Kristine Jensen's Story • Healing the Shame of a Troubled Childhood

[Content Warning]: Discussions of childhood emotional neglect and humiliation, description of a sexual assault survivor's experience, references to substance use disorder, and grief following the death of a family member. Kristine Jensen has spent more than four decades in the therapy room, first helping others, and eventually turning that same clinical eye on herself. A licensed psychotherapist and certified clinical trauma professional, Kristine spent her career treating clients for shame long before she recognized it in her own life. It wasn't until she retired and moved to the California coast, expecting a quiet next chapter, that a childhood memory resurfaced and cracked open decades of unexamined pain.  In this conversation with Jan Broberg, Kristine traces the years-long process that led to her book, Bruised Not Broken: Healing the Shame of a Troubled Childhood, from naming shame as a distinct survival strategy (not just low self-esteem or depression) to recognizing the collapse-appease-submit response that so many survivors carry from childhood into adulthood. She and Jan talk candidly about over-functioning, "earning love," and the fraud feeling that can persist even after decades of outward success.  The conversation moves into healing itself: how self-compassion, not reliving trauma, is often the path forward, why healthy anger is a sign of progress rather than a problem, and how humanizing the people who hurt us can become part of reclaiming our own freedom. Kristine also opens up about a harder discovery in her own story: that her stepfather wasn't the only source of her wounds. This episode is for anyone who has wondered why the work of healing doesn't feel finished, even when life looks good from the outside. Buy Kristine's Book: Bruised Not Broken: Healing the Shame of a Troubled ChildhoodIf you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or suicidal ideation, please access the resources below:National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call/Text 988National Sexual Assault Hotline  (RAINN) : 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)National Alliance for Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264  🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE🍎 Apple Podcasts🎵 Spotify▶️ YouTube  ❣️ JAN BROBERG FOUNDATION🌐 JanBrobergFoundation.org🫂 Survivor Circle (free community)⏳ T.I.M.E. Program🔎 SPOT6📖 The Jan Broberg Story (book)🗞️ Newsletter  📲 CONNECT📷 Instagram🎶 TikTok✍️ Share Your Story💌 Fan Mail Support the show