Healed Enough: Navigating Complex Trauma, Dissociation, and the Journey of Writing a Memoir

Send us Fan Mail Writing a memoir is never an easy feat—especially when the story being told explores the deeply personal terrain of trauma, healing, and the reclamation of one’s agency. In this episode of the "Authors Who Lead" podcast, I sit down with Chelsey Valeri—licensed clinical social worker, trauma therapist, and debut memoirist—as she offers an honest glimpse into how she crafted her book, Healed Enough. Through our conversation, you'll get a multidimensional understanding of complex trauma—from both clinical and lived perspectives—and what it takes to turn such experiences into a story that resonates. Timestamp: 00:00 Deciding to write a memoir 05:12 Complex PTSD not in DSM 07:08 Understanding trauma's impact on mental health 10:29 Discussing personal healing journey 14:45 Feeling vulnerable but understood 19:34 Writing during health challenges 21:29 Navigating a patriarchal society 26:06 Healing Foundation and trauma care 29:12 Editing process for publishing 33:12 Discussing book feedback and approach 37:18 Writing a clinician's hand guide 39:40 Challenges in trauma therapy training 43:36 Discussing a valuable trauma book Full show notes COMMUNITY PROGRAMS 📚 Write and Publish your book 🤫 Secret Podcast: Born to Write, Scared to Start ⭐ You're Allowed to Write This Book CONNECT 📷 Instagram 🎬 TikTok 👫🏻 Facebook 💼 LinkedIn 🐦‍⬛ Twitter 🤝🏻 Apply to be a Guest LEAVE A REVIEW ✍🏻 Review on Apple Podcasts ✍️ Review on Spotify 🖱️ Episode Webpage