. No judgment, no awkward pauses, just instant validation. If you’ve ever found yourself venting to AI instead of a real person, you’re not alone. But as a trauma therapist (and someone who deeply values safe, authentic connection), I have a few thoughts. In this video, I explore the growing trend of using AI as a su...

Saying “I’m sorry” when someone we care about shares their pain or grief is a common response. Have you wondered why people say it? Is it a reflex, something we say just to move through the discomfort? Or is it rooted in empathy, in support, in care? In this video, I talk about the complexities of grief, empathy, and our discomfort with emotional pain…ours or someone else’s. My hope is that this v...

Journaling can play a powerful role in healing from childhood trauma. It offers space to process emotions, explore your thoughts, and begin to notice patterns that often stay beneath the surface. In this video, I share how to use journaling in a way that supports your healing and what to pay attention to, whether you're working with a therapist or on your own. You'll learn: 🖊 Why journalin...

Have you ever felt like you had to “bring something important” to therapy or skipped a session because you didn’t know what to talk about? You’re not alone. As someone who’s sat on both sides of the therapy room, as a trauma therapist and as a client, I know how much pressure we can put on ourselves to do therapy right. But what if showing up exactly as you are is enough? Expectations we put on ou...

We grow up with a variety of ideas about staying safe. Who we can and can’t be safe with. What not to do so we don’t end up in trouble or a bad situation. Some of it is helpful and important information. Unfortunately, much of it comes from fear based on lack of understanding and awareness. Sometimes we’re even taught to fear by making someone or something out to be dangerous… from seed oils to pe...

I recently asked my YouTube community to describe their healing journey in one word and what came back reminded me just how layered and nuanced the work of healing truly is. We often expect… hope that healing should look linear, like we’re always supposed to be “better” than we were last week. But that’s not real life. That’s not real healing. The truth is, where you are today might not reflect wh...

With so much mental health content available online, it’s easy to feel like support is just a quick click or scroll away. But not all information lands the same and not all of it is helpful when you're working through something as layered as childhood trauma. In this video, I talk about the subtle (sometimes unhelpful) messages that are sometimes sent, even when, on the surface, it seems posit...

If you’ve been doing all the “right” things to heal; journaling, affirmations, therapy, mindfulness but still feel stuck, you’re not alone. Healing from childhood trauma isn’t just about doing the practices. It’s about how you do them. Without intention and mindfulness, even the most helpful and motivating practices can lose their impact. In this video, I share: Why common and, often important, he...

For a long time, I’ve talked about “healing shame”. But something about it never sat right with me. It felt… inaccurate. In this video, I talk about: Why “healing shame” doesn’t fully capture what actually happens How one moment of shame can trigger all the old pieces we’ve held Why we can’t compartmentalize our shame What it means to truly “heal” shame and how that’s different from just managing...

Life keeps happening around us as we navigate through the healing journey. When the world is loud, relationships are draining, or everything just feels too much, it’s no wonder healing feels harder. We wonder why we’re not more motivated, more connected, or more "ready" to do the deep work. But the truth is, chaos takes energy. A LOT of energy. And for childhood trauma survivors especially, all of...

There are some things we lose before we even know they’re missing. When we grow up with trauma, in chaos, or without the love and safety we needed, we don’t just carry memories of what happened, we also carry grief for what never happened. There’s a quiet kind of heartbreak that lives inside the wishes we made as children. The ones we likely never said out loud. In this video, I talk about the gri...

For so many survivors of childhood trauma, connection feels like a double-edged sword. Something we deeply desire and yet often fear. You might crave closeness, support, and vulnerability… while also feeling like those very things are dangerous, even impossible. It’s confusing. It’s painful. And you’re not alone in that. In today’s video, I’ll talk about what happens when our attachment wounds mee...

Perfection is a myth—and chasing it affirms your false, core beliefs. If you’ve ever felt like you’re not “doing healing right,” this message is for you. Your progress is valid. Your journey is yours. And every moment you choose healing over hiding, you’re rewriting your story and stepping more fully into the life you desire and deserve. In this video, I dive into how the pursuit of perfection can...

Link to Deeply Rooted: https://courageousjourneys.com/courses/deeply-rooted-a-guided-journal That title is a pretty bold claim. But, after over 20 years of working with survivors, it’s something I truly believe. I’ve witnessed it and experienced it in my own healing journey. When we have been hurt and experienced betrayal, our deepest core belief often becomes unworthiness, the sense that we do no...

Normalizing things can be reassuring… until it isn’t. In a world where so many unpleasant experiences are brushed off as normal, it’s easy to start doubting ourselves. And for childhood trauma survivors, that kind of doubt feels eerily familiar. In this video, I talk about the point where normalizing stops helping and starts being destructive. If you've ever questioned your feelings or felt li...

If you’re interested in working with me, you can learn more here: https://courageousjourneys.com/courses/journey-to-wholeness For anyone who’s spent their life constrained by self-doubt, depression, anxiety, or a variety of other struggles related to childhood trauma, the idea of freedom can feel abstract and often unattainable. What does freedom feel like, will you know you’re free when you achie...

What drives your motivation in healing? Many start with self-criticism and shame—the fear of not being enough or the pressure to avoid failure. But while that might push you forward, it’s not sustainable. If you’re on Tiktok, you may have come across a bit of controversy in #cleantok. While I didn’t dive into all of it, I did see some comments in which I know a lot of other people would feel simil...

There are many practices needed along the healing journey. All of them help to deprogram a core wound or belief around unworthiness. True worthiness transcends cognitive acknowledgment; it's an embodied experience—a deeply rooted trust in our inherent value. When we deeply trust in our worth, challenges feel easier to navigate, doubt doesn’t throw us off course, and we feel more equipped… and...

“Healing is a process” you’ve heard me talk about this many times, but healing is more than just a process, it’s an ongoing practice that unfolds in your daily life. The way you think, the way you process experiences, and the way you challenge old patterns all shape your healing journey. In this video, we’ll dive into what the practice of healing, what it is, what it looks like, and how to maintai...

Not every thought we have is true. In fact, for survivors of childhood trauma, many of the thoughts we have are not based in truth. But, when we’ve grown up in difficult or unsafe environments, it can feel like they are. For childhood trauma survivors, core beliefs are often shaped by experiences of betrayal, pain, and/or neglect. And because these beliefs take root so early, they start to feel li...