Art as Healing: A Journey Through Trauma Recovery

Art as Healing: A Journey Through Trauma Recovery

Trust After Trauma #43-Art as Healing: A Journey Through Trauma Recovery In this heartfelt conversation, we explore how creative arts therapy can become a powerful pathway for healing after trauma, offering expression, release, and connection beyond words. Through art, movement, music, writing, and creative exploration, many people discover safe and meaningful ways to process emotions, calm the nervous system, and reconnect with themselves. This episode gently reminds us that healing does not always happen through talking alone—sometimes creativity opens the door to hope, self-discovery, and transformation.  Questions we'll discuss * How can creative arts therapy help people process trauma in ways that words sometimes cannot? * What are some simple creative practices people can begin using at home to support emotional healing? * What changes have you witnessed in people as they reconnect with themselves through creativity and self-expression?  Franki DeSaro is a Creative Arts Therapist, Certified Spiritual Director, Visual Artist, and Co-Founder of Light to Earth Sanctuary. She recently earned her Master’s in Art Therapy from New York University and holds a BFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Franki specializes in trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming art therapy with families, adolescents, and children. Alongside her clinical work, she is an abstract landscape painter whose artistic practice explores natural pigments, botanically dyed textiles, and the relationship between art, healing, and spirituality. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, world travel, silent retreats, and journaling. Fun fact: Franki adopted two bonded kittens from Brooklyn, NY, named Alaska and Aurora, and has visited the Taj Mahal twice! Stay connected to Franki: frankimariedesaro@gmail.com [frankimariedesaro@gmail.com] Website: www. [http://www./]frankidesaroart.squarespace.com [http://frankidesaroart.squarespace.com/] Instagram: @frankidesaroart @frankidesaro @lighttoearth LinkedIn: Franki DeSaro Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469286/support] The host of the "Trust After Trauma" podcast is Janet Grace, a passionate leader who founded Grace’s Place Foundation in 2020. As a Domestic Violence advocate & teacher, she saw a deep need for long-lasting empowerment programs to help them feel a strong sense of themselves, so they never go back. She has been a servant for God since childhood, feeding the homeless in Chicago, then in Los Angeles. She has served as a team leader on numerous Mission trips around the world, including Mexico, Africa,Nepal & South America. Janet Grace is a Spiritual Mentor, Teacher, TEDx Speaker & Author, Sacred Retreat Leader & Philanthropist as an Ambassador of Love for humanity. More at: www.GracesPlaceFoundation.org &  www.JanetGrace.Love

Reclaiming her Voice through Art & Writing with Lori Brookes

Reclaiming Her Voice Through Art & Writing with Lori Brookes In this heartfelt episode, we explore the journey of a woman who felt emotionally frozen after the loss of a relationship and struggled to reconnect with herself and her sense of purpose. Through photography and writing, she slowly began to express the feelings she could not always put into words, discovering healing, creativity, and a deeper connection to her inner voice along the way. This conversation is a beautiful reminder that even after heartbreak, creativity can help us rediscover who we are, reclaim our voice, and begin creating a new chapter filled with meaning, self-expression, and hope. Lori Brookes is a local Big Bear author and an award-winning published photographer. She picked up the camera as a healing modality after the end of a long-term marriage, which led to a healing and later an unintended profession. Who knew? Writing followed as she created quips and spiritual insights about her photography pieces. Lori sees almost everything as a metaphor in life, everything brings meaning to the process of living and healing. In 2016 she took on a year-long hiking journey that was divinely gifted and filled up her cup, which in turn helped her navigate another series of unexpected losses. Lori channeled the revelations of that journey into her first memoir, The Unintended Positive Consequence of Hiking, a cathartic process of navigating loss. Writing, hiking, world travel, and creating images are the passions that continue to hold her heart up. Stay connected with Lori here: : www.LoriBrookes.com [http://www.loribrookes.com/] - @loribrookes on IG  - "A Philospher of Her Own Life" on Substack  - Lori Brookes Unlimited on Facebook  - email, lori@loribrookes.com [lori@loribrookes.com]  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469286/support] The host of the "Trust After Trauma" podcast is Janet Grace, a passionate leader who founded Grace’s Place Foundation in 2020. As a Domestic Violence advocate & teacher, she saw a deep need for long-lasting empowerment programs to help them feel a strong sense of themselves, so they never go back. She has been a servant for God since childhood, feeding the homeless in Chicago, then in Los Angeles. She has served as a team leader on numerous Mission trips around the world, including Mexico, Africa,Nepal & South America. Janet Grace is a Spiritual Mentor, Teacher, TEDx Speaker & Author, Sacred Retreat Leader & Philanthropist as an Ambassador of Love for humanity. More at: www.GracesPlaceFoundation.org &  www.JanetGrace.Love

Honoring Grief Your Own Way Christie Walker Bos

Trust After Trauma #41- Honoring Grief Your Own Way Christie Walker Bos In this heartfelt episode, we explore how every person experiences grief differently and why there is no “right” timeline for healing after the loss of a loved one. Together, we discuss the many ways people cope with loss, the importance of giving ourselves grace through the grieving process, and how healing can look different from one person to another. This conversation offers compassion, understanding, and hope for anyone learning how to carry love, loss, and life forward in their own way.  Questions we'll explore: * How did your experience with grief change your understanding of healing and loss? * Why do you believe it’s important for people to release the pressure of grieving a certain “right” way? * What helped you find moments of peace, connection, or hope while navigating your grief journey?  Christie Walker Bos fell in love with writing at the age of 12 when she received her first diary. Every entry began with “I woke up…”Thankfully, she has improved her writing skills immensely since then, although at 71-years-old, she is still happy that she wakes up every day! A professional photographer and journalist in the seventies, a stay-at-home mom in the eighties, a journalist once again in the nineties, leading to the publication of her first work of fiction in 2003, Walker Bos has been writing for several decades. “I am inspired by everyday people and how they manage to love and laugh even in the face of hardships and challenges. They are the heroes and heroines of my novels. Average people like you and me.” Walker Bos lives in the Southern California mountain community of Big Bear Lake with her husband Robbie and dog Rae Skyler Walker. Stay connected to Christie & get her new book "Patsy Hits the Road", you'll love it  https://christiewalkerbos.com http://instagram.com/christiewalkerbosauthor/ Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469286/support] The host of the "Trust After Trauma" podcast is Janet Grace, a passionate leader who founded Grace’s Place Foundation in 2020. As a Domestic Violence advocate & teacher, she saw a deep need for long-lasting empowerment programs to help them feel a strong sense of themselves, so they never go back. She has been a servant for God since childhood, feeding the homeless in Chicago, then in Los Angeles. She has served as a team leader on numerous Mission trips around the world, including Mexico, Africa,Nepal & South America. Janet Grace is a Spiritual Mentor, Teacher, TEDx Speaker & Author, Sacred Retreat Leader & Philanthropist as an Ambassador of Love for humanity. More at: www.GracesPlaceFoundation.org &  www.JanetGrace.Love

Calming the Chaos with Hope, Faith & Love

Episode #40- Calming the Chaos with Hope, Faith & Love In this episode, Janet Grace will help us explore how hope, faith, and love can help steady us during seasons of overwhelm, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion. When life feels heavy and the mind becomes consumed with worry, returning to these deeper anchors can bring comfort, clarity, and a renewed sense of strength. Through heartfelt conversation and gentle tools for grounding, this episode offers encouragement for anyone longing to move from chaos into greater peace, trust, and emotional balance.   The Power of Faith, Hope & Love ✨ * Faith is believing beyond what we can currently see. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot yet see.” Faith helps us trust that healing, growth, and new possibilities are unfolding even during uncertain times. * Hope is the quiet voice within our hearts that listens for what is still possible. Hope invites us to focus our energy on our deepest desires, dreams, and the highest vision for our lives instead of staying anchored in fear or limitation. * Love is the greatest of these because love reconnects us to our Divine nature. Love opens our hearts to compassion, healing, connection, forgiveness, and the ability to pour our highest energy into ourselves and others. * Faith gives us the strength to keep moving forward even when the path is unclear. It reminds us that setbacks do not define us and that something greater may still be unfolding. Stay connected with Grace's Place at www.GracesPlaceFoundation.org Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469286/support] The host of the "Trust After Trauma" podcast is Janet Grace, a passionate leader who founded Grace’s Place Foundation in 2020. As a Domestic Violence advocate & teacher, she saw a deep need for long-lasting empowerment programs to help them feel a strong sense of themselves, so they never go back. She has been a servant for God since childhood, feeding the homeless in Chicago, then in Los Angeles. She has served as a team leader on numerous Mission trips around the world, including Mexico, Africa,Nepal & South America. Janet Grace is a Spiritual Mentor, Teacher, TEDx Speaker & Author, Sacred Retreat Leader & Philanthropist as an Ambassador of Love for humanity. More at: www.GracesPlaceFoundation.org &  www.JanetGrace.Love

Beyond the Breakup, Reclaiming Your Power

Trust After Trauma- Episode #39- Beyond the Breakup, Reclaiming Your Power  In today’s episode, Vanessa explores how trust is shaped before, during, and after a breakup and the powerful role attachment styles play in relationship dynamics. Through personal insight and psychological awareness, she dives into how past experiences, emotional wounds, and attachment patterns can influence the way we communicate, connect, love, and heal. Vanessa discusses the challenges of navigating heartbreak, rebuilding self-trust, and developing healthier relationship patterns rooted in awareness, emotional safety, and growth. Vanessa Garcia is a certified life coach, digital marketing strategist, and founder of Abundance Digital Solutions, where she helps individuals and small businesses grow with purpose, authenticity, and confidence. With over two decades of experience spanning counseling, sales, marketing, and mindset coaching, Vanessa brings both professional expertise and deep personal insight to everything she does. With a BA in Psychology and multiple certifications, Vanessa blends psychology, strategy, and storytelling to help others rebuild, heal, and thrive; both personally and professionally. Her mission extends beyond business and branding; it’s about helping people reclaim their voice, strengthen their confidence, and create a life rooted in abundance, connection, and emotional wellness. Contact Info:   www.abundancedigitalsolutions.com [http://www.abundancedigitalsolutions.com/]   Vanessa@abundancedigitalsolutions.com [Vanessa@abundancedigitalsolutions.com]   (562) 480-0529 Instagram: @abundancedigitalsolutions Facebook: Personal: https://www.facebook.com/vanessa.garcia.9862/ [https://www.facebook.com/vanessa.garcia.9862/] Professional: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579241480163 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579241480163] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469286/support] The host of the "Trust After Trauma" podcast is Janet Grace, a passionate leader who founded Grace’s Place Foundation in 2020. As a Domestic Violence advocate & teacher, she saw a deep need for long-lasting empowerment programs to help them feel a strong sense of themselves, so they never go back. She has been a servant for God since childhood, feeding the homeless in Chicago, then in Los Angeles. She has served as a team leader on numerous Mission trips around the world, including Mexico, Africa,Nepal & South America. Janet Grace is a Spiritual Mentor, Teacher, TEDx Speaker & Author, Sacred Retreat Leader & Philanthropist as an Ambassador of Love for humanity. More at: www.GracesPlaceFoundation.org &  www.JanetGrace.Love