Have you ever driven home after work replaying someone else's worst day, like it happened to you? That's often a sign of vicarious trauma — and it happens to the most dedicated helpers, not the careless ones.

In this episode of Creative Trauma Recovery, trauma therapist Shelley Mountain-Collette breaks down vicarious trauma — the gradual shift that happens in helpers, trauma workers, and first responders from years of holding other people's pain.

Shelley shares her own story of the fixer and protector part that's been running since she was three years old, and how it shows up now in her relationship with her mom's ongoing illness. She walks through the four nervous system stress responses — fight, flight, freeze, and fawn — and how each one shows up as either being wired, checked out, or stuck in people-pleasing mode. You'll learn the difference between vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress, what a dysregulated nervous system actually means, and how to start noticing which state has been running your system lately.

In this episode:

• What vicarious trauma actually is, and why it happens to the most dedicated helpers
• The difference between vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress
• Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn — the four nervous system responses, explained
• What it means to be "dysregulated," and how to recognize it in yourself
• A "Parts in the Room" segment naming the carrier part and the numb part
• A paced breathing practice for nervous system regulation
• This week's activity: a daily check-in to notice your own patterns
• A faith connection through Isaiah 11:2, Matthew 11:28, and Galatians 6:2

Who this episode is for: trauma workers, first responders, therapists, nurses, and Christian helping professionals who feel like they're either always on guard or completely checked out — and want language for why.

Keywords: vicarious trauma, dysregulated nervous system, hypervigilance, fight flight freeze fawn, nervous system regulation, trauma workers, Christian counseling, trauma therapist

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing

Why does sitting still make your chest tighten, and your mind race through everything undone? In this episode of Creative Trauma Recovery, trauma therapist and former kindergarten teacher Shelley Mountain-Collette explores why planned time in prayer can change your life, not just spiritually, but in ways backed by research on stress, cortisol, and the nervous system.

Shelley walks through what the research actually shows about daily prayer and mental health, introduces an IFS (Internal Family Systems) look at the “Doer” part that keeps you moving to avoid feeling unsafe, and offers a practical, personalized way to build a prayer practice that actually sticks, grounded in Luke 12:22-25, Proverbs 16:3, and Ephesians 6:12.

In this episode: - What research says about prayer, cortisol, and the nervous system - Why God-image (how you picture God) changes the benefit you get from prayer - An IFS parts-work perspective on the part of you that fears stillness - A short nervous system regulation practice - This week’s activity: building a prayer practice that’s actually yours - A faith-based look at trust, worry, and handing over the striving

Who this episode is for: Christian helpers, caregivers, and trauma survivors who stay busy to avoid feeling unsafe, and who want a prayer practice that’s sustainable, not just aspirational.

Keywords: Christian counseling, trauma healing, nervous system regulation, prayer and mental health, IFS therapy, trust in God, trauma and faith

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING

This is a good podcast to listen to on World Suicide Prevention Day.

Why can't trauma workers, first responders, crisis workers, and therapists just ask for help? In this episode, I get honest about suicidal thoughts, how I understand my own suicidal part through an Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, and how to build a simple safety plan you can start today.

This episode almost didn't happen. It started as a response to hearing that three police officers died by suicide in Ontario, but while I was trying to create it, I lost a former student, lost my own dog Winston, and got difficult news about my mom's health. I had to give myself permission to wait a couple of weeks before I could sit down and talk about this with you. I was living it while I was creating it.

We talk about what actually stops helpers from reaching out, and what actually helps. I also walk you through something I don't usually get this specific about: understanding a suicidal part not as something broken, but as a protector, and how to build your own pre-safety plan right where you're sitting, just in case someday you need it.

In this episode:

• Why helpers, first responders, and therapists hesitate to reach out for support
• Recognizing that suicidal thoughts can show up during grief
• The real research on what helps people take that first step
• Online therapy, counselling, peer support, and communities as lower-barrier ways into receiving help
• Understanding a suicidal part through an IFS lens, not as something broken, but as a protector
• Building a simple, personal pre-safety plan you can use starting today
• A closing prayer for anyone carrying grief right now

If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out. In both Canada and the US, you can call or text 988, anytime, day or night.

If this episode helps you, I'd love it if you shared it with someone who might need it too.

Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing.