This week on The Life Shift Podcast, MC McDonald shares her journey of overcoming trauma, navigating grief and family relationships, and finding success.
"I think if we can think about trauma and, and that point of healing as possible, then we can, we can enter into the healing process with a lot more hope than with this understanding that if you have trauma, that means you are somehow like marred or broken or, you know." - MC McDonald.
MC grew up in a small town with a big Catholic family. After a family member’s death, MC's world turned upside down, and she struggled to cope with the loss. She had been raised to believe that emotions should be managed and felt on her own, so she had very few tools to deal with her grief.
MC's old coping mechanisms worked for about six months, but then she started having intense panic attacks. The anxiety she had struggled with since childhood was breaking through, and it began to get in the way of her work. The panic attacks were happening everywhere, and she couldn't control them and didn't know what to do.
After reaching out for help, she realized she needed to figure out a different way of being in the world.
In this episode, MC shares her personal story of overcoming family trauma and grief. She talks about how she learned to cope with her emotions and used her experiences to help others. We'll also explore how to process trauma and grief and how to move forward. If you have ever experienced trauma or grief or are struggling to cope with difficult emotions, this episode is for you.
MC McDonald, Ph.D., is a research professor and life coach who specializes in the psychology and philosophy of trauma. Her work focuses on thinking critically about how we understand, define, and heal from traumatic experiences. After receiving her Ph.D. at Boston University, she has published several research articles, book chapters, and two books on trauma. In addition to her academic work, McDonald has a thriving life-coaching business and has created trauma-based curricula for nonprofit organizations in New York, Virginia, and California.
Follow MC McDonald on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mc.phd/ and check out her website at https://alchemycoaching.life/.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Learning And Growing From External Triggers Of Trauma
00:05:26 The Power Of Storytelling In Healing Trauma
00:07:16 Guest Shares Personal Story Of Upbringing And Pivotal Moment
00:13:23 Fear Of Being Seen As The Real Version Of Oneself.
00:15:30 From Small Town To Manhattan: Hitting The Checklist And Studying Grief
00:17:59 Seeking Help For Panic Attacks And Reflecting On The Lack Of Tools For Previous Generations
00:19:15 50 Minutes Of Speechlessness: A Foundational Experience In Trusting Others
00:21:53 The Power Of Asking For Help: A Pivotal Moment In One's Life
00:24:33 The Importance Of Breaking Down Walls After A Trauma
00:26:08 Personal Reflection On Addiction And Overwhelm
00:29:42 Mother's Influence: From Therapy To Shattering Of Self
00:34:40 Managing Work Addiction: Learning To Dance With The Compulsion
00:36:04 The Dangers Of Celebrating Success
00:45:14 Creating An Accessible And Practical Self-help Book With Personalized Tools
00:49:37 Therapeutic Benefits Of Writing Non-academically
00:53:31 The Challenges Of Shared Narratives And Experiences In Grief And Family Relationships
00:55:52 Message Of Gratitude And Reflection On Personal Growth.
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