Ep 28: Healing After Major Life Changes (How to Cope With Trauma & Loss)
Description
#identitycrisis #lifetransitions
"I feel more fully who I really am than I ever have in
my whole life. I like myself more than I ever have. I'm using gifts I didn't
even know I had..."
My guest in this episode is leadership coach, author, speaker, and minister Becky Burroughs, who shares her journey through profound loss, including the end of a 41-year marriage, the deaths of her parents, and a significant
career change. Becky describes the resulting identity crisis and feelings of
being lost and broken at age 60. She explains how her faith became her anchor and led her toward "resilient healing"—not just surviving these devastating changes, but using them as a catalyst for profound self-discovery and coming home to her most authentic self. The conversation highlights the importance of rediscovering personal identity, celebrating small wins in healing, and reframing gratitude by focusing on lessons learned from hardship.
If you have or are facing major life transitions and emotional challenges (who hasn’t/isn’t??), then this episode is for you.
💥CTA: Please subscribe to my podcast. Your support will help me to continue bringing my HEALing message to the world.
Takeaways & Timestamps
💛Resilient healing means transformation, not just survival (00:04:30 ) - When life strips away the titles and roles that defined you, it's an opportunity to discover your authentic self and become the truest version of who you are, rather than just bouncing back.
💙Grief accompanies all change, not just death (00:23:30 ) - Learning that with every change comes loss, and with loss comes grief. Naming, owning, and walking through grief for all life transitions—even positive ones—takes away its power over you.
💛Healing has visible progression markers (00:12:00 ) - You'll know you're healing when you can talk about your trauma without falling apart, moving from sobbing and going fetal to standing strong while sharing your story with others.
💙Reframe gratitude through learning (00:16:30 ) - Instead of forcing gratitude for awful experiences, find gratitude for what they taught you: "I'm grateful for this because it taught me..." This approach redeems difficult experiences through the lessons gained.
💛"We-ness" can erase personal identity (00:32:30 ) - Many people lose themselves in long-term relationships, especially when marrying young. Knowing who you are as an individual is crucial before you can successfully partner with someone else.
💙Celebration and reflection fuel healing (00:14:30 ) - The "hard work of grief" requires intentional effort through reflective practices, honest self-examination, and celebrating even tiny victories to provide evidence that healing is happening.
Connect with Becky
✨Book: "Come Back Home to You: Navigating Life's Transitions and Embracing Next Chapter Living" on Amazon
✨Podcast: "Leadership Becomes Her"
✨Email: hello@beckyburroughs.com
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🩵Website: https://empoweredsurvivors.com/
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#healingmentor #healingjourney #letsheal