Episode 06: Learning to Trust Yourself After Trauma — with Jen Chambers

GuestJen Chambers — Writer, Podcaster Episode SummaryIn this honest and deeply reflective episode of Spiritual Friction, Laurel LeMohn, trauma therapist and host, sits down with Jen Chambers for a heartfelt conversation about trauma, recovery, identity, and what it means to learn to trust yourself again after everything changes.Jen shares her experience of surviving a devastating car accident at fifteen that resulted in a traumatic brain injury and the loss of all memory from her first fifteen years of life. She speaks openly about the fear, confusion, and disorientation of waking up without a past — and the long, nonlinear journey of relearning how to walk, read, write, and slowly rebuild a sense of self without the memories that once anchored her identity.Together, Laurel and Jen explore disability, shame, persistence, and the quiet courage it takes to keep choosing yourself after trauma. Their conversation honors healing as a process that cannot be rushed — one shaped by breathwork, self-compassion, curiosity, and the slow rebuilding of trust in your own body, instincts, and inner voice.What We Explore in This EpisodeTrauma recovery after traumatic brain injuryLosing memory and rebuilding identityLearning to trust yourself after traumaLiving with disability and releasing shameBreathwork and nervous system regulationPersistence as a form of resilienceBecoming yourself again — on your own timelineKey Quotes“It took me so long to become myself. I don’t have time not to be now.”“Learning to trust yourself sounds simple, but it’s the work of a lifetime.”“I wasn’t broken. I could still be great.”Why This Conversation MattersMany people living with trauma, disability, or chronic illness feel pressure to “get back” to who they were before. This episode offers a compassionate reframe: healing doesn’t mean returning to an old version of yourself — it means learning who you are now and choosing to trust that person.Jen's story reminds us that recovery is rarely linear, that shame can quietly shape our self-beliefs, and that persistence — especially when paired with care and presence — can become a powerful form of self-trust. If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your body, your past, or your sense of identity, this conversation offers permission to slow down and meet yourself where you are.About the GuestJen Chambers is a writer, publisher, teacher, and podcast host. A former newspaper and magazine columnist, she founded TEDxVenetaWomen and attended the Iowa Summer Writing Program. After surviving a traumatic brain injury at 15 that erased her early memories, she relearned everything from walking to speaking, a journey that deeply informs her work.Her award-winning writing inspired a museum exhibit, fulfilling a lifelong goal, and her latest book is The Murder of Sheriff W. W. Withers & Other Eugene Cases (Arcadia Publishing, 2025). She hosts the podcasts Beyond The Margins with Jen Chambers and Same Crime, Different Time, available wherever you listen to podcasts.Instagram: @j_b_chambersSubstack: https://jbchambers.substack.com/Website: http://www.jennifer-chambers.com/website