Trauma Survivors Unite: Christian Emotional Recovery

Episode Description: I'm excited for a new season of Christian Emotional Recovery. This episode, What's New in 2022 includes updates Season Two of Christian Emotional Recovery--the podcast, Facebook group, and Youtube channel:  When will the new season be out and what updates will the podcast include?  What suggestions do you have for the podcast?  What goes on behind the scenes of the p...

Episode Description: Practices to Heal Trauma Series-Part 4: Body Therapies with a Licensed Professional discusses what kinds of therapies work the most effectively in healing trauma. This episode is the fourth of four episodes in the series and the last of this season, and it covers five body practices with a professional that can contribute to healing trauma when practiced on a regular basis: EM...

Episode Description: Practices to Heal Trauma Series-Part 3: Body Practices discusses what kinds of therapies work the most effectively in healing trauma. This episode is the third of four episodes in the series, and it covers five body practices that can contribute to healing trauma when practiced on a regular basis: Exercise, EFT/Tapping, Breath work, Grounding, and Sound and music therapy. Each...

Episode Description: Practices to Heal Trauma Series-Part 2: Mind Practices to Heal Trauma discusses what kinds of therapies work the most effectively in healing trauma. This episode is the second of four episodes in the series, and it covers five mind practices that can contribute to healing trauma when practiced on a regular basis: Meditation, Affirmations, Journaling, Mindfulness, and Visualiza...

Episode Description Practices to Heal Trauma Series-Part 1: Traditional Practices to Heal Trauma discusses what kinds of therapies work the most effectively to heal trauma. This episode acts as an intro to the series, breaking down the types of practices we'll discuss, and breaking down how each practice will be presented in the next 4 episodes. The episode covers five traditional Christian p...

Episode Description:  Acceptance discusses what self-acceptance is, how self-acceptance can help us draw closer to Christ, and why accepting our shortcomings and coming to Him just as we are is the beginning of all healing. The radical acceptance and love that Christ says more about Him than our shortcomings, which enables us radical surrender to His grace. This is the first step to all healing. ...

Episode Description: Codependency discusses what codependency is, how it impacts the individual, and how it impacts relationships. It also discusses the symptoms and causes of codependency. In Christian life, codependency and Christian love are often confused, but there are not the same thing. Many people are even raised by well-meaning Christian parents that confuse the two. This podcast differen...

Episode Description: Why We Need a More Integrative Approach to Trauma in Our Theology discusses how theology, churches, and Christian teachings often fail to address trauma properly. We can see how the realities of trauma have been integrated into literature, art, history, and music as ways to express and heal trauma. However, while not all theology does this, some theology dismisses trauma or cl...

Episode Description: Why You Can't Stay Small and Silent discusses why many of us who experienced emotional, narcissistic, and other forms of abuse stay small and invisible to feel safe. If we've been taught we are to be seen and not heard, our ideas are stupid, or taking risks were shot down with rejection, this is a normal response to this trauma.    The podcast also discusses why we c...

Episode Description:   No Mo' FOMO discusses the psychological phenomenon that we all experience called "FOMO," or "Fear of Missing Out." Those who have experienced childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, and other forms of trauma often feel they've been robbed of life experiences, safety, and joy, and this can lead to an urgency and fear of missing out on experiences o...

Episode Description:   The Power of Repetition: Experiencing God's Love to Break the Trauma Cycle discusses the psychological roots of impacted childhood development usually based on when a child doesn't get bonding, safety, or nurture, or they are abused, these stages get interrupted. Children may not be able to self-regulate and have hyperarousal, and this can create a pattern of traum...

What Is an HSP? explains what a Highly Sensitive Person is, whether or not you may be one, and the science behind being one. The episode describes how HSP's relate to the world, and it  discusses how you can support yourself if you're an HSP, or how you can support someone if you love someone who is. The episode also clarifies the gifts and vulnerabilities of being an HSP, in terms of ho...

Episode Description: Comparison and Feeling Invisible discusses how many of us, particularly those of us who've experienced trauma and mental health challenges, feel invisible, and this episodes offers encouragement and healing strategies if you've experienced invisibility or felt insignificant. I also share personal experiences and discuss how we've all had these moments in our liv...

Episode Description: Why We Need to Talk about the Shame of Mental Illness discusses whether or not we should share our mental health conditions and struggles with others, and if so, whom. This episode also discusses the differences between shame and guilt, how trauma is connected to shame and mental illness, and how people cover up and deny shame. We then discuss why you need to tell yourself the...

Episode Description: A.C.O.R.N: A Tool to Process Difficult Emotions discusses the nature of emotions and how they are not bad in themselves, but indicators letting us know something needs our attention. The podcast discusses layering, and how reacting to the original emotion can needlessly complicate and add suffering to the experience. Culture treats difficult emotions differently than physical...

Episode Description: Is Mental Illness Hereditary or Environmental? breaks down where heredity ends and environment begins in determining or contributing to who experiences mental illness. This episode explains the complex biological, psychological, and hereditary factors that can contribute to or predispose anyone to mental health issues. One adverse factor doesn't guarantee you'll have...

Episode Description: Learning What We've Come Here to Learn: The Attitude and Science of Learning discusses how recovery and reconditioning from trauma are skills that can be learned. This episode explains how the most important step in successful and lasting healing is willingness and surrender to the healing and learning processes, how these are biblical concepts, and that these are the att...

Episode Description: Flip the Script of Your Life: Personal Narratives and Learned Optimism discusses what personal narratives and life scripts are and how they play constantly in our lives to create our realities. If you've experienced trauma and you've tried to change your thoughts constantly without success, it isn't your fault.  However, it is possible to flip the script of your...

Narcissistic Abuse and Its Impact: What Does It Mean to Me? explains what narcissism is, what a narcissistic is, and what the traits of a narcissistic are. We discuss how it plays out in relationships and impacts those that are survivors of narcissistic abuse.  This episode addresses ways narcissists abuse others, how to spot a narcissist, and how abuse can distort and damage survivors' relat...

Episode Description: This episode explains the how adverse childhood circumstances and childhood trauma can change a child's brain. It also discusses  how those impacts affect a child psychologically, physically, and symptomatically. There are psychological, health, and genetic impacts on an adult who has these brain changes.   This episode then discusses why if you have experienced brain cha...

Episode Description: Toxic Positivity: The Pursuit of Unhappiness and a Better Way explains what toxic positivity is and the damage it causes, particularly for those who have experienced trauma. We discuss why traditional positive thinking rarely works and how forced positivity can actually do more damage. We go discuss how getting to the root of negative thinking, learning to understand its origi...

Episode Description: Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Why We Have Them, and How to Overcome Them explains where unhealthy coping mechanisms originate and how unhealthy coping mechanisms get started, including addictions to substances and to unhealthy emotional habits. I relate my own coping mechanisms to this concept to make it understandable.   Then, I share a couple of personal breakthrough experien...

Episode Description:   What's the Difference Between Trauma and PTSD explains the psychological, symptomatic, and social signs of both of these conditions and how each one is different. We discuss the misconceptions about trauma and PTSD, their impacts, and how you can tell the difference between each one based on scientific research.  This episode also addresses the symptoms of trauma and PT...

Episode Description: What's Trauma Got to Do with It? demystifies how trauma may explain why you struggle the way you do and why you are the way you are. It further explains why the symptoms of trauma aren't truly YOU, why there is nothing wrong with YOU, and why trauma isn't your fault. If you've experienced childhood trauma, childhood emotional abuse, or childhood emotional n...

  Episode Description: What is Wrong With Me and Why Can't I Heal explains why there is NOTHING wrong with you and that you CAN heal, even if you didn't think you could in the past. If you've experienced childhood trauma, childhood emotional abuse, or childhood emotional neglect, then you probably have trauma stuck in your body.  The nature of trauma requires a unique form of emotio...