Overcoming PTSD with Brad Schipke

Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
This session builds on yesterday's four levels of behavior change by introducing one of the most powerful tools for locking in new habits: rehearsal. Whether you visualize it or physically practice it, rehearsing your routine removes the decision points that trip you up and makes success feel automatic.
Brad and Kaylene explain that the goal of rehearsal is to align your plan with reality as closely as possible. That means thinking through all the little details — where your water bottle is, how long it actually takes you to shower, what happens if the dog needs to go out. These small things create loopholes that your brain will use as excuses if you don't prepare for them. They share a fascinating study showing that pianists who only visualized practicing had the same brain changes as those who physically practiced. Your brain can't tell the difference between a vividly imagined event and a real one.
The episode also covers how to reduce overwhelm by breaking things down to the smallest possible action. Brad shares how he tells himself "all you have to do is get in the car" — and that's enough to get the momentum going. The key is to start with what you're actually willing to do, celebrate that progress, and build from there.
💡 What You'll Learn
How to rehearse a routine through visualization or physical practice
Why the little details matter more than the main points
The piano study that proves visualization changes your brain
How to identify and eliminate loopholes before they derail you
Why timing yourself on a relaxed day gives you accurate data
The "just drive to the gym" strategy for overcoming resistance
How to break things down so small that overwhelm disappears
Why your plan needs to match what you're actually willing to do
How to make adjustments without throwing off your whole routine
🧠 Key Takeaway
Rehearsing your routine — whether through visualization or physical practice — removes the decision points that trip you up. When you've already gone through it in your mind, you don't have to think. You just do.
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive. To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
CHAPTERS: 
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:36 Starting the Live Coaching Session
01:21 Personal Updates and Celebrations
01:57 Understanding Behavior Change
02:57 The Power of Routine Rehearsal
04:07 Engaging with the Audience
06:10 Planning for a Week of Inspiration
07:29 The Importance of Rehearsal in Daily Routines
09:46 Practical Tips for Effective Rehearsal
12:21 Overcoming Obstacles and Staying Consistent
17:05 Visualizing Success and Building Habits
32:01 Morning Routine with My Nephew
32:36 Visualizing and Adjusting Your Routine
34:06 Relaxed Action and Self-Talk
34:40 Removing Pressure for Better Habits
36:57 Planning for Routine Adjustments
39:21 Small Adjustments for Big Changes
42:28 Building Sustainable Habits
53:03 Celebrating Incremental Progress
56:06 Inspiration Week Announcement
57:42 Final Thoughts and Recap
 
Topics Covered: PTSD recovery • routine building • habit change • visualization • rehearsal • morning routine • behavior change • loopholes • decision fatigue • Michael Phelps • piano study • overwhelm • breaking things down • self-talk • lifestyle change • small adjustments • willpower • consistency • recovery mindset

Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
In this powerful mindset session, Brad and Kaylene introduce the Four Levels of Behavior Change — a framework that transformed how they approached everything from yelling in their relationship to media addiction. The four levels are: unaware, aware with no control, aware with control, and non-issue. Understanding where you are on this ladder helps you see that you're making progress even when it doesn't feel like it.
The hardest part of this journey is level two, where you watch yourself do the thing you know you shouldn't be doing but feel powerless to stop. But here's the truth: it's not that you don't have control — it's that you're unaware of where to exert that control. As you move into level three, you start catching yourself earlier and earlier on the path toward the negative behavior until eventually you can stop before you even start.
The ultimate goal is level four: non-issue. This is where the behavior no longer has any pull on you. Brad and Kaylene share that it took about 90-110 days of focused effort to reach this point with their biggest habits. That means by the end of the year, you could eliminate one major negative behavior from your life entirely. You don't have to fight your bad habits forever — you just need to fight them long enough until they become a non-issue.
💡 What You'll Learn
The four levels of behavior change and what each one looks like
Why level two feels the worst even though it's actually progress
How to move from level two to level three by taking note of what goes wrong
The river analogy: why there's a current pulling you toward old habits
Why the effort required decreases over time as you build new habits
How long it typically takes to make a behavior a complete non-issue
Why you need to get extremely specific about the behavior you want to change
How to use this framework for addictions, relationship patterns, and lifestyle habits
🧠 Key Takeaway
You won't have to fight your bad habits forever. With focused effort for 90-110 days, any negative behavior can become a complete non-issue — no urge, no pull, no struggle. You're not broken. You're just ascending through the levels.
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive. To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:17 Today's Topic: Four Levels of Behavior Change
07:09 Level 1: Unawareness
08:40 Level 2: Awareness Without Control
11:47 Level 3: Awareness With Control
27:01 Understanding the Feeling of No Control
27:20 The Habit Changing Timeline
27:38 The Effort Curve in Behavior Change
28:08 Reaching the Final Level: Behavior as a Non-Issue
29:18 Personal Journeys and Examples
32:26 The Importance of Specificity in Behavior Change
34:56 Making a Commitment to Change
38:29 Defining and Tackling Specific Behaviors
42:02 Community Sharing and Support
51:24 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
 
Topics Covered: PTSD recovery • behavior change • breaking bad habits • addiction recovery • awareness framework • habit change • sobriety • relationship patterns • yelling • media addiction • self-control • mindset for change • recovery rehearsal • habit momentum • 90-day challenge • lifestyle change • negative behaviors • personal growth

Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
This episode answers one of the most foundational questions in trauma recovery: How does PTSD actually happen, and why is it possible to heal? Brad and Kayleen break down the brain science in simple terms, using a relatable example of touching a hot stove to show exactly what goes wrong when an event becomes traumatic — and what needs to happen to fix it.
When you experience a normal event, stimuli goes into your working memory, your brain sorts the good from the bad, throws out what you don't need, and stores only the lesson in long-term memory. But when an event is traumatic, your brain skips the working memory entirely and shoves everything — the fear, shame, negative thoughts, raw emotions — straight into long-term storage. That's the glitch. That's PTSD.
The good news? Your working memory isn't broken. It's working right now. All you need to do is use processing tools to move that raw, unprocessed material back into the working memory so your brain can finally do what it was designed to do: sort the good from the bad, throw out the negative, and keep only the lesson. That's why healing is not just possible — it's inevitable if you keep taking action.
💡 What You'll Learn
How your brain normally processes events through the working memory
What happens differently when an event becomes traumatic
Why PTSD is essentially a "glitch" where your brain skipped a step
The endless cycle of trigger → run/numb/cope → back to storage
Why coping skills alone will never fully heal trauma
How processing tools move trauma back into the working memory
The three pillars of recovery: mindset, routines, and processing
Why healing is inevitable if you stay consistent
The four processing tools: introspection, protectors, challenging beliefs, and bilateral stimulation
🧠 Key Takeaway
Your brain isn't broken — it just skipped a step. Processing tools help you move unprocessed trauma back into your working memory so your brain can finally do what it's designed to do: throw out the negative and keep only the lesson.
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive. To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:18 Today's Topic: Processing Trauma
01:54 Understanding PTSD and Working Memory
04:13 Normal Event Processing
13:13 Traumatic Event Processing
18:49 The Cycle of Coping
20:06 Healing Through Processing
24:55 Letting Go of Negative Beliefs
25:06 Processing Emotions and Retaining Lessons
26:46 Long-Term Memory and Positive Recall
29:15 The Importance of Mindset and Routines
32:09 The Three Pillars of Recovery
34:58 Consistency in Healing
44:23 Processing Tools Overview
47:25 Community Social Hour and Final Thoughts
 
Topics Covered: PTSD recovery • trauma healing • how PTSD happens • brain science • working memory • long-term memory • processing trauma • coping vs healing • processing tools • bilateral stimulation • protectors • challenging beliefs • introspection • three pillars of recovery • mindset • routines • trauma processing • emotional release • why healing is possible

Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
In this high-impact session, Brad and Kayleen break down the addiction cycle into four clear stages: trigger, pain, addictive behavior, and fallout. They explain how this cycle feeds itself and why awareness alone is a major step toward breaking free. But awareness isn't enough — you need a plan.
The key insight is that there are two journeys you must walk to truly overcome addiction. The short-term journey is about breaking the habit by using healthy coping skills when pain hits. The long-term journey is about healing the root trauma that's driving the pain in the first place. If you only do one, you'll stay stuck. Do both, and you can get to a place where the addiction becomes a complete non-issue.
Brad and Kayleen also dive into the critical role of self-talk — how you're either talking yourself into the addictive behavior or talking yourself into a different choice. They share practical strategies for preparing ahead of time, including creating a list of enjoyable activities you can turn to when the urge hits, and how to use that moment of pause to redirect yourself.
💡 What You'll Learn
The four stages of the addiction cycle and how they feed each other
Why the fallout from addictive behavior affects literally everything in your life
The two journeys required to break free: short-term habit change and long-term trauma healing
Why healthy coping alone won't fully solve the problem
How to prepare a list of enjoyable alternatives before the urge hits
The power of self-talk in that critical moment of decision
Why getting out of your environment is a key strategy
How to build references of success that you can lean on
🧠 Key Takeaway
You need to walk two journeys to break the addiction cycle: change the habit through healthy coping skills, and heal the underlying trauma that's driving the pain. One without the other keeps you stuck.
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive. To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
CHAPTERS: 
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
01:20 Understanding the Addiction Cycle
08:44 Defining Addiction and Its Impact
16:20 Breaking the Addiction Cycle: Short-Term Strategies
25:31 Breaking the Addiction Cycle: Long-Term Strategies
31:19 The Day-by-Day Process of Recovery
31:58 Achieving a Non-Issue State
32:47 Defining and Breaking Addictions
34:38 Evaluating and Setting Boundaries
38:58 Short-Term Coping Strategies
45:27 The Power of Self-Talk
50:53 Navigating the Platform and Resources
55:27 Final Words and Encouragement
 
 
Topics Covered: PTSD recovery • addiction recovery • addiction cycle • trauma and addiction • healthy coping skills • breaking bad habits • self-talk • sobriety • behavioral addiction • substance use • healing the root cause • habit change • recovery toolbox • dopamine • emotional regulation • relapse prevention • recovery mindset • trauma processing

Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
This episode dives into one of the most overlooked yet essential skills for trauma recovery: radical honesty with yourself. Brad shares how being willing to honestly face his darkest thoughts — including suicidal ideation — was the turning point that allowed him to actually heal those parts of himself. Not by pushing them away, but by accepting they existed so he could work with them.
The key insight is that honesty doesn't mean what you feel is objectively true. You might honestly feel like someone hates you even when you logically know they don't. But until you admit that belief exists inside you, you can't fix it. You'll keep acting it out unconsciously. As Carl Jung said, "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."
Brad breaks down the three things you need to be honest about — your thoughts and beliefs, your emotions, and what you truly want — and explains how to bring this forward in processing work. This isn't about facing your deepest fears unprepared. It's about building the skill of honesty little by little, starting with small things, so you can eventually shine light on even the darkest corners of your mind.
💡 What You'll Learn
Why honesty is essential for healing, not just "nice to do"
The three things you need to be honest with yourself about
Why we lie to ourselves (fear, judgment, and shame)
How to use honesty within the Protectors processing tool
Why what you honestly feel doesn't have to be objectively true
How denying emotions keeps them trapped inside you forever
The Carl Jung quote that explains why trauma controls your life
How to start being honest in small ways before facing deeper pain
🧠 Key Takeaway
The emotions, beliefs, and thoughts inside you are there whether you admit them or not. Denying them doesn't make them go away — it just keeps them in the darkness where they continue to control your life. Honesty is the light that allows you to finally see and heal what's been hidden.
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive. To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
CHAPTERS: 
00:00 Introduction and Overview
01:17 The Importance of Honesty
02:53 Personal Struggles with Honesty
03:52 Gradual Steps Towards Honesty
04:52 The Power of Honesty in Healing
06:03 Facing Inner Darkness
08:21 Practical Tips for Honesty
10:46 Understanding and Accepting Emotions
18:45 The Role of Protectors in Healing
26:06 Making the Unconscious Conscious
27:06 Expressing Emotions Honestly
28:16 The Importance of Honesty in Healing
28:51 Q&A Session Begins
29:27 Dealing with Resentment and Shame
30:31 Facing Dark Emotions
32:12 Setting Boundaries and Being Honest
37:46 Processing Emotions and Healing
51:16 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
 
 
Topics Covered: PTSD recovery • trauma healing • honesty in healing • self-awareness • subconscious beliefs • emotional release • protectors processing • parts work • facing dark thoughts • suicidal ideation recovery • Carl Jung unconscious • trauma processing • releasing emotions • self-honesty • inner work • healing mindset • confronting fear • shame and guilt recovery

Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
This session builds directly on the previous day's conversation about balancing goals with daily processes. Brad and Kayleen take the theory and show you exactly how to implement it into your daily life using practical tools like the Unbreakable Planner, affirmations, and intentional self-talk.
At the core of this episode is the belief cycle — the feedback loop between your experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and actions. If you believe you're a failure for not reaching your goal yet, you'll take fewer actions, have worse experiences, and reinforce that negative belief. But the beautiful truth is that you have control over this cycle through your thoughts. Same experience, different interpretation, completely different outcome.
Brad and Kayleen walk you through how to set micro goals you'll actually accomplish, how to celebrate yourself no matter what, and how to use evening and morning routines to bookend your day with the beliefs you want to build. This isn't about being perfect — it's about moving the ball forward, even if just by half a percent.
💡 What You'll Learn
How the belief cycle works and where you have control over it
Why setting goals too big sets you up for failure
How to use the Unbreakable Planner to track wins and build momentum
The difference between measuring success by the goal vs. measuring success by the process
How to reframe missed days as opportunities for course correction instead of proof of failure
Why comparing yourself week-to-week is more helpful than day-to-day
How to celebrate yourself even when progress feels small
Why your self-talk after the session ends is the most important part
🧠 Key Takeaway
You are a success if you do the daily process, not if you achieve the goal. Change the equation in your mind, and everything else follows.
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive. To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
CHAPTERS: 
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:36 Starting the Live Session
01:17 Weekly Themes and Recap
01:35 Balancing Goals and Processes
02:59 Implementing Daily Routines
05:06 Setting and Celebrating Goals
12:49 The Belief Cycle Explained
19:13 Practical Tips for Daily Success
29:34 Using the Unbreakable Planner
30:33 Small Wins and Moving the Ball Forward
31:08 End of Day Review: Celebrating Wins
31:45 Using the Unbreakable Planner
32:34 Setting Micro Goals for Tomorrow
33:12 The Power of Affirmations and Goals
34:41 Building a Positive Evening and Morning Routine
35:51 Consistency and Flexibility in Routines
38:15 Reflecting and Adjusting for Growth
41:40 Celebrating Yourself and Setting Boundaries
44:20 Q&A and Community Interaction
54:18 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
 
Topics Covered: PTSD recovery • trauma healing • belief cycle • daily routines • micro goals • Unbreakable Planner • progress not perfection • self-talk • affirmations • celebrating small wins • morning routine • evening routine • mindset for healing • self-encouragement • building momentum • trauma survivor tools • mental health habits • consistency in recovery

Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
In this powerful mindset session, Brad and Kayleen break down one of the most common traps in trauma recovery: becoming so focused on the end goal that you forget to celebrate the daily work that actually gets you there. They share how they each fall on opposite ends of this spectrum — Brad gets caught up in the goal and feels like a failure when he's not there yet, while Kaylene gets lost in the day-to-day and forgets why she's doing the work at all.
The truth is, you don't become a success when you achieve full recovery. You become a success every single day you show up and do the work. Using the example of Michael Phelps swimming over 1,400 sessions across four years to win Olympic gold, Brad explains how the championship is won in the daily process — not on race day.
This episode is a call to shift how you measure your worth. Stop treating yourself like a failure for not being fully healed yet. Start recognizing that every processing session, every moment of self-care, and every time you show up is the achievement. You already are the person who fully recovers — you're just walking the path to get there.
💡 What You'll Learn
How to balance focusing on your healing goal with the daily actions that get you there
Why measuring success by the outcome sets you up for constant disappointment
The mindset shift that turns imperfect action into a win every single day
Why consistency is the only "magic pill" in trauma recovery
How to take control of change in the present moment instead of waiting for tomorrow
Why you are already the person who achieves full recovery
The power of self-encouragement and how to actually celebrate your wins
How to stay motivated when recovery takes longer than expected
🧠 Key Takeaway
You are not a success for achieving the goal. You are a success for completing the daily process. Every step forward — no matter how small — is the achievement.
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive. To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:36 Starting the Live Coaching Session
01:02 Balancing Goals and Daily Processes
03:35 The Importance of Small Wins
10:22 Consistency and the Power of Now
20:41 Taking Control in the Moment
28:43 The Power of Self-Encouragement
29:18 Defining Success in Recovery
30:13 The Importance of Consistency
31:59 Balancing Goals and Daily Actions
33:02 Celebrating Small Wins
34:48 The Journey of Recovery
39:23 Engaging with the Community
48:45 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
 
Topics Covered: PTSD recovery • trauma healing • mindset for healing • goal setting • daily routines • consistency in recovery • celebrating small wins • self-encouragement • positive self-talk • imperfect action • trauma survivor motivation • processing sessions • mental health habits • self-worth • healing journey • recovery mindset • emotional regulation • personal growth

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 Have Difficult Conversations After PTSDTurning Conflict Into Connection: Trauma-Safe Difficult ConversationsHow to Communicate Your Needs Without Triggering PTSD ResponsesFrom Avoidance to Authenticity: Healing Trauma Through Hard ConversationsWhy Difficult Conversations Feel Impossible With PTSD (And How to Do Them Anyway)Stop People-Pleasing: A Trauma Survivor’s Guide to Honest CommunicationHow to Talk About Your Trauma Without Losing Yourself in the PainPTSD, Triggers, and Tough Talks: A Step-by-Step Communication FrameworkHow to Stay Calm, Loving, and Clear in High-Stakes Conversations With TraumaThe “Learning Conversation” Formula for Trauma-Safe Communication and PTSD Recovery
Host: Brad Schipke • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
In this episode, Brad breaks down how to have truly productive, calm, and loving difficult conversations—especially when you’re healing from PTSD or trauma. Instead of going into conflict to “win” or defend, you’ll learn how to approach every hard talk as a learning conversation that creates understanding instead of more hurt.
Brad walks you through what true communication really is, why most people were never taught it, and how trauma and PTSD can make honest conversations feel dangerous, overwhelming, or pointless. You’ll see why having a clear goal for the conversation matters just as much as the words you choose.
You’ll also discover a simple three-part structure for every difficult conversation: set a goal, gather information, and watch for pain. Brad shows you how to separate intent from impact, use the powerful “and stance,” and stay grounded when emotions or triggers show up—so you can protect your nervous system and your relationships at the same time.
By the end, you’ll have a practical communication roadmap you can start using right away with partners, family, friends, and even with yourself. This is the kind of skill that can shift your relationships almost overnight when you begin to use it with curiosity, honesty, and compassion.
 
💡 What You’ll Learn
How to define true communication and why most trauma survivors have never been taught it
Why having a clear goal for each difficult conversation changes everything
How to use “learning conversations” to turn conflict into curiosity and understanding
The three conversations happening at once: in your head, in their head, and out loud
How to gather data in a hard conversation by asking better questions and truly listening
Why you should avoid absolute statements like “you always” and “you never”
How to separate intent from impact so you stop demonizing yourself or others
How to use the powerful “and stance” to hold two truths at the same time
How to watch for pain and triggers in yourself and others and pause when needed
 
🧠 Key Takeaway
You can be hurt and loving, triggered and responsible, honest and kind—healthy communication is learning to hold both truths at the same time.
 
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
 
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:41 Starting the Live Coaching Session
01:03 Community Voted Topic: Difficult Conversations
03:41 Defining Communication
05:03 Elements of True Communication
19:40 Understanding Learning Conversations
24:10 Phases of a Learning Conversation
29:43 Watch for Pain in Conversations
30:58 Defining the Goal in Conversations
35:06 Gathering Data Effectively
36:10 The Importance of Asking Questions
38:47 Avoiding Absolute Statements
40:10 Seeing from a Third-Party Perspective
42:23 Deciphering Intent from Impact
47:54 The Power of the 'And' Stance
51:25 Managing Pain in Conversations
56:45 Final Tips and Q&A
 
 
Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • trauma healing • difficult conversations • healthy communication after trauma • emotional regulation • nervous system regulation • trauma coping tools • how to talk about your feelings • conflict resolution for trauma survivors • intent vs impact in relationships • the and stance communication tool • learning conversations • triggers in relationships • C-PTSD communication struggles • boundaries and self-expression • recovery toolbox skills • relationship repair after trauma