Writing Your Resilience: Building Resilience, Embracing Trauma and Healing Through Writing

Linger in the Uncertainty: Jill Christman on Writing Through Grief and Loss

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2294303/fan_mail/new] What do we carry with us from the people we love and lose, and how do we make a choice from the center of our grief? This week, I'm wrestling with these questions alongside memoirist Jill Christman, whose new book The Heart Folds Early is a fierce and tender exploration of the decision to end a pregnancy after a devastating diagnosis. Jill and I talk about how grief from an earlier loss shaped her path toward this choice, the craft of handling time and signposting in memoir, and why she believes memoir is an act of extraction, not accumulation. Episode Highlights * 05:31 Serial Memoir Method * 14:32 Writing To Many Audiences * 28:10 Making The Hard Decision * 33:49 Opposite World Exercise * 34:43 Disrupting Dark Spirals * 35:38 Finding Levity in Pain Resources for this Episode:  * Falling by Jill Christman [https://issuu.com/ironhorsereview/docs/long_story_2021_final_typeset] * Beautiful Things on Riverteeth Magazine [https://riverteethjournal.com/beautiful-things/] * Get Your Free Human Design Report  [https://lisacooperellison.com/free-human-design-report] * Register for Build Better Memoir Scenes [https://bit.ly/42PzlMp] * Ditch Your Inner Critic Now  [https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/] Jill’s Bio: Jill Christman is the author of The Heart Folds Early: A Memoir (released March 2026 from the University of Nebraska Press). Christman’s other books include If This Were Fiction: A Love Story in Essays (2023 Foreword INDIES Silver Winner), Darkroom: A Family Exposure (winner of AWP Prize for CNF), and Borrowed Babies: Apprenticing for Motherhood. Her essays have appeared in many anthologies and in magazines such as Brevity, Creative Nonfiction, Fourth Genre, Iron Horse Literary Review, Longreads, and O, The Oprah Magazine. A 2020 NEA Literature Fellow, she teaches at Ball State University and serves as co-editor of River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative and Beautiful Things (a weekly online magazine of micro nonfiction). Visit her at jillchristman.com. Connect with Jill * Website: Jillchristman.com * Bluesky: @jillchristman.bsky.social * Instagram: @Jillchristmanwriter  Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ Website: https://lisacooperellison.com/ [https://lisacooperellison.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/ [https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/ [https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/]  Produced by Espresso Podcast Production: https://www.espressopodcastproduction.co [https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com]m Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/ [https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/] Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ [https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/] Website [https://lisacooperellison.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/] Produced by Espresso Podcast Production [https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com]

Writing as the Language of Emotions: Lindz McLeod on Storytelling, Empathy, and Our Shared Humanity

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2294303/fan_mail/new] What if understanding your characters (and your readers) came down to something as simple as a cup of coffee? In this episode, I sit down with author, writing coach, and rule-breaking storyteller Lindz McLeod to explore writing voice, character motivation, and the iceberg principle that makes stories hauntingly unforgettable. Lindz shares the simple but revelatory "coffee question" that unlocks who your characters really are, why the stories that move us most are the ones brave enough to leave things unsaid, and how writing — no matter the genre — is ultimately the language of emotions that connects us to our shared humanity.  Episode Highlights * 07:04 Romance, Motivation, and Self Love * 16:27 Voice Icebergs and Craft Ambition * 31:39 Building a Craft Anthology * 34:22 Icarus on a Farm * 41:28 Collaboration and Closing Advice Resources for this Episode:  * Practicing Radical Acceptance with Zebib Abraham [https://lisacooperellison.com/writing-your-resilience-episode-3-practicing-radical-acceptance/] * Cinema Worms: Hokum and Michael [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP59Pi3mbDI] * Finding Your Voice and Crafting Stories that Ignite the Soul with Sue William Silverman [https://lisacooperellison.com/finding-your-voice-and-crafting-stories-that-ignite-the-soul-with-sue-william-silverman/] * Get Your Free Human Design Report  [https://lisacooperellison.com/free-human-design-report] * Ditch Your Inner Critic Now  [https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/] Lindz’s Bio: Lindz McLeod (she/they) is a queer Scottish writer whose short work has been published by Apex, Catapult, DIVA, Nightmare, and many more. Her longer work includes the award-winning short story collection TURDUCKEN, as well as books including THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET, THE MISEDUCATION OF CAROLINE BINGLEY, and craft anthology AN HONOUR AND A PRIVILEGE. Her work has been taught in schools and universities, turned into avant-garde opera and animation, and optioned for television. She is currently in her final year of a PhD in Creative Writing. You can find Lindz waxing lyrical about books, cats, and her film podcast, Cinema Worms, on Bluesky at @lindzmcleod, Instagram @lindz.mcleod, and examples of her work can be found on www.lindzmcleod.co.uk [http://www.lindzmcleod.co.uk/] Connect with Lindz:  * Website: https://lindzmcleod.co.uk/ [https://lindzmcleod.co.uk/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindz.mcleod/ [https://www.instagram.com/lindz.mcleod/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsey.mcleod.90 Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ Website: https://lisacooperellison.com/ [https://lisacooperellison.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/ [https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/ [https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/]  Produced by Espresso Podcast Production: https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com [https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com] Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/ [https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/] Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ [https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/] Website [https://lisacooperellison.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/] Produced by Espresso Podcast Production [https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com]

Are You Writing for Others or Yourself? How to Break Free From People-Pleasing as a Writer

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2294303/fan_mail/new] About this episode: Have you ever said yes to something that felt like destiny, only to realize later it took you further from your goals? In this episode, I share a personal story about a writing group experience that taught me one of the most important lessons of my creative life: the difference between people-pleasing and truly following your gut. I break down what people-pleasing actually is, why we do it, and how it shows up in our writing and our lives in ways we don't always recognize, including through the fawning trauma response. Plus, I share the Achilles’ heel question that gets writers into more trouble than almost anything else. If you've ever said yes to something that felt like destiny only to find it took you further from your goals, this episode is for you. Resources for this Episode:  * The Fawning Trauma Response with Ingrid Clayton [https://lisacooperellison.com/the-fawning-trauma-response-with-ingrid-clayton/] * Fawning by Ingrid Clayton * The Gifts of Adversity by Norman Rosenthal * Get Your Free Human Design Report  [https://lisacooperellison.com/free-human-design-report] * Register for Build Better Memoir Scenes [https://bit.ly/42PzlMp] * Ditch Your Inner Critic Now  [https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/] Episode Highlights * 03:19 Defining People Pleasing * 06:46 Fawning Trauma Response * 12:34 How It Shows Up Writing * 15:58 Get Clear What You Want * 18:52 You Should Write Book Trap * 27:30 Wrap Up And Journal Prompt Lisa’s Bio: Lisa Cooper Ellison is an author, speaker, trauma-informed writing coach, and host of the Writing Your Resilience podcast. Working at the powerful intersection of storytelling and healing, she blends her writing expertise, clinical training, and soul-centered practices—including Akashic Records work and Human Design—to help writers turn their hardest experiences into art. Her essays—on sibling loss, grief, trauma healing, and the craft of writing—have appeared in The New York Times, HuffPost [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emotional-flashback-dread-doom-therapy_n_66cb7ae8e4b0f0ded8061ba6?1lm], and The Loss of a Lifetime: Grieving Siblings Share Stories of Love, Loss, and Hope [https://www.amazon.com/Loss-Lifetime-Grieving-Siblings-Stories-ebook/dp/B0F8R8VP98], among others.  Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/ [https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/] Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ [https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/] Website [https://lisacooperellison.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/] Produced by Espresso Podcast Production [https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com]

Writing, Healing, and Psychedelic Therapy: How Psilocybin, Set and Setting, and Integration Support Creative Resilience with Stacey Simmons

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2294303/fan_mail/new] About this episode:  With a recent executive order expediting the review of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, psychedelic therapy is moving from the fringes into the national conversation — and this week's episode couldn't be more timely. Whether you're curious about what psychedelic therapy is, how it works, or whether it's right for you, licensed marriage and family therapist, and certified psychedelic therapist Stacey Simmons is here to answer those questions and more. Even if you never plan to partake, you won't want to miss the practical takeaways Stacey shares that anyone can apply to their own healing journey. Resources for this Episode:  * Can You Trust Your Memories with Stacey Simmons [https://lisacooperellison.com/can-you-trust-your-memories-with-stacey-simmons/] * What If You’re Not Meant to Be the Hero with Stacey Simmons [https://lisacooperellison.com/what-if-youre-not-meant-to-be-the-hero-with-stacey-simmons/] * The Queen’s Path by Stacey Simmons * Mushroom Pharmacy: A Practical Guide to Psychedelic Mushrooms by Stacey Simmons * What Is Holotropic Breathwork [https://www.verywellmind.com/holotropic-breathwork-4175431] * Serotonin Syndrome  [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/serotonin-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354758] * The Billionaire, The Psychedelics, and the Best-Selling Memoir  [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/nyregion/amy-griffin-memoir-psychedelic-drugs.html?unlocked_article_code=1.k1A.q0rv.p1AnaeE6a0bd&smid=url-share] * Get Your Free Human Design Report  [https://lisacooperellison.com/free-human-design-report] * Register for Build Better Memoir Scenes [https://bit.ly/42PzlMp] * Ditch Your Inner Critic Now  [https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/] Episode Highlights * 03:08 Mushroom Pharmacy Origins * 07:41 Psilocybin Set and Setting * 29:46 Integration That Sticks * 36:12 Who Should Avoid Psychedelics * 41:46 Memory Truth And Closing Stacey’s Bio: Stacey Simmons is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Psychedelic Therapist. She is a clinical supervisor at Hope Therapy Center in Burbank, California. Her practice focuses on creative professionals, where she works primarily with writers, directors, actors, and musicians. Her research focuses on creativity, archetypes, psychedelic psychotherapy, neuroscience and consciousness research. She is a volunteer researcher with the Semel Institute of Neuroscience at UCLA, as well as a researcher with the Trance Science Research Institute in Paris, France. She holds a PhD from the University of New Orleans, and a Masters degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California. Connect with Stacey:   * Website: https://staceysimmonsphd.com/ * Facebook: @staceysimmonsphd * Instagram: @staceysimmonsphd * TikTok: @staceysimmonsphd Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/ [https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/] Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ [https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/] Website [https://lisacooperellison.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/] Produced by Espresso Podcast Production [https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com]

Author Platform Strategy: Why Less Effort Gets Better Results with Human Design

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2294303/fan_mail/new] Building an author platform can feel overwhelming, especially when you're doing it alone, on a budget, and wondering if any of it is actually working. In this episode, I sit down with author and adoptee advocate Patricia Knight Meyer to explore a Human Design approach to platform-building that’s rooted in intuition, authentic connection, and knowing where to focus your energy. If you've ever felt like you're grinding away at your platform with nothing to show for it, this one's for you. Episode Highlights * 05:42 The Hidden Reality of Being an Adoptee * 15:54 The Pressure to Build a Platform (and What It Cost Her) * 21:16 The Human Design Reading Neither of Us Expected * 30:55 Saying Yes Before Feeling Ready * 41:03 Why Forcing Visibility Was Never the Answer Resources for this Episode:  * Build an Author Platform that Aligns with Your Design and Nervous System [https://bit.ly/4tSbwiT] * Get Your Free Human Design Report  [https://lisacooperellison.com/free-human-design-report] * Register for Building Better Memoir Scenes [https://bit.ly/42PzlMp] * Ditch Your Inner Critic Now  [https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/] Patricia’s Bio: Patricia Knight Meyer is a journalist, adoption reform advocate, and Baby Scoop Era adoptee. Born in 1970 and trafficked on the black market via a shady attorney who later extorted her parents with the threat of taking her back, she obtained her first legal birth certificate at age 47—a journey she chronicles in her memoir WONDERLAND: Memoir of a Black-Market Baby (Unsolicited Press, November 2026). She founded the adoption blog My Adopted Life and YAYDNA Genetic Greeting Cards, serves on the board of the National Association of Adoptees and Parents (NAAP), hosts the 3rd Friday NAAP Happy Hour, is a sought-after speaker on adoption reform and adoptee rights, and leads memoir writing workshops. Connect with Patricia:   * Instagram: @somebodys_baby and @patriciaknightmeyer * Facebook: @patriciaknightmeyer and @wonderlandthememoir * TikTok: @myadoptedlife * BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/myadoptedlife.bsky.social * Substack: https://substack.com/@myadoptedlife * Medium: https://medium.com/@myadoptedlife Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/ [https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/] Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/ [https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/] Website [https://lisacooperellison.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRg] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/] Produced by Espresso Podcast Production [https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com]