Stephanie Foo, a New York Times bestselling author and radio producer, shares her journey of healing from complex PTSD in a heartfelt discussion. She distinguishes between PTSD and C-PTSD, emphasizing the importance of understanding these differences for effective support. Stephanie delves into her therapeutic experiences, including EMDR and yoga, and highlights how community and relationships have been crucial in her recovery. The conversation offers practical advice and wisdom for anyone navigating their own healing path or supporting others.
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insights INSIGHT
Humanizing CPTSD
CPTSD is often portrayed clinically, dehumanizing those who suffer from it.
Stephanie Foo, having a background in first-person storytelling, aimed to write a relatable, healing-focused memoir.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Writing Through Dissociation
Stephanie Foo struggled to write the first 50 pages detailing her trauma, with early drafts described as dissociated.
The rest of the book flowed more easily, focusing on the healing journey, informed by her journalism background.
insights INSIGHT
Pathologizing vs. Protecting
Existing literature often pathologizes CPTSD, describing sufferers as burdens and "weird".
Foo emphasizes that CPTSD reactions are protective mechanisms, often adaptive in traumatic situations.
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In this memoir, Stephanie Foo recounts her life after being diagnosed with complex PTSD, a condition resulting from continuous trauma over years. Despite her professional success as a radio producer, Foo struggled with panic attacks and the lingering effects of physical and verbal abuse, as well as neglect by her parents. The book details her efforts to heal herself by interviewing scientists and psychologists, trying various therapies, and investigating the effects of immigrant trauma in her hometown of San Jose, California, and her birth country, Malaysia. Foo's narrative is both a personal account of trauma and a critical analysis of how societal structures compound individual suffering, offering hope and practical insights for those seeking to heal from similar experiences.
How can you begin to heal from complex PTSD?
In this episode, Jill sits down with Stephanie Foo to explore her memoir, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma, a deeply personal account of her healing journey through complex PTSD (CPTSD). Stephanie shares what it’s like to carry the weight of complex trauma, offering insights into how you can begin to heal too.
Through her story and experience, you’ll learn how CPTSD differs from PTSD and why understanding those differences can help you (or someone you love) feel less alone. Stephanie opens up about her therapy journey—EMDR, yoga, and meditation—and how relationships and community became her anchors in the storm.
Whether you’re a therapist, someone walking your own healing path, or supporting a loved one, this conversation is full of wisdom and practical advice to inspire hope and compassion.
Listen and Learn:
Meet Stephanie and find out why she wrote What My Bones Know, a memoir about healing from complex trauma.
Understand what makes CPTSD different from PTSD and how that knowledge can help you or someone you love.
How writing and creativity can be powerful tools for processing trauma and finding meaning.
The role of community, relationships, and support in recovering from trauma.
The complexities of abusive relationships and how they shape the healing journey.
Practical therapeutic methods like EMDR, yoga, and meditation, and why they worked for Stephanie.
How social support can make therapy more effective and healing more sustainable.
The importance of facing suicidal thoughts with connection and support from loved ones.
How journalism and purpose helped Stephanie move forward after trauma.
How to begin your own healing journey and the three key elements that helped Stephanie recover from complex trauma.
How therapists can create compassionate, validating spaces for clients dealing with trauma.
Stephanie Foo is the NYT Bestselling author of What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma. She has written for Vox and The New York Times. She worked as a radio producer for This American Life and Snap Judgment, and her stories aired on Reply All, 99% Invisible, and Radiolab. A noted speaker and instructor, she has taught at Columbia University and has spoken at venues from the Sundance Film Festival to the Missouri Department of Mental Health.
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