We Can Change How We Think About Our Trauma

I feel blessed to have been interviewed by Whitney Walker on The Women Waken Podcast. We discussed how important it is to change the meaning behind our story. We cannot change what happened to us but we can change how we think about what happened to us. We can move from a place of feeling stuck and weak when we think about our trauma to a place where we feel empowered and strong enough to move forward. Sometimes it requires just a shift in the language we use to describe our experiences. A major part of the work I do with my clients is to help them rewrite their story so that every time they think about their story they don't get filled with sadness and loss. So they can see that they not only survived, but they are now stronger than ever before.  

I had the opportunity to share that I'm no longer ashamed of all that I did to survive after my traumas. I can now look at the fact that I survived with pride. I am grateful that my harmful coping mechanisms kept me alive just a little bit longer so I could still be here today. Because my depression got so severe in my mid-twenties and all the dangerous situations I put myself in, I think it's a miracle that I'm still alive today. I'm blessed to still be here to share my story. I hope that people who listen to my story when they feel helpless and hopeless will be provided with a glimmer of hope. They will see that life can get better. I know it doesn't always feel like it, but it will get better. You just got to hold on.  

If you're in need of a little shot of hope or a little reminder that things will always get better, I encourage you to listen.  

You can also find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and other major podcast platforms. The title of our episode is, "Transformation and Triumph After Trauma with Stephanie Hutchins!" 

Sign up to begin reading the Introduction and Chapter 1 of my book, Transformation After Trauma: Embracing Post-Traumatic Growth, for free: serotinouslife.com/transformation-after-trauma-book

If you would like to read or listen to the full book, you can find the eBook, audiobook, and paperback on Amazon.