Dr Kate Truitt Trauma Grief Burnout And The Brain Finding New Waters Podcast

In this episode of Finding New Waters, B Reeves sits down with Dr. Kate Truitt, clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, for a conversation that moves from survival to real tools. Dr. Kate shares what it was like to be hit by a drunk driver, the identity shift of “self” coming back online, and why even experts struggle to use their own tools at first.. . They break down trauma through a brain-based lens: safety, belonging, and agency. You’ll also hear the clearest explanation of grief as a learning process, what “traumatic grief” looks like, and why forgiveness is not a mandate. Dr. Kate also teaches a simple “moving hug” mindful touch practice and explains why “we can’t think our way through” the parts of the brain that hold trauma.. . Subscribe for more conversations on recovery, mental health, and building a life worth staying sober for.. . CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS. [01:00:00] Welcome and introduction. [01:01:05] Hit by a drunk driver: broken neck, brain injury, crushed spine. [01:02:32] “Not so well at the beginning”: the pressure of being an expert. [01:03:56] Writing a book during recovery: burnout + self-compassion. [01:05:16] Milwaukee → Kansas City → Los Angeles: the road to her work. [01:05:22] Scholarship and a modeling contract. [01:05:31] Modeling, anorexia, and the pivot into academia. [01:07:17] Burnout in helping professions and boundaries. [01:09:09] The Brain Partnership Toolbox: why she wrote it. [01:10:17] Self-compassion: “It’s a skill. It’s not innate.”. [01:13:13] Goldie Hawn’s MindUP and trauma-informed work in schools. [01:16:35] Mindful touch: “moving hug” and C-tactile fibers. [01:18:28] “We can’t think our way through it.”. [01:20:02] Trauma and grief: what she focuses on. [01:21:06] Big T vs small T trauma: why she takes it off the table. [01:22:09] The amygdala’s three core values: safe, belong, agency. [01:23:16] Trauma as threat + survival encoding. [01:25:40] Her clinic model: specialists + neurobiology training. [01:26:20] “Shame goes down, opportunity goes up.”. [01:27:44] Grief as learning: what the brain has to update. [01:28:42] Traumatic grief: when grief gets paralyzed. [01:29:39] Substances and pain: “turn the volume down”. [01:31:08] One person can change the trajectory. [01:32:22] Widowed before her wedding: trauma vulnerability. [01:33:25] Forgiveness after trauma: where to start. [01:34:20] “Forgiveness is not a mandate.”. [01:36:41] When forgiveness becomes toxic and boundaries get blurry. [01:39:06] Finding help as a trainer: dual relationships and privacy. [01:44:18] Patterns, burnout, and getting curious about the sprint. [01:44:51] How to find Dr. Kate Truitt + free resources. . NOTABLE QUOTES. “almost a year ago to the day… I was hit by a drunk driver… broke my neck, brain injury, crushed my spine.”. “The, there’s a little tidbit about self-compassion is that it’s a skill. It’s not innate.”. “our thinking brain is a pretty new to the game… We can’t think our way through it. Just can’t.”. “And those values are first and foremost, am I safe?”. “Forgiveness is not so it’s not a, it’s not a mandate. It’s not a requirement.”. . LINKS u0026 RESOURCES MENTIONED. Dr. Kate Truitt website: https://www.drkatetruitt.com/. Free resources page: https://www.drkatetruitt.com/freeresources. Dr. Kate Truitt YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrKateTruitt. MindUP (Goldie Hawn Foundation): https://www.mindup.org/. The Brain Partnership Toolbox (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Partnership-Toolbox-Addiction-Mental-Professionals/dp/B0FYNNKH4C. . . . . 🎙️ Watch u0026 Listen. Website: www.findingnewwaters.com. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4NOV2g85KExFWU5mTz5Gjw. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-new-waters/id1684075608. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfAIXtiOgy1XFcwAduXgXw. YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuJOc6yLcjibGGAKgLYPCN47etJCY89mn. . #FindingNewWaters #NewWatersRecovery #Recovery #Trauma #Grief #Burnout #SelfCompassion #Neuroscience #Neuroplasticity #MentalHealth #MindfulTouch #MindUP #AddictionRecovery #PTSD