I’ve mentioned before that one of the things I greatly enjoy is having special guests join me on Surviving My Podcast. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to many amazing people, both every day survivors who are trying to heal and share their story, and helping professionals who are helping those survivors.
This podcast is no exception to that great feeling of speaking with someone who knows what it means to be a survivor. Rachel Grant has dedicated her life to 
helping those affected by sexual abuse, and I’m honored to be able to share our chat with you on the topic of, “How the brain is affected by Trauma”.
I was checking out her website, RachelGrantCoaching.com , and while watching her introduction video, she mentioned about her experience in studying neuroscience and how that knowledge has helped her to help survivors understand just how the brain is affected by the trauma of abuse. Rachel has an MA in Counseling Psychology, and has helped so many who have gone through her program, to understand that there is more to life than feeling like a victim with no hope.
She’s also the author of, “Beyond Surviving, The Final Stage of Recovery from Sexual Abuse. I have personally read her book and speaking not only as a fan of Rachel and her amazing work with survivors, but also as a survivor myself, I can tell you it’s well worth your time to take it in. Beyond Surviving is a very easy read, and Rachel breaks down the steps, strategies, and information in a very easy to understand way that will leave you feeling inspired, encouraged, and filled with hope.
In our chat, we discuss specifically how the Amygdala is the “bully of the brain”. Rachel breaks it down and tells us exactly what happens to the Amygdala when we are experiencing trauma. We discuss not only the immediate effects at the time of the trauma, but also the long-term effects, and most importantly the ways that we can work to reverse those effects.
That’s the amazing thing about the human brain, even when we are traumatized as survivors of sexual abuse, or any abuse, there are ways to retrain our brain. Through understanding, hard work, and the right techniques and information, we are able to repair the damage done that we may have once thought was irreversible.
We also discuss emotions, and why we as survivors can often have such a fluctuation of our emotions. Why we fill good one day and then be filled with sadness and depression the next day. Even hour by hour, situation by situation, or emotional state can change quickly which is both mentally and physically exhausting. There is hope though friends, and it’s my desire that after hearing this podcast with Rachel Grant, you will be filled with hope as well.
As survivors, we were affected in ways that many can not understand, but that doesn’t mean that we are permanently doomed to a life that is less than what we dreamed of.
Be sure and Follow Rachel on Twitter and check out her website. If you are interested in working with her, she is offering a FREE 60 minute session. You can talk with her, one on one, and see if her program is right for you!
Please consider sharing this podcast with someone who may need it!
Thank you again Rachel for the opportunity to chat with you. I can’t wait to do it again! 🙂
-Matt
Trackbacks/Pingbacks