Dr. Kate Truitt: Trauma, Grief, Burnout, and the Brain | Finding New Waters Podcast

In this episode of Finding New Waters, B Reeves sits down with Dr. Kate Truitt, clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, for a conversation that moves from survival to real tools. Dr. Kate shares what it was like to be hit by a drunk driver, the identity shift of “self” coming back online, and why even experts struggle to use their own tools at first.They break down trauma through a brain-based lens: safety, belonging, and agency. You’ll also hear the clearest explanation of grief as a learning process, what “traumatic grief” looks like, and why forgiveness is not a mandate. Dr. Kate also teaches a simple “moving hug” mindful touch practice and explains why “we can’t think our way through” the parts of the brain that hold trauma.CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS[01:00:00] Welcome and introduction[01:01:05] Hit by a drunk driver: broken neck, brain injury, crushed spine[01:02:32] “Not so well at the beginning”: the pressure of being an expert[01:03:56] Writing a book during recovery: burnout + self-compassion[01:05:16] Milwaukee → Kansas City → Los Angeles: the road to her work[01:05:22] Scholarship and a modeling contract[01:05:31] Modeling, anorexia, and the pivot into academia[01:07:17] Burnout in helping professions and boundaries[01:09:09] The Brain Partnership Toolbox: why she wrote it[01:10:17] Self-compassion: “It’s a skill. It’s not innate.”[01:13:13] Goldie Hawn’s MindUP and trauma-informed work in schools[01:16:35] Mindful touch: “moving hug” and C-tactile fibers[01:18:28] “We can’t think our way through it.”[01:20:02] Trauma and grief: what she focuses on[01:21:06] Big T vs small T trauma: why she takes it off the table[01:22:09] The amygdala’s three core values: safe, belong, agency[01:23:16] Trauma as threat + survival encoding[01:25:40] Her clinic model: specialists + neurobiology training[01:26:20] “Shame goes down, opportunity goes up.”[01:27:44] Grief as learning: what the brain has to update[01:28:42] Traumatic grief: when grief gets paralyzed[01:29:39] Substances and pain: “turn the volume down”[01:31:08] One person can change the trajectory[01:32:22] Widowed before her wedding: trauma vulnerability[01:33:25] Forgiveness after trauma: where to start[01:34:20] “Forgiveness is not a mandate.”[01:36:41] When forgiveness becomes toxic and boundaries get blurry[01:39:06] Finding help as a trainer: dual relationships and privacy[01:44:18] Patterns, burnout, and getting curious about the sprint[01:44:51] How to find Dr. Kate Truitt + free resourcesNOTABLE QUOTES“almost a year ago to the day… I was hit by a drunk driver… broke my neck, brain injury, crushed my spine.”“The, there's a little tidbit about self-compassion is that it's a skill. It's not innate.”“our thinking brain is a pretty new to the game… We can't think our way through it. Just can't.”“And those values are first and foremost, am I safe?”“Forgiveness is not so it's not a, it's not a mandate. It's not a requirement.”LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONEDDr. Kate Truitt website: https://www.drkatetruitt.com/Free resources page: https://www.drkatetruitt.com/freeresourcesDr. Kate Truitt YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrKateTruittMindUP (Goldie Hawn Foundation): https://www.mindup.org/The Brain Partnership Toolbox (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Partnership-Toolbox-Addiction-Mental-Professionals/dp/B0FYNNKH4C🎙️ Watch & ListenWebsite: www.findingnewwaters.comSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4NOV2g85KExFWU5mTz5GjwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-new-waters/id1684075608YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfAIXtiOgy1XFcwAduXgXwYouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuJOc6yLcjibGGAKgLYPCN47etJCY89mn