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 family dynamics. You’ll hear why grief and hope often sit side by side, and why making peace with both is such a tender, essential part of reclaiming yourself.

In this video, I talk about:

• How grief shows up in unexpected ways during trauma healing

• The heartbreak of holding onto hope for a parent who doesn’t choose you

• Grieving someone who’s still alive and what that really means

• Navigating moments when you want to reconnect, and how to honor those feelings with care

• Why support matters most when you feel pulled between hope and protection

There’s no perfect roadmap for this kind of grief, but you don’t have to walk it alone. If this resonates with you, I hope it reminds you that your feelings are valid and that setting boundaries doesn’t mean you’re giving up hope. It means you're choosing to protect your healing.

💬 I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Have you experienced this kind of grief in your journey?

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 1000+ videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.

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” really means in the context of childhood trauma

• Why this term is often misunderstood

• How judgment deepens shame

• Why separating from your younger self keeps you stuck

• A practice to help you reconnect with that inner child

This video is an invitation to see your inner child not as weak or to blame, but as the earliest part of you that had the strength and resilience to navigate the myriad experiences, feelings, and betrayal that no child should ever experience.

Let me know in the comments what you noticed coming up for you. Do you feel a loving connection to those parts of yourself?

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 1000+ videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.

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 just with C-PTSD, but with many mental health diagnoses: you can heal.

Not just manage. Not just cope. Heal.

In this video, I talk about:

• The difference between PTSD and Complex PTSD, and why that distinction matters

• How diagnosis can be both validating and limiting

• Why identifying too closely with a diagnosis can make healing feel out of reach

• The danger in normalizing the idea that we’ll always struggle

• My own experience with symptoms that once aligned with CPTSD, depression, even BPD and how healing changed that

Receiving a diagnosis might help you understand what you’re going through. But it doesn’t define what the rest of your life has to look like.

If you’ve been wondering whether things can really change, or whether you're just “stuck with it,” this video is for you. Let’s keep this conversation going in the comments.

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 1000+ videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.

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 sat with so many people who feel like they’re going backward when in reality, they’re moving through something essential.

In this video, I talk about:

- Why “feeling stuck” doesn’t mean nothing is changing

- The myth of regression in trauma healing

- What it really means to show up even when you’re not in therapy

- A simple journaling practice to help track your growth and feel your progress more clearly

Healing isn’t linear and even when it’s feeling hard or impossible, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong or are failing.

Leave a comment and let me know: what’s one small sign of growth you’ve noticed lately, even if it felt invisible at first? I’d love to hear.

A video on how there are no setbacks in healing: (an oldie but a goodie 😉) watch HERE.

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 1000+ videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.

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 substitute for therapy and some things we need to keep in mind.

In this video, I talk about:

• Why people feel emotionally safer talking to AI

• The risk of false reassurance and “feel good” advice

• Why in-person interactions (with all their emotions!) still matter

• How AI can unintentionally reinforce avoidance and isolation

• The privacy concerns

• When and how AI might still have a role in your healing journey

Healing requires… and deserves real connection. Real discomfort. Real growth. If you’ve been relying on AI or wondering if it’s “just as good,” I hope this offers a grounded perspective that helps you reflect more deeply.

Let me know in the comments, have you used AI to support your healing? What was that like for you?

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 1000+ videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.

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 video invites you to pause and reflect, mostly on how you allow others to show up for you. There isn’t a perfect script for sharing or responding to pain or grief. But there is space for honesty, compassion, and connection.

💬 Is there a response that feels particularly supportive to you? How do you feel when someone says “I’m sorry” in the midst of pain? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 500 videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.

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 journaling is more than just writing thoughts on paper

🧠 How to pay attention to where your mind goes while you journal

💥 What body responses might signal deeper nervous system patterns

❤️‍🩹 Why journaling can bring up hard emotions and how to care for yourself when it does

🤝 How to process what comes up, especially when you don’t have a therapist

Whether you’re already journaling or wondering how to begin, this video offers guidance on how to approach it gently and intentionally so it supports your healing rather than overwhelms it.

This isn’t about doing journaling “right”, it’s about learning how to listen to what your mind and body are telling you. If you’ve ever felt stuck or unsure what to bring into therapy, your journal might already hold the answers.

If you’ve ever felt caught off guard by emotions that surface while writing, or unsure what to do with what comes up, this is for you.

I AM Journal: https://courageousjourneys.com/courses/iamcbtjournal

Deeply Rooted: https://courageousjourneys.com/courses/deeply-rooted-a-guided-journal

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 500 videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.

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 ourselves can be the most challenging aspect of healing from trauma. In this video, I talk about the pressure many clients feel to be prepared for therapy and the impact it can have.Healing isn’t about knowing what to say. It’s not about knowing what to work on . Most times, it’s just about being present and willing to be seen. If you’ve ever second-guessed yourself before a session, this one’s for you.I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments. Have you ever felt pressure to come to therapy with a plan or felt like you couldn’t show up because it was a difficult week, maybe reverted to some old coping mechanisms? Let’s talk about it. 💬

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 500 videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.

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 people who are trans.But what if the fear is misplaced? What if the real danger is closer to home than most people want to admit?In this video, I talk about the dangerous myths surrounding sexual abuse especially those that target the LGBTQ+ community and why this can lead to an even greater risk to our children.As a trauma therapist and survivor, I feel a deep responsibility to name what’s true and call out what’s harmful. We need to have hard, honest conversations because awareness is the beginning of real protection.Share your thoughts or your story in the comments,I’d love to hear from you.(I mentioned I was going to share a part of my story. I forgot to talk about it but it will be available on my blog tomorrow (Friday @‌5:30am MST). You can find it HERE.

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 500 videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.

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 where you were yesterday, and that’s okay. It’s not a step backward, it’s all part of your journey.

In this video, I talk about:

• Why healing is full of emotional shifts and how that’s normal

• How recognizing uncomfortable emotions is a sign of growth, not failure

• The way daily life and external stressors can impact how you feel

• How judgment-free self-reflection helps you move forward

• The importance of meeting yourself with honesty and compassion

Take a breath, check in with yourself, and if you feel called, share your one word in the comments. I’d love to hear it.

This episode originally aired on YouTube. 

Don’t want to wait for the next episode? Head over to my YouTube Channel, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PegygOliveiraMSW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, with over 500 videos about Impact & Healing from Childhood Trauma. 

Join the community!

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courageousjourneys.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a question you’d like me to answer related to healing from childhood or emotional trauma, please send to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes and is not mental health advice nor a replacement for professional mental health treatment.