Can you look back over your life and see where you became the strong one, the helper, the fixer, the one everyone depended on?

Do you love helping people, but realize the work you do is leaving you exhausted, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself, friends, or family?

Do you know all the things you should do, but find yourself stuck when it comes to doing them?

If those questions stirred something up in you, the story of your exhaustion may have begun long before you put on a uniform, earned a degree, or accepted the responsibility of caring for others. For many of us, becoming the helper didn't begin as a career choice; it began much earlier. It may have begun in childhood. Many of us learned very early that being helpful, being strong, or being needed somehow felt safer and sometimes even felt like the way to earn acceptance and love.

So of course you became a fixer. Someone who helps people when they need support physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. Maybe you became a therapist, a first responder, a frontline crisis worker, a nurse, an ER doctor, a school counsellor, a social worker, or a pastor. You knew you wanted to help people who were in pain, so you packed up your own pain and carried it into your new career. And now those boxes are piling up!

Now the work you once loved is starting to feel heavy. Maybe you find yourself thinking, “I love my job, but I don’t know how much longer I can do this.”

You are tired! And not just tired. You are “if I slept for a week, I’d still be tired” kind of tired.

Even simple things are feeling hard.

You can’t even make yourself do the things you used to enjoy. And now the people closest to you are feeling it too. They see a difference in you.

And maybe you have already hit rock bottom and left your career, but you still haven’t found the peace you were looking for.

Maybe you pray, but you’re not hearing any answers. You may even call out to God in desperation, but His voice feels distant.

Friend, if any of that sounds familiar, I am so glad you are here.

Welcome to Creative Trauma Healing.

I’m Shelley Mountain-Collette, a Christian trauma therapist, strategic intervention coach, educator, wife, girl mom, lifelong learner, and fellow traveler on this healing journey. My passion for trauma healing is not just professional. It is deeply personal.

I entered this world a few years after both of my parents experienced traumatic losses as teenagers. My parents are awesome people who taught me grit and how to push through pain, but we didn’t really know how to heal from the fear of loss.

I know what it is like to live with fear in your body, to long for peace, and to love God while still feeling overwhelmed and far from Him, and even far from myself. I also know what it is like to pack up your boxes of pain and move on from a career you love because you can no longer hold the heaviness.

I have lived through burnout, compassion fatigue, and trauma. That is why I created this podcast: to help professionals, trauma survivors, wounded healers, hurting helpers, and anyone tired of merely surviving and ready to begin healing.

My heart is to help you find yourself again, to remember what joy feels like, to dream dreams again, and to find peace in your mind, your body, your soul, and your spirit.

Here, I will share creative ways to heal without having to relive every painful moment from the past. Healing can be gentle, and even enjoyable at times. We may feel all the feels, but we will do it together. With God’s guidance, we will take this journey one step at a time.

Each week, we will explore creative, holistic, evidence-based, and faith-based ways to support healing. We will look at how God beautifully designed us with the capacity to heal.

This is a space to breathe, reflect, reconnect with God, and begin healing in a way that honors your whole self.

So grab a notebook and your favorite caffeinated beverage, and let’s get creative about healing.

This podcast is for education, encouragement, faith building, and personal growth. It is not a substitute for therapy or medical care. Please reach out to a doctor, therapist, or qualified professional in your area if you need support.