Wednesdays With Watson: Faith & Trauma Amy Watson- PTSD Patient-Trauma Survivor

Amy Watson: Trauma Survivor, Hope Carrier, Precious Daughter Of The Most High God

Welcome to "Wednesdays With Watson," a compassionate and insightful podcast dedicated to exploring the complex journey of healing from PTSD, the role of faith in recovery, and the profound impact of trauma on our lives. Hosted by Amy Watson, a passionate advocate for mental health and a trauma survivor, this podcast aims to provide a safe and empathetic space for listeners to learn, share, and find hope.In each episode, we delve deep into the multifaceted aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its far-reaching effects. We bring you riveting personal stories of resilience, recovery, and transformation and expert interviews with psychologists, therapists, faith leaders, and individuals who have walked the path of healing.Our mission is to break mental health stigma and encourage open dialogue about PTSD and trauma. We explore the profound connection between faith, spirituality, and mental well-being, offering insights into how one's faith can be a powerful source of strength and healing.Whether PTSD, faith, or trauma has touched you or someone you know, "Wednesdays With Watson" is here to inspire, educate, and provide practical tools for navigating the healing journey. Join us on this empowering quest towards reclaiming peace, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose.Today, subscribe to our community of survivors, advocates, and compassionate listeners. Together, we can heal our hearts and find the path to recovery, one episode at a time.

  1. 11/19/2025

    Understanding Borderline Personality: Trauma, Brain Science, And A Path Forward

    Send us a text What if that sudden emotional storm isn’t manipulation but a nervous system crying out for safety? We dive into borderline personality disorder with open eyes and open hands, mapping the path from trauma to dysregulation and from stigma to skills. Drawing on clinical experience and brain science, we explain why BPD often feels like living with emotional third-degree burns: an amygdala that fires at shadows, a prefrontal cortex that goes offline when stress peaks, and an insula that amplifies empathy and pain. It’s a tough mix—high emotion, high sensitivity, low regulation—but it’s not a life sentence. We get practical about what actually helps. Hear how dialectical behavior therapy teaches distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness in a way that builds the “wise mind,” the space where logic meets compassion. We talk about EMDR for trauma memory processing, attachment-based therapy for early wounds, and where medication fits for co-occurring anxiety or depression. We also get real about the work: progress is possible and common with consistent treatment, yet it takes time, repetition, and support. Along the way, we highlight the overlooked strengths many with BPD carry—fierce loyalty, deep intuition, and profound empathy—and how those traits become assets when paired with regulation skills. If you love someone with BPD, your role matters. Consistency counters abandonment fear, kind boundaries protect both sides, and small wins deserve big celebrations. We share clear, usable strategies so relationships feel less like a battlefield and more like a safe place to grow. For those living with BPD, you are more than a diagnosis, and your brain can learn new patterns. Hope isn’t abstract; it looks like sessions, skills, steady people, and a growing sense of self that isn’t defined by the past. Press play, bring your questions, and stay for the tools. If the conversation helps, share it with a friend, subscribe for more trauma-informed episodes, and leave a review to help others find their way to hope. You ARE: SEEN KNOWN HEARD LOVED VALUED

    26 min
  2. 07/23/2025

    What Happens After Survival? Exploring Post-Traumatic Growth

    Send us a text The journey through trauma is not simply about survival – it can become a pathway to profound personal transformation. In this deeply moving episode, Amy Watson reveals her own path from childhood abuse and a suicide attempt to becoming a trauma therapist and doctoral candidate, introducing listeners to the scientifically validated concept of post-traumatic growth. While trauma itself is never a gift, the struggle with trauma can catalyze remarkable changes in those who face it directly rather than avoid it. This isn't wishful thinking or toxic positivity – it's a psychological phenomenon documented in hundreds of research studies. Amy walks us through the five domains where this growth commonly emerges: discovering unexpected personal strength, deepening meaningful relationships, finding new life possibilities, gaining profound appreciation for everyday joys, and developing deeper spiritual understanding. What makes this conversation particularly powerful is Amy's transparency about her own experience – how the trauma that nearly destroyed her became the foundation for her life's purpose and deepest connections. She shares the pivotal moment when a friend told her she was "worth fighting for," highlighting how safe relationships become crucial anchors in the healing journey. Particularly striking is her honesty that post-traumatic growth can coexist with ongoing symptoms; healing isn't linear, and growth doesn't erase pain. For anyone weathering the aftermath of trauma, this episode offers genuine hope without minimizing suffering. Amy provides practical insights for nurturing growth through storytelling, social support, reflective thinking, and faith, while cautioning against rushing the process or using the concept to dismiss others' pain. Her message resonates with compassionate authority: you are not broken, healing is possible, and there is something meaningful waiting on the other side of survival. If you're struggling to believe transformation is possible after trauma, this conversation might just change your perspective. You ARE: SEEN KNOWN HEARD LOVED VALUED

    31 min
  3. 07/02/2025

    When the World Feels Unsafe: How to Protect Your Peace While Living with PTSD

    Send us a text The world often feels fundamentally unsafe for those of us living with PTSD, even before we turn on the news. When global events like military conflicts, mass shootings, and political turmoil dominate headlines, our already sensitive nervous systems go into overdrive, confirming what trauma has already taught us – that danger lurks everywhere. Yet finding peace isn't about pretending the world is safe when it isn't. Rather, it's about creating micro-sanctuaries where your nervous system can reset amid chaos. This episode offers practical tools for navigating global uncertainty while protecting your mental health. We explore vagus nerve regulation techniques like the 4-4-4 breathing method (four seconds inhale, four seconds hold, four seconds exhale) and gentle self-massage along the vagal pathway. The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise engages your senses and activates the logical part of your brain, pulling you away from emotional flooding during anxiety spikes. Connection proves essential despite our tendency to isolate when triggered. Having trusted people who understand your specific needs without judgment provides crucial safety. Rather than consuming news directly, consider having these trusted individuals filter important information for you. Alternatives like faith-based news summaries can provide necessary awareness without the cortisol-inducing presentation of mainstream media. Remember, we weren't designed to bear the emotional weight of global suffering – only to care well for our immediate circles of influence. Throughout your healing journey, hold tight to this truth: you aren't broken – you're healing. You aren't weak – you're surviving. The path to peace comes through small, intentional choices: one boundary, one breath, one moment of presence at a time. As Psalm 91 reminds us, even when thousands fall around us, we can find refuge. You are seen, known, heard, loved, and deeply valued, both by the God of the universe and by those who understand the unique challenges of living with trauma in an uncertain world. You ARE: SEEN KNOWN HEARD LOVED VALUED

    28 min

Trailers

4.9
out of 5
70 Ratings

About

Welcome to "Wednesdays With Watson," a compassionate and insightful podcast dedicated to exploring the complex journey of healing from PTSD, the role of faith in recovery, and the profound impact of trauma on our lives. Hosted by Amy Watson, a passionate advocate for mental health and a trauma survivor, this podcast aims to provide a safe and empathetic space for listeners to learn, share, and find hope.In each episode, we delve deep into the multifaceted aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its far-reaching effects. We bring you riveting personal stories of resilience, recovery, and transformation and expert interviews with psychologists, therapists, faith leaders, and individuals who have walked the path of healing.Our mission is to break mental health stigma and encourage open dialogue about PTSD and trauma. We explore the profound connection between faith, spirituality, and mental well-being, offering insights into how one's faith can be a powerful source of strength and healing.Whether PTSD, faith, or trauma has touched you or someone you know, "Wednesdays With Watson" is here to inspire, educate, and provide practical tools for navigating the healing journey. Join us on this empowering quest towards reclaiming peace, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose.Today, subscribe to our community of survivors, advocates, and compassionate listeners. Together, we can heal our hearts and find the path to recovery, one episode at a time.

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