Episode 753: The Way is Through The Wound with K.J. Ramsey
Sep 4, 2023
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K.J. Ramsey, a trauma-informed licensed professional counselor and author, discusses the intersection of theology, psychology, and spiritual formation. They share their experiences of complex trauma, religious trauma, and disability that influenced their therapeutic journey and writing. The conversation also touches on working with trauma clients, embracing a God of love and connection, and the humanity of Jesus.
Authenticity and vulnerability are crucial in the therapeutic process, providing a safe space for clients to express their pain and struggles.
Writing can be a powerful tool for personal expression and can challenge harmful narratives, offering guidance and reassurance to those feeling displaced in their faith.
Deep dives
KJ Ramsey's journey of healing and resilience
KJ Ramsey, a trauma-informed licensed professional counselor and author shares her personal journey of healing and resilience. She discusses how her own experiences with childhood trauma and chronic illness shaped her path towards becoming a therapist. KJ emphasizes the importance of authenticity and vulnerability in the therapeutic process, both for herself and her clients. She highlights the significance of providing a safe space for clients to express their pain and struggles, and the power of witnessing and validating their experiences.
The transformative power of storytelling and writing
KJ Ramsey explores her love for writing and how it became a powerful tool for expressing her own experiences. She shares the joy and anger that compelled her to start writing, explaining that her goal was to write the book she wished she had when she was young and felt alone in her illness. KJ discusses the impact of her books, particularly focusing on her most recent publication, 'The Book of Common Courage', which offers guidance and reassurance to those who feel displaced in their faith or have experienced minimization in Christian spirituality. She aims to challenge harmful narratives and introduce readers to a more compassionate understanding of God.
The therapeutic journey and finding solidarity
KJ Ramsey reflects on her experience as a therapist, emphasizing the sense of solidarity and belonging she feels when working with clients who have experienced trauma. She highlights the importance of creating a space where clients can be their authentic selves and feel seen and heard. KJ shares her own journey of healing and how her physical illness played a role in her ability to advocate for herself and others, ultimately leading her to become a therapist. She aims to help individuals grieve, release harmful narratives, and embrace their whole selves in the therapeutic process.
K.J. Ramsey is a trauma-informed licensed professional counselor and author whose work offers space to see every part of our souls and stories as sacred. She holds degrees from Covenant College and Denver Seminary and is the author of 'The Lord Is My Courage: Stepping Through the Shadows of Fear Toward the Voice of Love' and 'This Too Shall Last: Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers.'
K.J. writes at the intersection of theology, psychology, and spiritual formation to guide readers in recovering the rhythm of resilience through nervous system regulation and the wonder of communion with God. She and her husband, Ryan, along with their two exceptionally cuddly dogs, Merton and Resa, live near Denver, Colorado, where K.J. listens for the liturgy of life in wildflowers, sunsets, sorrow, and church.