Overcoming PTSD with Brad Schipke

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
How To Use Humor To Survive PTSD’s Darkest DaysFinding Laughter Again After Trauma: How Fun Speeds Up PTSD RecoveryWhy It’s Okay To Laugh While Healing From PTSDFrom Triggers To Giggles: Using Humor As A PTSD Coping ToolHow To Stop Taking Trauma So Seriously (Without Minimizing Your Pain)Dark Humor, Deep Healing: Rewriting Your Trauma Story With LaughterPTSD, Pattern Interrupts, And The Secret Power Of Silly MomentsHow To Have Fun Again When PTSD Has Stolen Your JoyTrauma Recovery Can Be Fun: Relearning How To Smile, Laugh, And PlayWhy Letting Yourself Laugh Is A Critical Step In Trauma Healing
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
 
In this episode, Brad and Kayleen open up a side of trauma recovery most people never talk about: having fun while you heal. They explore how laughter, silliness, and even dark humor can live alongside very real pain, and why giving yourself permission to smile again is a powerful act of recovery.
You’ll hear real stories from their own journey—fights, triggers, and “too soon” jokes—that show how humor can break tension, interrupt old patterns, and help you step out of heavy emotional states faster. Instead of pretending trauma is “not a big deal,” they show you how to respect the seriousness of PTSD while still bringing light into dark seasons.
Most importantly, this episode invites you to actively look for moments of joy: funny videos, kids laughing, inside jokes, and even laughing at your own quirks and past reactions. You’ll walk away with practical ways to build humor into your day, without guilt or self-judgment, so recovery feels more human, more hopeful, and a lot more fun.
 
💡 What You’ll Learn
Why humor and play are not disrespectful to your trauma but essential for your nervous system
How laughter can act as a pattern interrupt when you feel triggered or overwhelmed
Simple ways to “allow” yourself to laugh again even if you haven’t in years
How to use dark humor safely without dismissing your pain or anyone else’s
Ways to bring more fun and silliness into your relationships during PTSD recovery
How laughing at your own quirks and past reactions can actually build confidence
Ideas for creating your own funny moments instead of waiting for them to appear
Why watching others laugh can be healing when it feels hard to access joy yourself
How to use humor as a tool alongside processing, routines, and other recovery strategies
🧠 Key Takeaway
You can fully honor the seriousness of PTSD and still choose to laugh—humor doesn’t erase your pain, it gives you more strength and flexibility to move through it.
 
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.
 
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:47 The Importance of Humor in Recovery
01:17 Using Humor to Cope with Dark Times
02:44 Personal Stories and Examples of Humor
05:56 Encouraging Self-Laughter and Levity
08:48 Practical Tips for Finding Humor
15:45 Sharing What Makes You Laugh
17:04 Understanding the Concept of Roasting
17:37 Family Dynamics and Healing Through Laughter
18:26 Embracing Self-Deprecation for Confidence
20:52 The Power of Humor in Dark Times
21:45 Creating and Enjoying Funny Moments
24:09 Finding Humor in Everyday Life
29:14 The Healing Power of Humor in Adversity
31:25 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
 
Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • trauma healing • how to have fun with PTSD • dark humor and trauma • laughter and nervous system regulation • emotional regulation tools • trauma coping tools • PTSD triggers and pattern interrupts • mindset shifts for trauma survivors • rebuilding joy after trauma • trauma and relationships • finding humor in hard times • overcoming PTSD podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching • Brad Schipke trauma coaching

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
How To Set Boundaries With Yourself In PTSD RecoveryWhy Self-Respect Is The Missing Link In Trauma HealingStop Breaking Promises To Yourself: PTSD Recovery And Self-BoundariesAddiction, Triggers, And Self-Control: Building Inner Boundaries With TraumaHow To Stay Sober And Steady When PTSD Tries To Pull You BackFrom People-Pleasing To Self-Respect: Rewiring Trauma BoundariesHow “Selfishness” Can Actually Heal Your PTSD And RelationshipsThe Truth About Boundaries: Why Trauma Survivors Must Start With ThemselvesWhen No One Is Watching: Keeping Your PTSD Recovery Promises To YourselfOne Day At A Time: Using Self-Talk And Boundaries To Break Trauma Habits
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
 
In this episode, Brad and Kayleen dive deep into one of the most overlooked foundations of PTSD and trauma recovery: setting boundaries with yourself. Instead of starting with other people’s behavior, they walk through why your healing has to begin with how you treat, speak to, and show up for yourself every single day.
You’ll hear how self-boundaries apply to addictions, relationships, routines, and even the way you think. Kayleen shares powerful personal examples—from family dynamics to sobriety and TV use—that show how everything changes when you decide, “This is the line I do not cross with myself,” even when no one else is watching.
They also explore why self-respect can’t depend on external approval, how to stay solid in your values during your most triggered moments, and why “being selfish” in a healthy way is actually one of the most loving things you can do for the people around you. This conversation is both challenging and deeply encouraging if you’re ready to step into a stronger, calmer version of yourself in recovery.
 
💡 What You’ll Learn
Why boundaries must begin with you before they can work in any relationship
How a lack of self-respect quietly sabotages your PTSD and trauma boundaries
The difference between using boundaries to feel better vs using them to stay healthy
How to build internal and external “rules and guidelines” that support your healing
Practical examples of self-boundaries around addictions, TV, spending, and conflict
How to handle triggering environments without relying only on external controls
A simple mirror self-talk practice to get through urges and rock-bottom moments
Why “being selfish” in a healthy way actually makes you more loving and present
How one strong boundary win can permanently change your confidence in recovery
 
🧠 Key Takeaway
When you learn to respect and protect yourself with firm inner boundaries, you stop waiting for others to change and finally become the steady, safe person you’ve always needed.
 
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.
 
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:52 Setting Boundaries with Yourself
03:06 The Importance of Self-Respect
05:47 Practical Examples of Self-Boundaries
12:19 Internal and External Rules and Guidelines
17:02 Self-Boundaries in Addiction and Behavior
23:53 Respecting Yourself in Difficult Times
24:27 The Power of Self-Talk
25:07 Upholding Self-Boundaries
26:17 Commitment and Focus
29:25 The Role of Self-Talk in Recovery
37:51 The Importance of Selfishness
45:40 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
 
Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • trauma healing • setting boundaries with yourself • self-respect and PTSD • trauma coping tools • addiction and trauma recovery • nervous system regulation • emotional regulation skills • stopping self-sabotage • sober living with PTSD • mindset for trauma recovery • healing childhood trauma patterns • people-pleasing and boundaries • self-talk for PTSD healing • trauma-informed relationships • recovery routines and habits • overcoming urges and triggers • empowering trauma survivors

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
Living with PTSD in a Negative World: How to Protect Your Mind from Constant Bad NewsEscaping the Negativity Trap: PTSD, News Overload, and Taking Your Power BackStop Feeding the Trauma: Breaking Up with Toxic Media While Healing PTSDPTSD Recovery in a Negative World: Reclaim Your Focus, Energy, and HopeFrom Numbing to Healing: How Trauma Survivors Can Turn Off the Noise and Tune InwardRewiring a Trauma Brain: Ending Negative Self-Talk in a World Obsessed with FearGuarding Your Nervous System: Simple Boundaries for PTSD in a Chaotic CultureGratitude vs. Doomscrolling: Everyday Habits That Support PTSD RecoveryHow to Stay Informed Without Staying Triggered: Trauma-Safe Media BoundariesYou First, Then the World: Why Prioritizing PTSD Healing Isn’t Selfish
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
 
In this episode, Brad breaks down what it really means to live with PTSD in a world that seems obsessed with negativity—news, politics, social media, and even the conversations around you. He explains why a trauma brain automatically locks onto what’s wrong and how that survival mechanism, while normal, can quietly keep you stuck, overwhelmed, and burned out.
You’ll learn the difference between external inputs (news, social media, people, environments) and internal inputs (thoughts, beliefs, self-talk) and why both matter for your healing. Brad walks you through how to start eliminating unnecessary negativity from your life without feeling irresponsible, selfish, or checked out from what’s happening in the world.
From there, he shows you how to reclaim your focus and energy by intentionally adding positive inputs—gratitude, meaningful routines, healing work, and small daily moments of good. Instead of running and numbing with TV, scrolling, or over-involving yourself in chaos, you’ll see how to use that time and energy to become whole.
This episode is a practical invitation to shift from “I have to stay involved in everything” to “I’m allowed to put my healing first.” When you’re whole, you can engage with the world, causes, and people you care about from a grounded, powerful place—without retraumatizing yourself in the process.
 
💡 What You’ll Learn
Why your brain automatically scans for negativity when you have PTSD
The two biggest sources of negativity for trauma survivors and how to reduce them
How news, media, and social media quietly keep your nervous system stuck in threat mode
The difference between external inputs and internal inputs on your PTSD recovery
How to handle common objections like “I have to stay informed” without abandoning your healing
Simple ways to protect your energy by setting boundaries around conversations, people, and topics
How running and numbing (TV, scrolling, alcohol, etc.) keeps you on a treadmill instead of moving forward
Practical tools to redirect negative self-talk and build new positive neural pathways
How to use radical gratitude and focusing on “little moments” to rebalance a negativity-biased brain
 
🧠 Key Takeaway
You are not irresponsible or selfish for limiting negativity—protecting your mind and healing your PTSD is the most powerful way to eventually serve others at a higher level.
 
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.
 
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:36 Starting the Session: Processing Bootcamp Recap
01:52 Living with PTSD in a Negative World
03:25 Identifying Sources of Negativity
06:44 Eliminating Negative External Inputs
17:01 Addressing Internal Negativity
20:24 Adding Positivity to Your Life
23:18 The Power of Positive Choices
23:47 Success in Actions and Inactions
24:39 Adding Positivity and Gratitude
25:16 Finding Joy in Everyday Moments
29:57 Living with PTSD in a Negative World
31:10 The Importance of Self Boundaries
32:27 Radical Gratitude and Positivity
36:45 Handling Judgment and Protectors
42:29 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
 
Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • living with PTSD in a negative world • trauma healing • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • negative self-talk and PTSD • media boundaries for trauma survivors • social media and trauma triggers • news overload and anxiety • trauma coping tools • PTSD recovery toolbox • gratitude practice for PTSD • positive mindset for trauma survivors • running and numbing behaviors • self boundaries and PTSD healing • recovery routines and habits • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
 

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
Changing Protector Roles: A Powerful PTSD Processing Tool Most Survivors MissHow To Heal Inner Protectors And Transform Trauma Reactions For GoodFrom Triggers To Freedom: Advanced Protector Work For PTSD RecoveryReleasing Burdens: A Deep Inner Process To Heal Trauma At The RootWhen Parts Protect And Attack: Healing Inner Conflict In PTSDHow To Talk To Your Parts: Simple Protector Conversations For Trauma HealingStopping Self-Sabotage: Turning Harsh Inner Critics Into PTSD AlliesUsing Triggers As Teachers: A Practical Trauma Processing FrameworkFrom Overwhelm To Inner Peace: Emotional Release Techniques For PTSDBuilding A Daily Healing Routine With Protector Work For Trauma Recovery
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
 
In this session of the Processing Bootcamp, Brad dives into a more advanced level of protector work so you can go deeper with your PTSD and trauma healing. Instead of staying stuck in confusing reactions and triggers, you’ll learn how to see protectors as parts of you with positive intentions that just need new roles, support, and direction.
Brad walks you through how to identify what a protector is thinking, feeling, believing, and doing — and then safely guide it through emotional release. You’ll hear how to work on two “planes”: visualizing a protector expressing its feelings, and then allowing those emotions to move through your body while you stay grounded and in control.
From there, you’ll discover the concept of “burdens” — the heavy emotional loads your protectors carry — and how to creatively release and destroy them in a way that brings real relief. Brad also shows you how to assign protectors new, healthier roles and rehearse them in future scenarios so your reactions actually change in real life.
Throughout the episode, you’re reminded that this is black-diamond-level work built on simple foundations: honesty, self-love, patience, and consistent practice. Whether you’re just starting with basic protector conversations or ready for deeper processing, this session gives you a clear, practical roadmap to keep building your skills and momentum.
 
💡 What You’ll Learn
How to recognize when a protector is active during PTSD or trauma triggers
Why honesty with yourself and your protectors is essential for real healing
How to identify a protector’s thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and actions
Two levels of emotional release: visualizing your protector and feeling emotions in your body
How to stay detached and in control while allowing big feelings to move through
What “burdens” are and how to creatively destroy them so they can’t come back
How to change a protector’s role after releasing its emotional charge
Why practicing new roles in imagined future situations rewires your responses
How to build protector work into a simple, repeatable daily healing routine
 
🧠 Key Takeaway
Every trigger is a protector raising a hand and saying, “Please help me” — when you listen, validate, and give it a new role, your PTSD reactions can finally change.
 
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.
 
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching00:36 Welcome to the Final Session01:05 Deep Dive into Protector Techniques02:55 The Importance of Honesty and Self-Love04:39 Encouragement and Accountability06:37 Understanding Protector Roles09:44 Releasing Emotions and Changing Beliefs22:05 Visualizing and Destroying Burdens28:16 Assigning New Roles to Protectors33:20 Practicing New Protector Roles37:07 Understanding the Basics of Protector Conversations37:39 Developing Skills and Moving Forward38:48 Navigating Different Levels of Protector Work41:08 Using Triggers as Opportunities for Healing42:56 Mapping and Understanding Protector Interactions47:41 Creative Approaches to Protector Work55:30 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
 
Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • trauma healing • protector parts work • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • releasing stored trauma • trauma coping tools • processing triggers • inner critic healing • parts work for PTSD • mapping protectors • emotional release techniques • changing trauma patterns • self-compassion in healing • daily healing routine for trauma

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
Mapping Your Protectors: A Practical PTSD Tool for Inner HarmonyHow to Talk to Your Protectors and Stop PTSD From Running Your LifeFrom Jumbled Emotions to Clarity: Mapping Trauma Protectors Step by StepWhy Guilt, Shame, Fear, and Anger Are Protectors in PTSD (and How to Heal Them)PTSD Recovery: How to Map Your Emotional Protectors Without Getting OverwhelmedOvercoming Trauma by Healing Your “Gatekeeper” Protector FirstFrom Chaos to Connection: Turning Competing PTSD Parts Into an Inner TeamHow to Stop Being Afraid of Your Trauma Healing and Start Feeling Safe InsideTrauma Recovery Tools: Calling a “Protector Meeting” to Heal Triggers FasterBuilding Inner Harmony After Trauma: A Simple Map for Complex PTSD Emotions
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
 
In this episode, Brad takes you deeper into protector work by showing you how to move from working with a single protector to mapping the whole “inner team” behind your PTSD triggers. Instead of feeling like a jumbled mess of emotions, you’ll learn how to see fear, anger, guilt, shame, worthlessness, and confusion as separate protectors with their own jobs, needs, and relationships.
Brad walks you through a simple, paper-and-pen process for mapping protectors around one big problem in your life, understanding how they interact, and spotting “dependencies” where one protector can’t fully heal until another one does. He also explains how to gently work with the “gatekeeper” protector that often blocks you from accessing deeper emotions because it’s afraid of what might come up.
You’ll hear practical examples of how to build trust with scared protectors, how to host a “meeting” of your parts, and how healed protectors can actually join your team and help you heal new ones. Throughout, Brad grounds the work in love, patience, honesty, and curiosity—so you can move forward without forcing yourself, without getting lost in complexity, and without being afraid you’re opening a can of worms you can’t handle.
 
💡 What You’ll Learn
How to map all of your protectors around one major PTSD or trauma trigger
How to turn a jumbled mess of emotions into clear, separate protector parts
How guilt, shame, fear, anger, confusion, and worthlessness can each be their own protector
How to identify and work with the “gatekeeper” protector that blocks access to deeper feelings
How to recognize and heal the relationships and dependencies between different protectors
How to call a “meeting” of your protectors and talk to them together when needed
Why love, patience, honesty, and curiosity are the foundation of safe trauma healing
How to face the fear of “opening a can of worms” in PTSD recovery without getting overwhelmed
How healed protectors can join your inner team and support future healing work
 
🧠 Key Takeaway
When you patiently map, listen to, and love every protector part of you—even the ones that scare you—PTSD stops feeling like chaos and starts becoming a system you can gently heal.
 
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.
 
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching01:07 Understanding Protectors and Their Roles03:14 Advanced Techniques for Healing Protectors04:56 Mapping Out and Visualizing Protectors08:50 Building Relationships Between Protectors13:51 Practical Steps for Healing and Integration16:22 Navigating Complex Protector Dynamics21:53 Foundational Principles and Final Thoughts23:26 Implementing and Mapping Protectors23:38 Preparing for the Next Level23:56 Expanding Your Mind and Options24:18 Building Relationships with Protectors26:12 Introducing the Gatekeeper Protector27:55 Patience and Love in Healing28:09 A Story of Patience and Trust32:09 The Importance of Honesty33:53 Q&A: Names and Questions for Protectors34:48 Overcoming Fear in Healing40:08 Final Words and Encouragement42:59 Conclusion and Coaching Information
 
Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • trauma healing • mapping protectors • trauma protectors • parts work for PTSD • internal family systems style tools • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • trauma coping tools • healing guilt shame fear anger • gatekeeper protector • inner harmony after trauma • self-love and trauma recovery • overcoming emotional triggers • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching • Overcoming PTSD Podcast

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
Healing Your Inner Protectors: A Gentle PTSD Recovery ProcessHow to Talk to Your Protectors and Calm PTSD TriggersStop the Inner War: Trauma Protectors, Parts Work, and PeaceFrom Panic to Peace: A Step-by-Step PTSD Protector Healing ScriptRewiring Trauma Responses: Separating From Protectors Without Getting OverwhelmedTurn Your Anxiety Into an Ally: Healing Protective Parts After PTSDA Simple Daily Practice to Heal Trauma Protectors and Regulate Your Nervous SystemWhy Healing Isn’t as Scary as It Feels: A Non-Invasive PTSD ToolCreate Inner Safety: How to Build Trust With Your Trauma ProtectorsDo-It-Yourself Parts Work: Daily Protector Sessions for PTSD Recovery
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
 
In this episode, Brad walks you through a simple, non-invasive way to start healing your “protectors” — those parts of you that jump in to prevent more pain but often create chaos, anxiety, or shame. Building on the earlier theory of protectors, he and Kaylene turn it into a clear, step-by-step process you can actually use on your own.
You’ll learn how protectors form after trauma, why they get “activated” during triggers, and how to see them not as enemies but as well-intentioned parts that have been trying to keep you safe. Instead of being taken over by extreme reactions, you’ll discover how to gently separate from these parts, talk with them, and understand what they need.
Brad also shares how to use a simple four-question script to have real conversations with your protectors, reach emotional resolution, and close each session with safety and love. By repeating this process, you can reduce chronic tension, calm triggers, and move closer to living as your true self — peaceful, present, and in control.
This is a highly practical episode designed to help you start doing your own “therapy sessions” at home. With patience, self-love, and honesty, you’ll see that healing doesn’t have to be perfect or overwhelming — it just has to be consistent.
 
💡 What You’ll Learn
How trauma protectors are formed and why they “take the wheel” during PTSD triggers
A four-step process to safely connect with, separate from, and talk to your protectors
How to use body scans and tension as a guide to identify active protectors
The exact four questions to ask your protectors to understand and heal them
How to close a protector session so parts feel seen, loved, and safe to rest
Why patience, self-love, and honesty are the foundations of this trauma tool
How to tell the difference between your true self and an activated protector
Ways to turn painful triggers into opportunities for deep trauma healing
How daily protector sessions can complement or even outperform weekly therapy alone
🧠 Key Takeaway
Every protector, no matter how painful its impact, is trying to help you — when you meet it with love, patience, and honesty, it can finally relax and let your true self lead.
 
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.
 
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching00:45 Understanding Protectors and Their Role01:36 Foundations of Protector Work03:40 Healing Protectors: Step-by-Step Process14:32 Practical Example of Protector Healing17:37 Four Basic Steps to Healing Protectors27:37 Detailed Guide to Protector Conversations41:13 Final Tips and Encouragement44:59 Overcoming Perfectionism in Healing45:15 Understanding and Engaging with Your Emotions45:51 The Power of Simple Conversations46:35 Advanced Healing Techniques47:00 Real-Life Examples and Encouragement48:15 The Importance of Consistency and Patience53:20 Visualization and Meditation in Healing01:00:15 Building a Relationship with Your Protectors01:02:50 The Healing Journey: Challenges and Successes01:18:03 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
 
Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • trauma healing • protector parts work • internal family systems style tools • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • PTSD triggers • trauma coping tools • inner child healing • self-love and compassion after trauma • processing emotions safely • overcoming anxiety and hypervigilance • DIY trauma processing • non-invasive trauma healing tools

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
Intro to Protectors: The Missing Step in PTSD HealingWhy You Keep Getting Triggered: Understanding Your PTSD ProtectorsFrom Triggers to True Self: A New Way to Heal PTSDHow “Protectors” Keep Trauma Survivors Stuck (And How to Heal Them)PTSD Processing Bootcamp: Meet the Parts of You That Are Trying to HelpWhen Your Inner Protector Takes the Wheel: Trauma, Triggers, and HealingTurning Trauma Walls into Inner Strength: The Protectors FrameworkIs It Really You… or a Protector? How PTSD Hijacks Your ReactionsFrom Self-Sabotage to Self-Love: Rewiring Your Trauma ProtectorsHow to Stop Overreacting After Trauma: The Truth About Protectors and Parts
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
In this Processing Bootcamp episode, Brad introduces “protectors” — a simple but powerful way to understand why you get triggered, shut down, or overreact after trauma. Instead of seeing these reactions as random or broken, Brad shows how they’re actually protective parts of you doing their best to keep you safe.
You’ll learn how to recognize your “true self” — the calm, loving, grounded version of you — and how trauma slowly builds walls around it in the form of protectors. Using visuals like castles, walls, cars, and even purple paint, Brad breaks down a complex inner world into something you can actually work with.
This episode lays the foundation for the rest of Processing Bootcamp week, where Brad will walk you step-by-step through how to identify, understand, and eventually heal these protectors with honesty, patience, and self-love. Today is all about awareness, language, and perspective so you can finally see what’s really happening when PTSD takes over.
By the end, you’ll walk away with a hopeful and practical frame: there is nothing “wrong” with you — there are just parts of you that were hurt, got stuck in time, and are trying (sometimes in messy ways) to protect you. And they can be healed.
 
💡 What You’ll Learn
How protectors form after trauma to keep your true self safe
Why PTSD triggers feel like “someone else” took over your body and mind
The difference between your true self and protector parts
How to spot protectors in your body through tension, stress, and emotional spikes
Why overreactions, shutting down, or lashing out are signs of protectors at the wheel
Simple ways to start naming and mapping your own protectors
How to respond with love instead of anger toward your protectors
How to recognize protectors in other people and deescalate with compassion
Why healing protectors actually makes your true self bigger, stronger, and more whole
🧠 Key Takeaway
Anytime you’re not acting from calm, love, and peace, it’s not that you’re broken — it’s a protector trying to keep you safe the only way it knows how.
 
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.
 
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:36 Welcome to Processing Bootcamp Week
00:47 Understanding the Protector Tool
01:42 Conceptualizing Pain and Emotions
05:54 The True Self and Protectors
07:46 Building and Deconstructing Walls
14:36 Visualizing Protectors
18:56 Healing Protectors with Love
20:59 Deconstructing Walls and Absorbing Protectors
21:38 Identifying Protectors in Yourself and Others
22:19 Body and Emotions: The Link to Protectors
22:38 Techniques to Identify and Separate Protectors
24:23 Naming and Understanding Your Protectors
24:47 Challenges and Introspection with Protectors
27:13 Healing Protectors and Reassigning Roles
28:42 Non-Invasive Conversations with Protectors
35:41 Pattern Interrupts and De-escalation Techniques
 
Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • trauma healing • protectors and parts work • inner child work • emotional triggers after trauma • nervous system regulation • emotional regulation tools • trauma coping tools • processing traumatic memories • self-love and trauma recovery • honesty and patience in healing • dissociation and PTSD • understanding overreactions • how to stop PTSD outbursts • healing through self-compassion • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching • Overcoming PTSD Podcast

Struggling with PTSD and ready to FULLY recover? Join my recovery program here (costs less than a single therapy session): https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
Processing Foundations: The Mindset Shift That Unlocks PTSD RecoveryHow to Process Trauma Safely: Non-Invasive Tools for Deep HealingThe Three Pillars of PTSD Recovery: Mindset, Routines, and Processing Your PastFrom Stuck to Healing: Building a Processing Routine for PTSD and TraumaWhy Honesty, Patience, and Self-Love Are Non-Negotiable in Trauma RecoveryProcessing Bootcamp: How to Finally Get to the Root of Your PTSDHow to Stop Waiting for a Therapist and Start Processing Trauma YourselfThe 100-Hour Rule for PTSD Recovery: How to Track Real Healing ProgressProtectors 101: A Gentle Way to Process Deep Trauma Without OverwhelmHow to Become Your Own Healer and Safely Process PTSD Triggers
 
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
 
In this episode, Brad opens Processing Bootcamp Week and lays the foundation for one of the most powerful trauma-healing tools he teaches: protectors. Instead of jumping straight into intense memories, he walks you through the mindset and habits you need in place before doing any deep processing work.
You’ll learn why the three pillars of recovery—mastering your mindset, building unbreakable routines, and processing your past—are stacked on top of each other, not side by side. Brad explains why trying to process trauma without the right foundation is like trying to build a house on sand.
He also introduces the idea of a “100-hour” processing goal, giving you a concrete, motivating way to track your progress while staying patient with yourself. Throughout the episode, Brad emphasizes honesty, consistency, and self-love as the core ingredients that make any processing tool actually work.
By the end, you’ll understand what it really means to become an independent healer, why discomfort is not a sign of failure, and how to approach processing your past in a safe, non-invasive, and sustainable way.
 
💡 What You’ll Learn
Why processing your past is one of the three essential pillars of PTSD recovery
What the “protectors” tool is and why it’s a safe, non-invasive way to process trauma
How to build the right mindset before doing any deep trauma processing
Why honesty, patience, and self-love are non-negotiable for PTSD and trauma healing
How to think about the “100 hours of processing” goal and track your progress
The importance of consistency and routines in making trauma work actually effective
How to relate to discomfort and emotional pain as signs you’re working on the right things
Why you don’t need a therapist in the room to start processing and can become an independent healer
How connecting with your “true self” helps you work with fear, anger, and other intense emotions safely
🧠 Key Takeaway
Your healing accelerates the moment you decide to be honest with yourself, patient with yourself, and loving toward yourself every single time you sit down to process.
 
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:36 Welcome to the First Processing Bootcamp Week
00:57 Understanding the Three Pillars of Recovery
01:25 Introduction to Protector Work
02:34 Foundations for Effective Processing
04:20 The Importance of Mindset in Recovery
08:10 Developing the Skill of Protector Work
17:28 Honesty, Patience, and Self-Love in Healing
23:30 Setting Goals and Tracking Progress
25:31 Understanding the Waves of Progress
26:07 Tracking Your Goals Effectively
27:53 The Importance of Focused Time
31:06 Honesty, Patience, and Self-Love
32:03 Foundations of Protectors
38:20 Embracing and Processing Emotions
43:20 The Power of Self-Love and Acceptance
45:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
 
Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • trauma healing • processing trauma • protectors tool • PTSD mindset work • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • trauma coping tools • complex trauma recovery • building healing routines • self-love in PTSD recovery • overcoming PTSD triggers • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching