Medical Trauma Support

Sarah Stasica
  • 4.5 (8)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

The Medical Trauma Support Podcast explores the human impact of medical experiences for patients, parents, and healthcare professionals. Through human-centered, nervous-system-informed conversations, the podcast examines how medical care can impact the body, trust, and sense of safety. Episodes explore medical trauma, fear, shutdown, compassion in care, provider wellbeing, and the changes needed within healthcare systems to better support everyone involved. This podcast offers education, reflection, and hope — honoring our shared humanity and the body’s responses to medical experiences.

  1. 5d ago

    Navigating Medical Trauma with Dr. Michelle Flaum and Dr. Sacha McBain

    I am really excited to share this conversation with Dr. Michelle Flaum and Dr. Sacha McBain. They are two of the original researchers and advocates in the field of medical trauma. Michelle shares her personal experience as a patient and how it led her to this work. Sacha explains the concept of "pre-sourcing" and how it helps prepare us for medical events. We talk about their new book, which is written to support both patients and clinicians, and discuss how giving a name to your experience can bring a sense of relief. Having a name for your experience allows you to view your body's natural reactions with compassion. Remember that you are not alone, and your experience is completely valid. You can request their new book about medical trauma at your local independent bookstore as well as find it on their websites. https://www.sachamcbain.com/ https://www.drmichelleflaum.com/ If you are looking for community who understands medical trauma, please join us in the Medical Trauma Support Circle: https://www.medicaltraumasupport.org/befriend-your-body-community  #MedicalTraumaSupport #MedicalTrauma #TraumaRecovery #PatientAdvocacy #Therapy

  2. Sep 15

    Understanding Our Nervous Systems: A Conversation with Christina Kantzavelos, LCSW

    In this episode of the Medical Trauma Support Podcast, Sarah Stasica sits down with Christina Kantzavelos, a licensed clinical social worker, to delve into the intricate relationship between our nervous systems and our health, especially in the context of chronic illness. We talk about the importance of understanding your Nervous System and how it plays a part in everything you do, essentially, everything you are, because it's part of your whole body's system.We also talk about chronic stress and its effect as well as the Four F's: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn and how knowing this information is a way to empower yourself. To learn more about Christina's work you can find her at BeginWithinToday.com If you would like to join the Medical Trauma Support Circle community, you can Join Here.

  3. Sep 1

    How Self-Compassion Helps Healthcare Professionals with Dr. Sharon Chang

    Are you a healthcare professional dealing with stress and burnout? Or a patient who has experienced care from a provider who didn't treat you with the compassion and care that you needed? In this episode of the Medical Trauma Support Podcast, Sarah Stasica speaks with Dr. Sharon Chang, a retired surgical oncologist and current mental fitness coach. They discuss the signs of physician burnout, the reality of working as a cancer surgeon, and how building a daily mental fitness routine helps doctors provide better care. Episode Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to the Medical Trauma Support Podcast 02:24 - Why Dr. Chang became a surgical oncologist 08:24 - How a doctor's emotional support impacts patients 16:56 - The daily stress and reality of being a surgeon 22:47 - Dr. Chang shares her personal experience with burnout 28:22 - Working with a coach to find career clarity 33:44 - Using self-compassion to improve patient care 42:49 - What is mental fitness and how to practice it daily Connect with Dr. Sharon B Chang on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-b-chang-md/ Listen to more from Medical Trauma Support: Subscribe to the channel for more episodes on healthcare recovery and patient advocacy. #PhysicianBurnout #MentalFitness #HealthcareProfessionals #MedicalTraumaSupport #DrSharonChang

  4. Jul 3

    How to Avoid Medical Mistakes: A Critical Care Doctor’s Patient Safety Guide

    Medical mistakes are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and many are preventable. In this episode, critical care physician and pulmonologist Dr. Gerardo Garza shares how to protect yourself and your loved ones, from finding the right doctor to preparing for appointments, asking better questions, and navigating a safe hospital discharge. We also talk about post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), why how you’re treated can matter as much as what happens to you, and what it really means to feel safe in medical care. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, or a clinician, this conversation is full of practical, nervous-system-aware tools you can use right away. Dr. Garza's Book Link Follow Dr. Garza 🔗 Free guide — https://www.medicaltraumasupport.org/free-guides     Befriending Your Body After Medical Trauma (course) — https://your-bc-befriend.mn.co/plans/1948719

  5. Jun 19

    What Is EMDR? A Body-Based Approach to Healing Medical Trauma with Ingrid Nishimoto, LCSW

    In this episode of the Medical Trauma Support Podcast, Sarah Stasica sits down with Ingrid Nishimoto, LCSW a certified EMDR therapist who also lives with a genetic cancer condition diagnosed at 17. Together they explore what EMDR actually is, how it helps shift the felt sense of powerlessness after a frightening medical experience, and why grief, collapse, and the long “in-between” after treatment deserve so much more compassion than they usually get. Ingrid shares how she helps clients feel safe in their bodies again, reconnect with their own wisdom, and move from “I’m powerless” toward “I have agency.” A warm, nervous-system-informed conversation for anyone healing after a hard diagnosis and for the clinicians who walk alongside them. To connect with Ingrid: https://www.ingridnishimototherapy.com To find support: https://www.medicaltraumasupport.org

  6. Jun 5

    Post-ICU Syndrome: Why ICU Survivors Struggle Long After They Leave the Hospital

    Most ICU survivors are sent home and told they're lucky to be alive. But for millions of people, that's where the real struggle begins. Kali Dayton, nurse practitioner and ICU consultant, joins me to talk about Post-ICU Syndrome (PICS): the physical, cognitive, and psychological aftermath of critical illness that almost no one is warned about. We talk about why medically induced comas cause more harm than most clinicians realize, what ICU delirium actually feels like for survivors, and why the "awake and walking ICU" model is changing outcomes and saving lives. We also talk about the deep power of peer support, of having a name for what you've been through, and of knowing you are not alone in your recovery. This one is for survivors, for families, and for anyone who has ever felt like something was terribly wrong after a hospital stay that everyone else called a success. Find more about Kali's work and podcast here. If you are looking for a peer support community who gets it, join us in the Medical Trauma Support Circle.

  7. May 22

    When Doctors Don't Believe You: One Woman's Journey Through Medical Gaslighting and Finding Her Way to Healing

    You know your body. You've lived in it your whole life. So what happens when you're experiencing 23 different symptoms — some of them truly bizarre — and your doctor looks you in the eye and says, "There is nothing medically wrong with you"? In this episode, I sit down with Pam, who experienced serious, life-altering adverse effects following her COVID vaccines. What followed was a painful journey through medical gaslighting, dismissal, and the relentless search for answers — all while the political climate made it even harder to be believed. But this is also a story about what happens when you finally find the right people. A naturopathic doctor who looked Pam in the eye and said, "That is medical gaslighting, and I'm sorry." A peer support group of people who got it completely. A therapist who helped her through one of the darkest seasons of her life. Pam shares what it felt like to be dismissed, how peer support became a lifeline, what she wishes she had known earlier, and why — no matter what you're going through — firing a doctor who isn't helping you is not just okay, it's necessary. Whether you're navigating COVID vaccine injury, long COVID, a chronic illness, or any experience where you've felt unseen by the medical system, this conversation is for you. In this episode: What medical gaslighting looks and feels like from the insideThe moment a doctor finally said "I believe you" and what that did for Pam's nervous systemHow peer connection became a cornerstone of her healingThe overlap (and differences) between COVID vaccine injury and long COVIDWhy it's okay to fire your doctor and find someone newPam's contact info for anyone who wants support navigating COVID vaccine injury

  8. May 8

    You Can Be Okay: Medical Trauma, Avoidance, and the Path Forward with Dr. Jim Jackson

    Medical trauma is real. Millions of people are living with it. And most of them don't even have a name for it yet. In this episode, Sarah sits down with Dr. Jim Jackson, neuropsychologist at Vanderbilt University and author of Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma, for a deeply human conversation about what medical trauma actually looks like, why avoidance is so much more dangerous than we realize, and why you don't have to be symptom-free to live a meaningful life. Dr. Jackson has spent over 25 years working with ICU survivors, long COVID patients, and people navigating the aftermath of life-altering medical experiences. He brings both clinical expertise and his own lived experience with OCD to a conversation that is honest, warm, and genuinely hopeful. In this episode, you'll hear: Why medical trauma is "hiding in plain sight" and what it costs people to not have a name for itHow avoidance quietly shrinks your world (and what actually helps you move through it)What acceptance and commitment therapy offers people who can't imagine returning to medical careThe "beach ball in the pool" approach to distressing symptomsWhy shame keeps people stuck, and how to begin gently moving out of itJim's own story of being diagnosed with OCD and what it taught him about healing without a cureWhy post-traumatic growth isn't about gratitude, it's about finding a new opportunityResources mentioned: Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma by Dr. Jim Jackson (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold, including an audio version)ICU Recovery Center at Vanderbilt UniversityCritical Illness Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship Center at VanderbiltMedical Trauma Support Circle: https://your-bc-befriend.mn.co/landing/medicaltraumasupport.orgThe Medical Trauma Support Podcast is a human-centered, nervous-system-informed space for anyone whose relationship with their body, safety, and trust has been shaped by medical experiences. Because your experience deserves recognition.

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4.5
out of 5
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About

The Medical Trauma Support Podcast explores the human impact of medical experiences for patients, parents, and healthcare professionals. Through human-centered, nervous-system-informed conversations, the podcast examines how medical care can impact the body, trust, and sense of safety. Episodes explore medical trauma, fear, shutdown, compassion in care, provider wellbeing, and the changes needed within healthcare systems to better support everyone involved. This podcast offers education, reflection, and hope — honoring our shared humanity and the body’s responses to medical experiences.

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Stasica
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sarah Stasica
  • Show Website
    Medical Trauma Support

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