Stephanie Foo joins me to share her journey with Complex PTSD. We talk about what it was like to receive a diagnosis, the various techniques and modalities she used (and what really helped), the importance of social support, self-acceptance and self-compassion, difficulties with access and cultural competence in the mental healthcare system, intergenerational trauma, and motherhood.
About Our Guest: Stephanie is a writer and radio producer whose work has been featured on This American Life, 99% Invisible, and Radiolab among other shows, and she’s the author of the truly wonderful book What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing From Complex Trauma.
Key Topics:
0:00 Introduction and disclaimer
2:10 Stephanie’s experience in sharing her story
6:15 Features of CPTSD
8:15 What led Stephanie to seek help, and work as a coping mechanism
10:45 “The Dread” and healing through relationship
19:15 The effects of receiving diagnosis, and aspects of CPTSD that are helpful
27:25 Practices that helped Stephanie and incorporating them practically
34:50 Balancing showing up for other people and receiving care
37:45 Self-love, gratitude, psychedelics, and relationships
41:25 Two way repair and comfort receiving feedback
46:35 The need for reform to our mental healthcare system and who it serves
53:30 Societal trauma among first generation immigrants
57:05 More natural and communal frameworks for healing
59:55 Parenthood
1:03:00 Resources available on Stephanie’s website
1:04:20 Recap
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Who Am I: I'm Forrest, the co-author of Resilient (https://amzn.to/3iXLerD) and host of the Being Well Podcast (https://apple.co/38ufGG0). I'm making videos focused on simplifying psychology, mental health, and personal growth.
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