E22. Developmental Trauma with Stacey Uhrig

Starting her healing journey at just 15 years old, Stacey Uhrig instinctively knew she needed support—at a time when therapy wasn’t widely accepted or accessible. She fought for her right to receive it and succeeded. But after two decades in therapy, Stacey was still struggling with panic attacks. She realized there had to be a different path to healing. This realization led Stacey down a new road, where she immersed herself in understanding developmental trauma and its profound impact on mental health. Around the same time, she began building her family through adoption and encountered a hidden challenge: the unique struggles parents face when helping adopted children heal from the trauma they experienced before finding their forever homes. Stacey redefines what trauma really is—revealing that it’s much broader than most of us have been led to believe. She explains that trauma isn’t just the event; it’s how the experience becomes woven into our identity. Through techniques like hypnosis, Stacey helps uncover subconscious beliefs that drive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Many of her clients don’t even realize they’ve experienced trauma—they just know they feel stuck and can’t figure out why. Stacey says that if you’ve ever felt like you aren’t enough, don’t belong, or believe you can’t have what you desire because you feel unworthy, you’ve experienced trauma. In our conversation, Stacey and I explore the science of epigenetics, the challenges faced by highly sensitive people, and the importance of understanding concepts like the window of tolerance. We also discuss the pitfalls of toxic positivity and toxic optimism, and how real growth often emerges from facing and integrating trauma. Stacey reminds us that we don’t have to identify with a mental health diagnosis—we are more than the labels we carry. Discover more of Stacey’s wisdom and healing journey:🌐 Flip Your Mindset🎧 Listen to her podcast The article in the Atlantic that Stacey mentioned: https://www.theatlantic.com/.../tragic-optimism.../619786/ Book: It didn't Start With You. https://a.co/d/czdsGt3 Book: The Highly Sensitive Child https://a.co/d/4ZHsgjK Book: The Highly Sensitive Person: https://a.co/d/aVVYQgl Find me here! https://linktr.ee/momonthevergepodcast