The Trauma Therapist

Andrea Leeb is the author of Such a Pretty Picture, a debut memoir about childhood trauma, dissociation, and the long road to healing. Abused before the age of five and raised in a home of denial and silence, Andrea grew up to look “fine”—a successful attorney, wife, and high-functioning perfectionist. But when she was assaulted in her 30s, the façade cracked, and repressed memories, panic, and PTSD surfaced, forcing her into a profound journey of recovery.Through inpatient trauma therapy, EMDR, yoga, journaling, and boundary work, Andrea experienced what she calls a psychological rebirth. She now speaks with raw honesty about the hidden impact of childhood abuse, the myth of “I’m fine,” and why healing, though nonlinear, is always possible.Andrea brings a gentle yet unflinching presence, offering audiences validation, hope, and the reminder that it’s never too late to tell the truth—or to reclaim who you were meant to be before the pain.In This EpisodeAndrea’s websiteSuch a Pretty PictureRAINAndrea on IGBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)

Melissa Williams is the creator of the YouTube channel Lostat50Something and the originator of the “Backwards Confession,” a powerful practice of entering a confessional not to seek absolution, but to name the harm caused by certain church doctrines and actions — and then to offer forgiveness as an act of reclaiming personal power and peace. This deeply personal ritual has become the foundation for a budding movement and online community, r/BackwardsConfession, where individuals are encouraged to engage in similar acts of active forgiveness and liberation from institutional harm.Through this work, Melissa offers a unique perspective on healing from religious trauma, challenging institutional power dynamics, reclaiming agency in the face of patriarchal structures, and transforming pain into empowerment. By sharing her own story and guiding others in this practice, she hopes to open new pathways for those navigating religious deconstruction and seeking healing beyond traditional frameworks.In This EpisodeMelissa’s websiteBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)

Calvin Armerding is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor based in South Carolina, specializing in Adlerian psychology. He regularly leads workshops, offers retreats, and gives keynotes on topics such as grief, couples counseling, and trauma. His recent work explores trauma as what Alfred Adler described as an “exogenous factor” — an external event that collides with an individual’s internal narrative, purpose, and movement.Calvin teaches a model that integrates trauma with Adlerian lifestyle investigation, framing trauma not as a fixed, defining event but as a disruption that can reveal or amplify a client’s core convictions, compensations, and private logic. This approach helps both clinicians and clients reconnect with agency, courage, and belonging without minimizing pain or pathologizing symptoms.  In This EpisodeCalvin’s websiteBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)

Gabriela Rosa is the founder and CEO of The Rosa Institute, the world’s first entirely virtual and holistic fertility clinic. She is a Harvard-trained fertility specialist who has spent decades not only treating the biological side of reproductive health but also holding space for the psychological pain that comes with it. Her clinical insights are matched by her deep empathy for what her patients go through and her belief that we need to start calling this what it is: a trauma that deserves to be witnessed and treated with compassion. In This EpisodeGabriella’s websiteFertility BreakthroughBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)

Dennis Church, 76, has been a photographer for 50 years and has used the quiet act of photographing the world around him to navigate childhood trauma, addiction, and shame. His forthcoming book, DIRT FRESH (Fall Line Press, Atlanta), is part visual memoir and part emotional x-ray—a project rooted in finding light, humor, and color in the mundane. Having survived much, Dennis has made pictures through it all, using photography as a kind of recovery hymn. He speaks on art as healing, vision as survival, and the long arc of becoming whole.In This EpisodeDennis’ websiteBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)

Will Monlux lives with stage 4 cancer, but his story is defined by more than a diagnosis. It’s shaped by the people and communities who stood beside him, the moments of connection that gave him strength, and the belief that meaning can be found even in life’s most uncertain chapters.As Chief Advocacy Officer at WondrLink, he works to help patients with life-threatening illnesses access potentially life-saving treatments through compassionate use, clinical trials, and other pathways often overlooked when standard care runs out—pathways that he knows firsthand can make all the difference.He also helps lead WondrVoices, a nationwide project that delivers handwritten cards, drawings, and messages of encouragement to people facing cancer. Each contribution becomes part of an online gallery, preserving the many voices and stories that make up the cancer experience and building a community of support.At the heart of his work is a commitment to fostering agency, connection, and hope.In This EpisodeWondrLinkWilltoendureBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)

Hakeem Bourne McFarlane is a creator, author, and motivational speaker whose raw truth and relentless tenacity have inspired thousands to stop living on autopilot and start choosing themselves. He’s the mind behind Choose Yourself To Be Chosen and the founder of the Choose Yourself Movement, a community built for people who are ready to face their excuses head-on, tear down what isn’t working, and build an unshakeable foundation for the life they actually want.In This EpisodeHakeem on IGChoose Yourself To Be ChosenHakeem's websiteHakeem on FBBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)

Claire Hogan is an ever-curious storyteller with a vivid imagination. Her deepest passion lies in spiritual transformation and the mystery of personal growth.Her journey into energy work began after deeply transformative sessions with a Sound Reiki® practitioner in 2012 and a Theta Healing Meditation Technique® practitioner in 2016. What followed was years of study, training, and personal practice - merging spiritual tools with creative ones. Through this synthesis, Claire has developed a playful yet profound way of helping others explore their multidimensional selves.Since stepping fully into this work in 2020, Claire has offered one-of-a-kind sessions that reflect the stories Source shows her - through archetype, metaphor, imagination, and deep intuitive listening, her work is a space of collaboration, curiosity, and connection, where clients are invited to transform and align with their highest, divine, possible reality.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)

Joan Coletto is a heart-centered hypnotherapist, spiritual practitioner, and the creator of Heart Shift, a powerful fusion of hypnotherapy and spiritual practice that helps people release emotional pain and limiting beliefs so they can live with more peace, joy, and purpose. Known for her compassionate presence and deep insight, Joan has guided countless individuals to the root of their struggles, helping them shift from survival to true self-empowerment. Her upcoming book, Heart Shift (coming 2025), shares the stories of transformation she’s witnessed and the tools she uses to support lasting change. As a wife, mother, and grandmother, Joan brings both lived wisdom and professional experience to her work—and to every conversation she’s part of.In This EpisodeJoan’s websiteJoan’s blogBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)

Francesca Raoelison has spoken at Brown University, Harvard, Princeton, UNICEF, the Preventing Child Abuse in America Conference, and the Clinton Global Initiative, addressing the global crisis of emotional trauma among youth. She is the founder of Omena, a survivor-led movement dedicated to educating and mobilizing young people to identify and end emotional abuse.Active in 13 countries with 315 educators and ambassadors, Omena has reached more than 1.5 million people through online campaigns. As a Malagasy survivor herself, Francesca brings a powerful perspective on breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma, beginning in her home country of Madagascar.In This EpisodeFrancesca’s websiteBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)