Medical Trauma Support

Sarah Stasica
  • 4.4 (7)
  • 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. 3D AGO

    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

    41 min

  2. 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.

    59 min

  3. APR 24

    From Misdiagnosed and Dismissed to Reclaiming Her Voice: Deborah Weed's Medical Trauma Story

    Have you ever been dismissed by a doctor, told your pain wasn't real, or watched the people you love begin to doubt you? You are not alone — and this episode is for you. Sarah sits down with Deborah Weed, founder of the Self Worth Initiative, author, artist, and creator of the upcoming musical Paisley: The Fashion Forest — a story born directly out of her own experience with medical trauma. Deborah spent three excruciating years bedridden, told by doctors she might have MS or ALS, and ultimately dismissed as making it all up. All while a grapefruit-sized tumor hidden behind her uterus was slowly hemorrhaging her body to near death. What Deborah discovered on that journey, about self-worth, the difference between self-esteem and self-worth, and the healing power of creativity, is something every survivor of medical trauma needs to hear. In this episode, you will hear: What it felt like to be disbelieved by doctors and by the people closest to herThe difference between self-esteem and self-worth, and why losing one does not mean losing the otherHow gadolinium poisoning and a mismanaged black-box antibiotic added to her medical traumaWhy she believes creativity is what saved her life — not once, but three timesThe Broadway-bound musical she is building as a movement for women who have lost their voiceSarah's vision for a peer support certification program so no one ever faces a medical procedure aloneWhether you are healing from a misdiagnosis, navigating a mystery illness, supporting a loved one, or working in healthcare, this conversation will remind you: your quills grow back. So does your power. Connect with Deborah: paisleysfashionforest.com Keywords: medical trauma, misdiagnosis, dismissed by doctors, chronic illness support, medical PTSD, self-worth, mystery illness, long COVID, rare disease, reclaiming your voice, women's health, gadolinium poisoning, peer support

    33 min

  4. APR 10

    When the System That's Supposed to Help You Causes Harm: Medical Trauma, Endometriosis, and Healing

    If you've ever left a doctor's appointment feeling worse than when you walked in — not from the news you received, but from how you were treated — this episode is for you. I sat down with Casey Berna, licensed clinical social worker, endometriosis advocate, and author of Endometriosis: From Harm to Hope, A Chronic Illness Guide, for a deeply honest conversation about medical trauma, the nervous system, and what it really means to heal. We talk about: the 7–10 year diagnostic delay so many endometriosis patients face, why gaslighting in medical settings is a form of emotional abuse, how your nervous system responds to repeated harm (and why that's not your fault), a simple nervous system regulation tool called finger breathing, the layered grief of living with chronic illness, what truly trauma-informed care looks like — from providers AND from the people in your life, and Casey's powerful message about learning to believe yourself again. Whether you're living with endometriosis, another chronic illness, or have experienced medical trauma of any kind, this conversation will remind you: your experience deserves recognition. Resources mentioned: CaseyBerna.com | @EndoSocialWorker | Endometriosis: From Harm to Hope (available at bookshop.org) | Below the Belt documentary at https://www.projectendo.org/

    55 min

  5. MAR 27

    “I’m Proud of You for Coming In Today”: How Compassion Changes Healthcare

    In this episode, I talk with family nurse practitioner Alec Bradbury about compassionate care, chronic pain, street medicine, and what it really means to make patients feel heard. We talk about the power of simple human connection in healthcare — eye contact, listening, validation, and even saying something as simple as, “I’m proud of you for coming in today.” If you have experienced medical trauma, dismissal, or feeling unheard in healthcare, this conversation is for you. There are compassionate providers out there, and conversations like this are part of how healthcare is changing. We discuss: Medical trauma and trustChronic pain and the nervous systemThe pain–fear cycleStreet medicine and meeting patients where they areBurnout, empathy, and clinician wellbeingHow healing happens in relationshipThis conversation is compassionate, validating, and full of hope. To connect with Alec you can find him at the following link: https://linktr.ee/alecbradburyfnp?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=a5ce4795-a0a9-4860-a549-0757fee615f5 #MedicalTrauma#ChronicPain#TraumaInformedCare#PatientAdvocacy#NervousSystem

    56 min

  6. MAR 13

    From Clinician to Patient: A Nurse Practitioner’s Journey Through Medical Trauma

    Disclaimer - This episode shares one individual’s personal medical experience. It is not intended as medical advice. The goal of this conversation is to explore the human experience of illness and the importance of compassionate care within healthcare systems. In this episode of the Medical Trauma Support Podcast, Sarah speaks with family nurse practitioner Shaun Barcavage about what happens when a healthcare provider suddenly becomes the patient. After receiving a COVID vaccine during the early rollout of the pandemic, Shaun began experiencing a cascade of complex neurological and cardiovascular symptoms. What followed was not only a medical mystery—but also a deeply challenging journey through the healthcare system. Shaun shares his experience of navigating chronic illness, searching for answers, and encountering one of the most common contributors to medical trauma: not being believed. Together, Sarah and Shaun explore: What it feels like when a clinician suddenly becomes the patient The layers of trauma that can occur in medical settings How dismissal and gaslighting can compound medical suffering The importance of listening to patients, even when answers are unclear Finding purpose, meaning, and moments of joy during long-term illness This conversation is not about politics—it is about the human experience inside healthcare and the importance of compassion, curiosity, and support when patients are navigating complex and unexplained symptoms. If you have ever felt dismissed, unheard, or alone in a medical experience, this episode is for you.

    1h 9m

  7. FEB 27

    Grief, Legacy & Gratitude: Healing Conversations After Medical Trauma with Ellie Vincent

    In this episode of the Medical Trauma Support Podcast, I’m joined by licensed clinical social worker Ellie Vincent, founder of Manna Moments conversation cards. Ellie shares how working with patients and families facing end-of-life moments inspired her to create prompts that help people talk about grief, legacy, values, and gratitude — before it’s too late. Together, we walk through three powerful prompts from her decks and reflect on:• Disenfranchised loss and unrecognized grief• Living in alignment with your values• Practicing gratitude toward your body• Supporting yourself as a clinician in the medical system• How intentional conversations can regulate the nervous system Whether you are healing from medical trauma, supporting a loved one, or working in healthcare, this episode offers gentle reflection and meaningful tools for connection. You can learn more about Ellie and her cards at:Instagram: @by.mannamomentsWebsite: https://www.manna-moments.com/ Pause the episode, journal, and let yourself reflect alongside us. Because your experience deserves recognition.

    32 min

  8. FEB 13

    “You Are Not Broken.” Healing After Medical Trauma with Kim Black

    In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Sarah Stasica sits down with Kim Black, founder of Scarred and Fabulous, to talk honestly about healing after medical trauma and surgery. Kim shares her story of childhood surgery, nervous system survival responses, and the long journey of learning how to feel safe in her body again. Together, Sarah and Kim explore why medical experiences can feel traumatic — even when procedures “go well” — and how powerlessness, avoidance, shame, and control patterns can show up long after hospital stays are over. This episode offers gentle, practical tools for:✨ Preparing emotionally for medical appointments✨ Understanding fight, flight, and shutdown responses✨ Rebuilding trust with your body after trauma✨ Releasing stored stress and fear✨ Practicing self-compassion on the healing journey If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your body, anxious about doctors, overwhelmed after surgery, or wondered, “Why am I still struggling?” — this conversation is for you. You are not broken. Your nervous system adapted to protect you. And healing is possible. More about Kim: Kim Black is a Post Surgery Confidence Coach and author who helps women heal from the PTSD no one warned them about after surgery. After 30 years of misdiagnosed 'anxiety,' 'IBS,' and 'anger issues,' Kim discovered she had Medical PTSD from childhood surgeries—a condition affecting up to 20% of patients that doctors rarely mention. Now she teaches women the research-backed tools she wishes she'd had, combining neuroscience with raw honesty (zero toxic positivity). Founder of Scarred & Fabulous and previously featured on BBC Radio 5 Live. Kim's Book Launch Group Join the Befriend Your Body Community

    54 min
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Trailers

4.4
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
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sarah Stasica
  • Show Website
    Medical Trauma Support

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