Trauma, Healing, and the Power to Change

What does it really take to heal from trauma—and what role does our sense of power and agency play in that healing? In this wide-ranging conversation, I talk with Dr. Denise Haselwood, a clinical psychologist and trauma therapist, about what trauma recovery actually looks like, how we know when healing is happening, and the different approaches that can help. We talk about evidence-based trauma treatments, post-traumatic stress injury, post-traumatic growth, meditation and mindfulness—and eventually, 12-step recovery and the question of powerlessness. We start with the basics: What is trauma? What does healing look like? And how can we know when someone is actually getting better? Dr. Denise explains the difference between major and relational trauma, including the cumulative effects of toxic or abusive environments and the particular challenges faced by first responders. We also talk about evidence-based trauma treatments, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), EMDR, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and what we've learned about trauma's effects on both the brain and the body. We discuss the language of post-traumatic stress disorder versus post-traumatic stress injury, and why thinking of trauma as an injury that can heal may matter. Then we get into post-traumatic growth—and the uncomfortable idea that people who survive trauma are somehow supposed to be grateful for what happened to them. And we talk about meditation. For trauma survivors, being told to “quiet your mind” isn't necessarily helpful. Dr. Denise explains why some forms of meditation can bring difficult sensations and emotions rushing to the surface, and why mindfulness can sometimes provide a different approach. We talk about tango, motorcycles, cooking, and the surprisingly varied ways people can learn to be present. Finally, we turn to 12-step recovery and one of its foundational ideas: powerlessness. If trauma happens when something overwhelms our ability to cope, what happens when recovery asks us to continue identifying as powerless? Can someone heal from trauma without developing a greater sense of agency and control? And if addictive behavior is sometimes being used to self-medicate unresolved trauma, what might happen when the trauma itself is treated? It's a conversation about trauma, healing, evidence-based treatment, mindfulness, agency, and the complicated relationship between trauma recovery and 12-step approaches. About Dr. Denise Haselwood: Dr. Haselwood is a clinical psychologist, trauma therapist, and keynote speaker who works with trauma survivors and first responders. https://www.denisehaselwood.com/ About K’ai Roberts Fu: K’ai is sociologist, speaker, and author of 12 Mis-Steps: How Twelve-Step Programs Trip Up Trauma Survivors. Her work has been endorsed by authors and researchers Johann Hari, Maia Szalavitz, Dr. Lance Dodes, and Dr. Aimie Apigian, among others. Get the book: https://a.co/d/0hKHpSl3 Learn more: https://kairobertsfu.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:57 What does trauma recovery actually look like? 02:49 Different kinds of trauma 04:34 Trauma and first responders 05:45 Evidence-based trauma treatments 08:13 Cognitive Processing Therapy & EMDR 09:59 Trauma in the body & Accelerated Resolution Therapy 12:08 PTSD vs. post-traumatic stress injury 16:04 Post-traumatic growth 19:40 Can meditation be harmful for trauma survivors? 23:00 Mindfulness, tango & being present 25:30 Making space for difficult emotions 26:15 Trauma, powerlessness & 12-step recovery 28:31 Trauma, addiction & self-medication #TraumaRecovery #TraumaHealing #PTSD #EMDR #Mindfulness #12StepDiscussion #TraumaSurvivor #12StepRecovery