Overcoming PTSD with Brad Schipke

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this episode of Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching, Brad and the team walk you through how to refresh your routines so they actually support your PTSD recovery goals. Instead of trying to “do everything,” you’ll learn how to focus on three core routines that move the needle: evening, morning, and healing.

You’ll hear why life changes, new responsibilities, or even new healing tools require you to step back and reassess your schedule. Brad explains how to use new data from your healing journey—like the protector work—to tweak when and how you do your routines so they fit your current season of life.

Most importantly, you’ll learn how to keep things simple, sustainable, and flexible. Whether you’re just starting out or refining routines you’ve had for months, this episode will help you create a daily structure that supports full trauma recovery instead of burning you out.

💡 What You’ll Learn

🧠 Key Takeaway

Consistency in simple, well-designed routines is the closest thing to a magic pill in PTSD recovery.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery routines • trauma healing habits • evening routine for PTSD • morning routine for trauma survivors • healing routine for PTSD recovery • nervous system regulation daily practices • trauma recovery consistency • protector work healing process • PTSD coping tools • refreshing routines in PTSD recovery • emotional regulation through structure • simple habits for trauma healing • optimizing your day for recovery • hinge moments in PTSD healing • sustainable PTSD self care routines

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching session, Brad and Kayleen break down one foundational belief that quietly drives your entire healing journey: your belief in your ability to figure things out. Instead of needing to know every step, have every answer, or feel perfectly prepared, they show you how real recovery happens in the unknown—one problem solved, one step taken, one small “I can” at a time.

You’ll hear how trauma can erode self-trust, create isolation, and build a quiet story of “I’m a failure” in your mind—and how Brad and Kayleen reversed that story in their own lives and relationship. They share personal examples from business, family, travel, and everyday life that reveal just how often you’ve already landed on your feet, even when it was messy, imperfect, or scary.

This episode also connects mindset with the deeper healing work. Brad explains how tools like introspective healing and protectors are designed to help you find your own answers, not depend on outside authority for every step. You’ll learn how to build emotional “references” from your past successes so your brain has proof that you are capable, smart, and resourceful.

By the end, you’ll walk away with practical homework: how to list out the times you’ve already figured things out, how to shift your self-talk from “I can’t” to “I can,” and how to use humor, honesty, and belief to meet the next challenge in front of you—confident that you’ll be able to handle it.

💡 What You’ll Learn

How trauma slowly destroys your belief in yourself and your abilities

Why PTSD recovery is a discovery process and not something you’re supposed to know how to do in advance

How to build the core belief “I can figure this out” even when you feel totally lost

A simple exercise to list past moments where you already figured things out

How to use self-talk in real time to shift from “I can’t” to “I can”

Why honest reflection is essential for uncovering hidden anger, hurt, and limiting beliefs

How to stack positive “references” that make empowering beliefs feel real in your body

How to use humor and reframing to reduce stress in intense or chaotic situations

Why your belief in yourself impacts not just your PTSD recovery but your relationships, work, and everyday life

🧠 Key Takeaway

You don’t need to have everything figured out to heal from PTSD—you just need to believe that, whatever comes, you will be able to figure it out.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery • trauma healing • belief in yourself • mindset for PTSD • trauma mindset shift • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • trauma coping tools • self-efficacy after trauma • building self-trust • introspective healing • trauma processing tools • PTSD and self-worth • recovering from childhood trauma • overcoming fear of the unknown • positive self-talk for PTSD • reframing negative beliefs • humor in healing • self-advocacy with doctors • belief cycle and trauma recovery

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

How To Use Humor To Survive PTSD’s Darkest Days

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this episode, Brad and Kayleen open up a side of trauma recovery most people never talk about: having fun while you heal. They explore how laughter, silliness, and even dark humor can live alongside very real pain, and why giving yourself permission to smile again is a powerful act of recovery.

You’ll hear real stories from their own journey—fights, triggers, and “too soon” jokes—that show how humor can break tension, interrupt old patterns, and help you step out of heavy emotional states faster. Instead of pretending trauma is “not a big deal,” they show you how to respect the seriousness of PTSD while still bringing light into dark seasons.

Most importantly, this episode invites you to actively look for moments of joy: funny videos, kids laughing, inside jokes, and even laughing at your own quirks and past reactions. You’ll walk away with practical ways to build humor into your day, without guilt or self-judgment, so recovery feels more human, more hopeful, and a lot more fun.

💡 What You’ll Learn

🧠 Key Takeaway

You can fully honor the seriousness of PTSD and still choose to laugh—humor doesn’t erase your pain, it gives you more strength and flexibility to move through it.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery • trauma healing • how to have fun with PTSD • dark humor and trauma • laughter and nervous system regulation • emotional regulation tools • trauma coping tools • PTSD triggers and pattern interrupts • mindset shifts for trauma survivors • rebuilding joy after trauma • trauma and relationships • finding humor in hard times • overcoming PTSD podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching • Brad Schipke trauma coaching

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

How To Set Boundaries With Yourself In PTSD Recovery

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this episode, Brad and Kayleen dive deep into one of the most overlooked foundations of PTSD and trauma recovery: setting boundaries with yourself. Instead of starting with other people’s behavior, they walk through why your healing has to begin with how you treat, speak to, and show up for yourself every single day.

You’ll hear how self-boundaries apply to addictions, relationships, routines, and even the way you think. Kayleen shares powerful personal examples—from family dynamics to sobriety and TV use—that show how everything changes when you decide, “This is the line I do not cross with myself,” even when no one else is watching.

They also explore why self-respect can’t depend on external approval, how to stay solid in your values during your most triggered moments, and why “being selfish” in a healthy way is actually one of the most loving things you can do for the people around you. This conversation is both challenging and deeply encouraging if you’re ready to step into a stronger, calmer version of yourself in recovery.

💡 What You’ll Learn

Why boundaries must begin with you before they can work in any relationship

How a lack of self-respect quietly sabotages your PTSD and trauma boundaries

The difference between using boundaries to feel better vs using them to stay healthy

How to build internal and external “rules and guidelines” that support your healing

Practical examples of self-boundaries around addictions, TV, spending, and conflict

How to handle triggering environments without relying only on external controls

A simple mirror self-talk practice to get through urges and rock-bottom moments

Why “being selfish” in a healthy way actually makes you more loving and present

How one strong boundary win can permanently change your confidence in recovery

🧠 Key Takeaway

When you learn to respect and protect yourself with firm inner boundaries, you stop waiting for others to change and finally become the steady, safe person you’ve always needed.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery • trauma healing • setting boundaries with yourself • self-respect and PTSD • trauma coping tools • addiction and trauma recovery • nervous system regulation • emotional regulation skills • stopping self-sabotage • sober living with PTSD • mindset for trauma recovery • healing childhood trauma patterns • people-pleasing and boundaries • self-talk for PTSD healing • trauma-informed relationships • recovery routines and habits • overcoming urges and triggers • empowering trauma survivors

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

Living with PTSD in a Negative World: How to Protect Your Mind from Constant Bad News

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this episode, Brad breaks down what it really means to live with PTSD in a world that seems obsessed with negativity—news, politics, social media, and even the conversations around you. He explains why a trauma brain automatically locks onto what’s wrong and how that survival mechanism, while normal, can quietly keep you stuck, overwhelmed, and burned out.

You’ll learn the difference between external inputs (news, social media, people, environments) and internal inputs (thoughts, beliefs, self-talk) and why both matter for your healing. Brad walks you through how to start eliminating unnecessary negativity from your life without feeling irresponsible, selfish, or checked out from what’s happening in the world.

From there, he shows you how to reclaim your focus and energy by intentionally adding positive inputs—gratitude, meaningful routines, healing work, and small daily moments of good. Instead of running and numbing with TV, scrolling, or over-involving yourself in chaos, you’ll see how to use that time and energy to become whole.

This episode is a practical invitation to shift from “I have to stay involved in everything” to “I’m allowed to put my healing first.” When you’re whole, you can engage with the world, causes, and people you care about from a grounded, powerful place—without retraumatizing yourself in the process.

💡 What You’ll Learn

Why your brain automatically scans for negativity when you have PTSD

The two biggest sources of negativity for trauma survivors and how to reduce them

How news, media, and social media quietly keep your nervous system stuck in threat mode

The difference between external inputs and internal inputs on your PTSD recovery

How to handle common objections like “I have to stay informed” without abandoning your healing

Simple ways to protect your energy by setting boundaries around conversations, people, and topics

How running and numbing (TV, scrolling, alcohol, etc.) keeps you on a treadmill instead of moving forward

Practical tools to redirect negative self-talk and build new positive neural pathways

How to use radical gratitude and focusing on “little moments” to rebalance a negativity-biased brain

🧠 Key Takeaway

You are not irresponsible or selfish for limiting negativity—protecting your mind and healing your PTSD is the most powerful way to eventually serve others at a higher level.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery • living with PTSD in a negative world • trauma healing • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • negative self-talk and PTSD • media boundaries for trauma survivors • social media and trauma triggers • news overload and anxiety • trauma coping tools • PTSD recovery toolbox • gratitude practice for PTSD • positive mindset for trauma survivors • running and numbing behaviors • self boundaries and PTSD healing • recovery routines and habits • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

Changing Protector Roles: A Powerful PTSD Processing Tool Most Survivors Miss

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this session of the Processing Bootcamp, Brad dives into a more advanced level of protector work so you can go deeper with your PTSD and trauma healing. Instead of staying stuck in confusing reactions and triggers, you’ll learn how to see protectors as parts of you with positive intentions that just need new roles, support, and direction.

Brad walks you through how to identify what a protector is thinking, feeling, believing, and doing — and then safely guide it through emotional release. You’ll hear how to work on two “planes”: visualizing a protector expressing its feelings, and then allowing those emotions to move through your body while you stay grounded and in control.

From there, you’ll discover the concept of “burdens” — the heavy emotional loads your protectors carry — and how to creatively release and destroy them in a way that brings real relief. Brad also shows you how to assign protectors new, healthier roles and rehearse them in future scenarios so your reactions actually change in real life.

Throughout the episode, you’re reminded that this is black-diamond-level work built on simple foundations: honesty, self-love, patience, and consistent practice. Whether you’re just starting with basic protector conversations or ready for deeper processing, this session gives you a clear, practical roadmap to keep building your skills and momentum.

💡 What You’ll Learn

🧠 Key Takeaway

Every trigger is a protector raising a hand and saying, “Please help me” — when you listen, validate, and give it a new role, your PTSD reactions can finally change.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery • trauma healing • protector parts work • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • releasing stored trauma • trauma coping tools • processing triggers • inner critic healing • parts work for PTSD • mapping protectors • emotional release techniques • changing trauma patterns • self-compassion in healing • daily healing routine for trauma

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

Mapping Your Protectors: A Practical PTSD Tool for Inner Harmony

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this episode, Brad takes you deeper into protector work by showing you how to move from working with a single protector to mapping the whole “inner team” behind your PTSD triggers. Instead of feeling like a jumbled mess of emotions, you’ll learn how to see fear, anger, guilt, shame, worthlessness, and confusion as separate protectors with their own jobs, needs, and relationships.

Brad walks you through a simple, paper-and-pen process for mapping protectors around one big problem in your life, understanding how they interact, and spotting “dependencies” where one protector can’t fully heal until another one does. He also explains how to gently work with the “gatekeeper” protector that often blocks you from accessing deeper emotions because it’s afraid of what might come up.

You’ll hear practical examples of how to build trust with scared protectors, how to host a “meeting” of your parts, and how healed protectors can actually join your team and help you heal new ones. Throughout, Brad grounds the work in love, patience, honesty, and curiosity—so you can move forward without forcing yourself, without getting lost in complexity, and without being afraid you’re opening a can of worms you can’t handle.

💡 What You’ll Learn

How to map all of your protectors around one major PTSD or trauma trigger

How to turn a jumbled mess of emotions into clear, separate protector parts

How guilt, shame, fear, anger, confusion, and worthlessness can each be their own protector

How to identify and work with the “gatekeeper” protector that blocks access to deeper feelings

How to recognize and heal the relationships and dependencies between different protectors

How to call a “meeting” of your protectors and talk to them together when needed

Why love, patience, honesty, and curiosity are the foundation of safe trauma healing

How to face the fear of “opening a can of worms” in PTSD recovery without getting overwhelmed

How healed protectors can join your inner team and support future healing work

🧠 Key Takeaway

When you patiently map, listen to, and love every protector part of you—even the ones that scare you—PTSD stops feeling like chaos and starts becoming a system you can gently heal.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery • trauma healing • mapping protectors • trauma protectors • parts work for PTSD • internal family systems style tools • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • trauma coping tools • healing guilt shame fear anger • gatekeeper protector • inner harmony after trauma • self-love and trauma recovery • overcoming emotional triggers • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching • Overcoming PTSD Podcast

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

Healing Your Inner Protectors: A Gentle PTSD Recovery Process

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this episode, Brad walks you through a simple, non-invasive way to start healing your “protectors” — those parts of you that jump in to prevent more pain but often create chaos, anxiety, or shame. Building on the earlier theory of protectors, he and Kaylene turn it into a clear, step-by-step process you can actually use on your own.

You’ll learn how protectors form after trauma, why they get “activated” during triggers, and how to see them not as enemies but as well-intentioned parts that have been trying to keep you safe. Instead of being taken over by extreme reactions, you’ll discover how to gently separate from these parts, talk with them, and understand what they need.

Brad also shares how to use a simple four-question script to have real conversations with your protectors, reach emotional resolution, and close each session with safety and love. By repeating this process, you can reduce chronic tension, calm triggers, and move closer to living as your true self — peaceful, present, and in control.

This is a highly practical episode designed to help you start doing your own “therapy sessions” at home. With patience, self-love, and honesty, you’ll see that healing doesn’t have to be perfect or overwhelming — it just has to be consistent.

💡 What You’ll Learn

How trauma protectors are formed and why they “take the wheel” during PTSD triggers

A four-step process to safely connect with, separate from, and talk to your protectors

How to use body scans and tension as a guide to identify active protectors

The exact four questions to ask your protectors to understand and heal them

How to close a protector session so parts feel seen, loved, and safe to rest

Why patience, self-love, and honesty are the foundations of this trauma tool

How to tell the difference between your true self and an activated protector

Ways to turn painful triggers into opportunities for deep trauma healing

How daily protector sessions can complement or even outperform weekly therapy alone

🧠 Key Takeaway

Every protector, no matter how painful its impact, is trying to help you — when you meet it with love, patience, and honesty, it can finally relax and let your true self lead.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery • trauma healing • protector parts work • internal family systems style tools • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • PTSD triggers • trauma coping tools • inner child healing • self-love and compassion after trauma • processing emotions safely • overcoming anxiety and hypervigilance • DIY trauma processing • non-invasive trauma healing tools

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

Intro to Protectors: The Missing Step in PTSD Healing

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this Processing Bootcamp episode, Brad introduces “protectors” — a simple but powerful way to understand why you get triggered, shut down, or overreact after trauma. Instead of seeing these reactions as random or broken, Brad shows how they’re actually protective parts of you doing their best to keep you safe.

You’ll learn how to recognize your “true self” — the calm, loving, grounded version of you — and how trauma slowly builds walls around it in the form of protectors. Using visuals like castles, walls, cars, and even purple paint, Brad breaks down a complex inner world into something you can actually work with.

This episode lays the foundation for the rest of Processing Bootcamp week, where Brad will walk you step-by-step through how to identify, understand, and eventually heal these protectors with honesty, patience, and self-love. Today is all about awareness, language, and perspective so you can finally see what’s really happening when PTSD takes over.

By the end, you’ll walk away with a hopeful and practical frame: there is nothing “wrong” with you — there are just parts of you that were hurt, got stuck in time, and are trying (sometimes in messy ways) to protect you. And they can be healed.

💡 What You’ll Learn

How protectors form after trauma to keep your true self safe

Why PTSD triggers feel like “someone else” took over your body and mind

The difference between your true self and protector parts

How to spot protectors in your body through tension, stress, and emotional spikes

Why overreactions, shutting down, or lashing out are signs of protectors at the wheel

Simple ways to start naming and mapping your own protectors

How to respond with love instead of anger toward your protectors

How to recognize protectors in other people and deescalate with compassion

Why healing protectors actually makes your true self bigger, stronger, and more whole

🧠 Key Takeaway

Anytime you’re not acting from calm, love, and peace, it’s not that you’re broken — it’s a protector trying to keep you safe the only way it knows how.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery • trauma healing • protectors and parts work • inner child work • emotional triggers after trauma • nervous system regulation • emotional regulation tools • trauma coping tools • processing traumatic memories • self-love and trauma recovery • honesty and patience in healing • dissociation and PTSD • understanding overreactions • how to stop PTSD outbursts • healing through self-compassion • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching • Overcoming PTSD Podcast

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable

Processing Foundations: The Mindset Shift That Unlocks PTSD Recovery

Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching

In this episode, Brad opens Processing Bootcamp Week and lays the foundation for one of the most powerful trauma-healing tools he teaches: protectors. Instead of jumping straight into intense memories, he walks you through the mindset and habits you need in place before doing any deep processing work.

You’ll learn why the three pillars of recovery—mastering your mindset, building unbreakable routines, and processing your past—are stacked on top of each other, not side by side. Brad explains why trying to process trauma without the right foundation is like trying to build a house on sand.

He also introduces the idea of a “100-hour” processing goal, giving you a concrete, motivating way to track your progress while staying patient with yourself. Throughout the episode, Brad emphasizes honesty, consistency, and self-love as the core ingredients that make any processing tool actually work.

By the end, you’ll understand what it really means to become an independent healer, why discomfort is not a sign of failure, and how to approach processing your past in a safe, non-invasive, and sustainable way.

💡 What You’ll Learn

Why processing your past is one of the three essential pillars of PTSD recovery

What the “protectors” tool is and why it’s a safe, non-invasive way to process trauma

How to build the right mindset before doing any deep trauma processing

Why honesty, patience, and self-love are non-negotiable for PTSD and trauma healing

How to think about the “100 hours of processing” goal and track your progress

The importance of consistency and routines in making trauma work actually effective

How to relate to discomfort and emotional pain as signs you’re working on the right things

Why you don’t need a therapist in the room to start processing and can become an independent healer

How connecting with your “true self” helps you work with fear, anger, and other intense emotions safely

🧠 Key Takeaway

Your healing accelerates the moment you decide to be honest with yourself, patient with yourself, and loving toward yourself every single time you sit down to process.

🔗 Next Steps

Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.

To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

CHAPTERS:

Topics Covered:

PTSD recovery • trauma healing • processing trauma • protectors tool • PTSD mindset work • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • trauma coping tools • complex trauma recovery • building healing routines • self-love in PTSD recovery • overcoming PTSD triggers • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching