The Resilient Mind Resilience Expert: How to Be Mentally Strong When Life Falls Apart - Dr. Cristi Bundukamara
Nov 26, 2025
Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and author, shares her deeply moving journey through unimaginable grief after losing three children and her husband. She introduces her innovative 'Mentally Strong Method,' highlighting a three-step process for building mental resilience. Cristi clarifies the distinction between grief and trauma and critiques traditional grief models. Her insights offer a powerful framework for those struggling with loss, emphasizing the importance of authentic grieving and the ability to make empowered choices.
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Adoption Followed By First Tragedy
- Cristi Bundukamara recounts adopting five children and then losing one, Johnny, to a drowning shortly after the adoption.
- That loss fractured trust with Johnny's biological sisters and began her long journey into trauma and caregiving.
A Decade Of Medical Trauma
- Cristi describes her son Reggie's catastrophic seizures and the decade of medical trauma while she tried many treatments.
- That prolonged caregiving spurred her personal work and led to developing the Mentally Strong Method.
Repeated Losses Tested Her Faith
- After Reggie died in 2016, Cristi later lost her daughter Maya in 2021 which reactivated deeper spiritual conflict and trauma.
- She explains the Mentally Strong Method served as a safety net during those subsequent losses.
