In this Reflections with Jess episode, I’m sitting down to talk about a question I know so many of us carry:

“Why do I feel like I’m doing all the right things for healing, but I still keep getting pulled back into old patterns?”

Together, we explore:

• Why healing isn’t linear (and what that actually looks like in daily life)
• How trauma imprints on the nervous system and body, not just the mind
• What real progress looks like (hint: it’s often the small shifts)
• Why falling back doesn’t mean starting over
• The power of self-compassion on the hard days

Healing is slow, gentle work — but if you’ve ever asked yourself this question, it means you care about your healing, and that matters.

💭 Reflection for the week: What is one small shift you’ve noticed in yourself over the past year?

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In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Tracy DeTomasi, CEO of Callisto and a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience in gender-based violence prevention and survivor advocacy. Tracy shares how Callisto’s encrypted technology is creating a groundbreaking pathway for survivors to connect, reclaim their power, and pursue justice on their own terms.

We explore:

• How Callisto uses encryption to safely connect survivors of serial perpetrators
• Why knowing “you’re not alone” can be life-changing for healing and justice
• The ripple effects of the MeToo movement and how it intersects with Callisto’s mission
• What enthusiastic consent really means and why coercion is often overlooked
• The cultural and systemic shifts needed to end serial perpetration
• The role of boundaries, resilience, and survivor agency in trauma recovery

Tracy’s wisdom bridges advocacy, technology, and healing, reminding us that justice begins with empowerment and survivor choice.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – The power of encrypted technology for survivors

07:00 – A story of healing through connection

11:20 – Me Too, media, and the need for safer systems

16:40 – Redefining sexual assault and coercion

25:00 – Building Callisto with survivor-centered ethics

33:00 – Boundaries, resilience, and life after trauma

📌 Resources & Links

• Learn more about Callisto: projectcallisto.org
• Follow Callisto on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Watch Jess Michaels’ TED Talk (referenced in this episode)

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In this episode, I guide you through a simple, trauma-informed practice you can return to anytime you feel overwhelmed or activated. Together, we’ll walk step-by-step through calming the nervous system, from awareness and grounding to visualization and self-compassion. This is an episode to save and come back to whenever you need calm.

In this episode, you’ll experience:

• A gentle breathing exercise to regulate your system
• Grounding practices using your senses
• A visualization to release tension and invite safety
• Compassionate reminders to support yourself in the moment

Chapters:

00:00 – It’s just us, let’s talk

02:10 – Awareness: noticing without judgment

05:30 – Anchoring in safety

08:15 – Breathwork to regulate

12:20 – Grounding through the senses

16:00 – Visualization for calm

20:00 – Closing with self-compassion

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftertraumapodcast

www.jessicavanrose.com

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In this powerful episode of Life After Trauma, Susan Snow shares her journey of healing after the tragic loss of her father, LAPD Detective Thomas C. Williams. At just 17 years old, Susan’s life was shattered by trauma and grief, but through years of struggle, therapy, and resilience, she found her way to purpose and healing. Today, she’s an author, speaker, and coach who helps others reclaim their power after trauma.

⚠️ Trigger Warning:

This episode contains discussions of trauma, loss, PTSD, abuse, and other potentially sensitive topics that may be activating for some listeners. Please take care while listening and pause if you need to. Your well-being is what matters most.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The night Susan’s father was killed and how it changed her life forever
• Living for years behind an emotional mask and struggling with PTSD
• The turning point that led her to seek trauma-competent support
• Tools and practices that helped her heal, including journaling, breathwork, and grounding
• Why forgiveness and reclaiming your power are vital to healing
• How Susan found purpose in sharing her story and writing her book

Susan’s story is a reminder that healing is possible, even after unimaginable loss, and that we all have the strength to move from victim to survivor.

Chapters:

00:00 – The night that changed everything

09:00 – Living in survival mode for years

17:00 – The turning point: finding trauma-competent therapy

26:00 – Reclaiming power through forgiveness and tools for healing

37:00 – Grounding, journaling, and nervous system regulation

46:00 – Writing her book and finding purpose in her story

55:00 – Words of encouragement for anyone struggling

Resources & Links:

• Susan’s Book: The Other Side of the Gun: My Journey from Trauma to Resiliency
• Susan’s Website: https://susansnowspeaks.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thejessvanrose

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftertraumapodcast

www.jessicavanrose.com

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Shame has a way of making us feel small, but it can’t survive where light and truth live. In this gentle conversation, I share tender ways to bring shame into the light, open yourself to safe connection, and remember that your worth was never in question.

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thejessvanrose

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftertraumapodcast

www.jessicavanrose.com

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In this powerful conversation, Emily Cleghorn—mama mentor, coach, and author—shares her journey from carrying unhealed childhood trauma to breaking generational cycles for her children. Emily opens up about the moment she admitted to her husband, “I hate being a mother,” and how that became the turning point in her healing. She explains how trauma can be passed through DNA and parenting patterns, what nervous system regulation really looks like, and the daily practices that helped her reprogram inherited behaviours.

We explore:

• Signs you might be carrying generational trauma
• How to respond to triggers with compassion instead of shame
• Simple journaling prompts to process emotional reactions
• Navigating family dynamics when healing changes relationships
• Holding empathy for those who hurt us while protecting our boundaries

Whether you’re a parent or not, this episode is for anyone ready to rewrite their story and create a future free from the cycles of the past.

Chapters:

00:00 – Trigger Warning & Intro

02:10 – The “Trauma Freight Train” Moment

07:50 – Admitting “I Hate Being a Mother”

09:45 – First Steps in Healing

12:21 – What Generational Trauma Means

17:09 – Signs You’re Carrying Trauma

21:28 – Journaling Through Triggers

28:51 – Breaking Cycles in Daily Life

32:17 – Boundaries Without Guilt

36:50 – Compassion Without Excusing Harm

40:34 – Nervous System Healing Habits

45:08 – Empowering Words for Cycle Breakers

46:15 – Rapid Fire Q&A

48:20 – Connect with Emily

Resources & Links:

• Emily’s Trigger Toolkit: https://mamahoodaftertrauma.ca/shop (use our exclusive discount code: LIFE50)
• Rising from the Ashes Ebook: https://mamahoodaftertrauma.ca/shop
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.mamahoodaftertrauma/

☕ Love the show? You can now support Life After Trauma by Buying Me a Coffee. Every coffee helps keep the podcast going and means the world to me!

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www.jessicavanrose.com

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In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, trauma healing facilitator and childhood abuse survivor Lisa Tickel returns to share deeper insights into what it means to break free from survival mode and truly care for yourself. Together, Jess and Lisa explore how victim mindset can keep survivors stuck — and what it looks like to recognize the signs in your body, reframe your relationship with food, and begin setting boundaries without guilt. Lisa opens up about her emotional eating, negative self-talk, and the moment she began showing up for herself with love instead of shame. This episode is a powerful reminder that healing isn’t about perfection — it’s about awareness, self-compassion, and learning how to feel safe in your body again.

00:00 – Intro & Recap of Part 1

01:07 – Shifting Out of Victim Mindset

03:23 – Bodily Signs & Self-Awareness

05:18 – Boundaries Without Guilt

06:52 – Speaking Up & Growth in Action

07:52 – Self-Love as a Foundation

08:50 – Healing Negative Self-Talk

10:30 – Releasing Guilt Around Self-Care

11:27 – The Cost of Survival Mode

12:53 – Reframing Fitness & Food

15:02 – Childhood Conditioning & Comfort Eating

17:05 – Beauty Standards & Body Shame

18:32 – Internalized Worth & Social Pressure

20:07 – Final Reflections & Words of Encouragement

🎧 Healing and Growing Hand in Hand Podcast

🌸 Women’s Childhood Abuse Healing Workshop

📹 YouTube: Lisa Tickel

📱 TikTok & Instagram: @lisatickel

🔗 LinkedIn: Lisa Tickel

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thejessvanrose

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftertraumapodcast

www.jessicavanrose.com

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What if the chaos you’ve lived with for years… isn’t who you are — but a response to the trauma you never had the chance to process?

In this Part 1 of 2 episode of Life After Trauma, Jess is joined by childhood abuse survivor and trauma healing facilitator Lisa Tickel. Together, they explore what it means to move from survival mode into safety — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Lisa shares her powerful story of growing up in an abusive home, losing her mother at 16, and navigating life without support. For decades, she coped through emotional eating, overthinking, and self-abandonment — until she began to uncover the root of her pain and reclaim her healing through EMDR, inner child work, and nervous system regulation. If you’ve ever felt broken, too reactive, or disconnected from your voice — this episode is for you. Lisa’s story is a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t happen all at once… but safety is possible.

00:00 – Welcome & Lisa’s Story Begins

01:07 – Emotional Eating and Escalating Abuse

03:23 – The Healing Workshop That Changed Everything

05:18 – What Healing Really Feels Like

06:40 – How EMDR Helped Lisa Reprocess Trauma

07:40 – Speaking Up for "Little Lisa"

09:32 – Inner Child Encounters & Self-Abandonment

11:45 – Finding Her Voice and Releasing Pain

13:14 – Lisa’s Workshop & Understanding Trauma

14:10 – Getting a PTSD Diagnosis and Feeling Seen

16:54 – The Power of the Pause in Healing Triggers

17:26 – Living in Survival Mode and Victim Mindset

19:31 – Letting Go of Chaos and Familiar Drama

21:28 – Awareness as a Superpower

23:27 – Emotional Regulation in Real Life

24:19 – Managing Panic, Pressure, and Reactions

26:00 – Adding Color to Black-and-White Thinking

26:30 – Movement, Nature, and Everyday Grounding

27:52 – Grounding & Closing Reflections

• 🎧 Podcast: Healing and Growing Hand in Hand
• 🌸 Women’s Childhood Abuse Healing Workshop
• YouTube
• TikTok
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thejessvanrose

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeaftertraumapodcast

www.jessicavanrose.com

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