383. What My Bones Know: C-PTSD with Stephanie Foo

Psychologists Off the Clock

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.

Resources:

• What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma
• Official Website: Stephanie Foo
• Facebook: Stephanie Foo on Facebook
• Twitter: @stephaniefoooo on Twitter
• Instagram: @foofoofoo on Instagram

About Stephanie Foo

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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• 355. What is EMDR with Jamie Marich
• 360. The Laws of Connection with David Robson
• 374. Developing and Deepening Connections with Adam Dorsay
• 376. The Art of Therapy with Michael Alcee

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