KJ Ramsey | Joy and Pain

What can joy survive?In this conversation, Jeff Cook sits down with licensed trauma therapist and author KJ Ramsey to explore the surprising relationship between pain, joy, identity, and healing.Drawing from her upcoming memoir The Place Between Our Pain, KJ shares how chronic illness, trauma, and the limits of control reshape our understanding of time, self, and what it means to be held. Together, Jeff and KJ examine the tension between despair and hope, the role of the Enneagram in personal growth, and the deep question beneath it all:Can joy still exist when everything falls apart?This episode moves through themes of:Trauma and post-traumatic growthThe “true self” vs. personalityChronic illness and the experience of timeJoy as presence, not performanceAgency, embodiment, and survivalFaith, meaning, and the limits of understandingWhether you're navigating suffering, exploring the Enneagram, or asking deeper philosophical questions about identity and purpose—this conversation offers both honesty and hope.📘 KJ Ramsey’s BookThe Place Between Our Pain: A Memoir of What Joy Can Survive→ Pre-order & learn more: https://www.kjramsey.com🌐 KJ Ramsey Website→ https://www.kjramsey.com🎙️ Around the CircleThe Enneagram publishing platform: Podcast • Books • Video • Ongoing formation→ Join the community: https://www.aroundthecircle.org→ Become a member: https://www.patreon.com/aroundthecircle📅 Live Event (Colorado)KJ Ramsey + Suzanne Stabile → April 17–18 : HERE