In this heartfelt and vulnerable episode, Donna opens up about a significant moment in her healing journey — the resurfacing of a repressed memory of childhood sexual trauma. She shares how the memory came through, the intense emotional and energetic unraveling that followed, and the powerful insights she gained about shame, identity, meaning-making, and self-responsibility.

Key points covered:

Why this episode felt vulnerable to record

Understanding the difference between hard and soft trauma

The power of meaning-making and how it shapes our identity

Releasing shame, grief, rage, and dissociation from the body

Donna’s multi-layered healing process and emotional clearing

The moment she reclaimed compassion and forgiveness

Why responsibility is not blame — it’s empowerment

💡 Resources & Mentions:

Charlotte — Donna’s mentor and therapist: charlotte@charlottechalkley.com

This episode is an invitation to reflect, release, and reclaim your power after trauma. Donna gently reminds us that while we can’t always control what happens, we do have the power to choose what it means moving forward.

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You can find out more about me and what I'm up to at my website https://donnajoyusher.com. You can check out my author site at https://donnajoyusher.com/books. If you want to check out Savage Boho Studio, my handmade crystal and copper jewellery go to https://savagebohostudio.com and use the coupon code PODCAST as my gift to you to get a 10% discount.

I want to also say an amazing thank you to the creator of the music I have used in my show intro and outro. It is a piece called Liquid Time by Aakash Gandhi who has generously made royalty free background music for videos or vlogs personal and commercial use. You can read more about him, and download his music, here: https://happysoulmusic.com/aakash-gandhi/

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