When journalist and author Stephanie Foo was diagnosed with Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), she left her job and devoted herself to healing—a journey she chronicled in her bestselling memoir, What My Bones Know. Now, as a mother, she’s navigating what it means to parent with complex trauma, balancing the high-alert nervous system that comes with C-PTSD while trying to stay present for her child.

 

In this powerful conversation, Stephanie shares:

 

- The difference between PTSD and C-PTSD—and why relational healing is essential for many forms of trauma.

 

- How motherhood reshapes the brain and why it can trigger fight-or-flight responses.

 

- The unique challenges of rupture and repair with a child versus an adult.

 

- Why parents with complex trauma may struggle with isolation and finding a supportive community can be so helpful.

 

- The strategies that have helped Stephanie most, all of which are useful for any parent, with or without trauma.

 

If you’ve ever felt like parenting is unearthing deep, unresolved parts of yourself, this episode offers both insight and hope.

 

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT STEPHANIE:

https://www.stephaniefoo.me/

 

READ STEPHANIE'S BOOK:

📚 What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma

 

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:

📱@foofoofoo

📱 @drsarahbren

 

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

• Why the "Still-Face" Experiment Was a Game-Changer

• The Strange Situation

 

CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:

🎧 186. Using presence as the antidote to trauma: How we begin to break cycles with Dr. Jacob Ham

 

🎧 204. The science of “mom-rage” and how to use mindfulness as a tool for being less reactive with Diana Winston

 

🎧 272. Maternal health, dyadic work, and IFS: Why specialized mental healthcare providers matter with Rebecca Geshuri and Paige Bellenbaum