Untangling the Past: Dr. Joan Peters on Psychoanalysis, Childhood Trauma, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

Episode Summary:
In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of Linda's Corner: Inspiration for a Better Life, I’m joined by Dr. Joan Peters—professor emeritus of literature and writing at California State University and author of Untangling: A Memoir of Psychoanalysis. Together, we explore Joan’s deeply personal journey through psychoanalysis as she worked to understand the hidden roots of lifelong nightmares, inner turmoil, and a mystery that lingered since childhood.

From the outside, Joan’s family appeared ordinary—a mother, a stepfather, a brother, and a seemingly normal life. But beneath the surface, she was waking up screaming multiple times a week, haunted by dreams where someone was trying to kill her. Why?

The trauma didn’t come from abuse—it came from a little girl’s desperate attempt to make sense of the incomprehensible. When Joan was born, her father was dying of cancer. Her overwhelmed mother administered morphine shots to ease his suffering, often while Joan sat nearby in her high chair. Though she couldn’t understand what was happening, Joan felt that something was terribly wrong—and she internalized the grief, fear, and silence around her. When her father died just before her second birthday, his memory was erased from family life, never to be mentioned again.

Through decades of silence and self-blame, Joan carried the belief that she was responsible—that she was the "angel of death," and that someone would one day kill her because she was bad.

In this moving conversation, Joan shares how psychoanalysis helped her unravel the stories she created to explain her pain—and how retelling those stories with compassion became the key to healing. We also discuss the power of acknowledging trauma, the danger of unspoken grief, and how rewriting our inner narratives can transform our lives.

Learn more and connect with Dr. Peters at UntanglingJoan.com.

Key Topics Covered:

• The hidden impact of early childhood trauma
• How children internalize grief and pain
• The silence surrounding death and how it affects family dynamics
• The power of psychoanalysis in untangling subconscious fears
• Rewriting our personal narratives to find peace and healing
  
  

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Website: HopeForHealingFoundation.org
Podcast: Linda’s Corner: Inspiration for a Better Life
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Spring Flower: A Journey Through Generational Trauma, War, and Hope with Dr. Richard Perkins-Hsung

Episode Description:
In this profoundly moving episode of Linda’s Corner: Inspiration for a Better Life, we sit down with Dr. Richard Perkins-Hsung—university professor, son of immigrants, and the devoted compiler of his late mother Jean’s extraordinary memoir, Spring Flower. Together, we explore the deep impact of the immigrant experience and generational trauma, as seen through the lens of Jean’s powerful life story.

Jean was born into extreme poverty in China, where girls were considered worthless, and female infants were often abandoned. Her own mother endured the ancient, brutal custom of foot binding, breaking and reshaping feet to meet cultural ideals. As an infant, Jean survived one of the deadliest natural disasters of the 20th century when the Yangtze River flooded, killing millions through drowning, famine, and disease.

Miraculously, Jean was adopted by compassionate American missionaries who devoted their lives to serving the Chinese people. From there, Jean’s journey would span Japanese occupation during World War II, a fateful encounter with Mahatma Gandhi, the terror of the Communist Revolution, and a dramatic escape to the United States—all while leaving behind a husband and daughter.

Through Jean’s story, we see history come alive—her resilience, sacrifice, and determination shaped not only her son Richard’s childhood but also the generational narrative passed down through trauma and healing.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The devastating culture of gender inequality in early 20th-century China
• Jean’s survival through the Yangtze River flood and WWII
• Her inspiring American missionary adoptive parents and their humanitarian work
• Life under Mao’s Communist Revolution and the personal cost of political upheaval
• Jean’s heartbreaking separation from her husband and daughter
• Richard’s journey as an immigrant boy in America and how his mother’s legacy shaped him
• The importance of understanding ancestral stories to find personal healing and identity
• The creation of Spring Flower, Jean’s posthumous memoir, honoring her voice and life

Dr. Richard Perkins-Hsung offers deep insights into how historical trauma becomes generational, and how retelling these stories with compassion can become a tool for healing.

Connect with Dr. Richard Perkins-Hsung:
🌐 YangtzeRiverByTheHudsonBay.site

🌐 https://richardperkinshsung.com/

Mentioned in the Episode:
📘 Spring Flower – A memoir of resilience, love, and survival through war, poverty, and generational trauma.

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Discover free resources to increase happiness, build confidence, improve relationships, manage stress, and calm feelings of depression and anxiety at the Hope for Healing website: hopeforhealingfoundation.org.

For a transformative experience in deep inner healing, visit healingbreathworkdetox.com—a digital platform offering life-changing results.

Become the champion of your own story as you overcome life’s challenges and unlock your full potential!

Now I See the Good, Not Just the Pain: Julie Barth’s Story of Resilience, Healing, and Hope

Episode Description:
In this deeply moving episode of Linda’s Corner: Inspiration for a Better Life, we welcome Julie Barth—trauma survivor, devoted mother of six, author of Notes from a Blackberry, and founder of the Colin James Barth Outreach. Julie opens her heart and shares a powerful story of navigating life through profound grief, trauma, chronic medical challenges, and ultimately finding hope and healing.

Julie is the mother of Tatum, a remarkable young woman living with primordial dwarfism—a rare and complex condition. At just 24 years old and weighing 24 pounds, Tatum has endured over 40 surgeries, countless medical challenges, and even a battle with a rare form of cancer. Despite severe physical limitations, Tatum shines as a self-taught artist and a bright light of joy to those around her.

For years, Julie carried the heavy belief that she needed to “fix” Tatum—believing that joy and fulfillment could only come if her daughter were “normal.” Over time, she came to a life-changing realization: Tatum is the hero of her own story, and it's okay to let go of the need to fix what simply is. Julie now embraces the journey with love, acceptance, and presence.

Amidst the ongoing health challenges, Julie’s husband Colin was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. His passing left her with deep survivor's guilt and the immense weight of parenting through grief. Eventually, she remarried—but the relationship became emotionally and financially abusive. Trapped in a cycle of self-blame and suffering, Julie believed she deserved to be punished and lived for years on auto-pilot—pretending to be happy while trying to outrun the pain of her past.

Her healing journey began when she bravely chose to stop pretending and start unpacking the trauma she had carried for so long. Julie now uses her experiences to fuel her passion for helping others. As CEO and founder of the Colin James Barth Outreach, she supports women-led households by providing the resources and aid needed to find security and stability in times of crisis.

Julie’s story is raw, courageous, and incredibly inspiring—a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of healing.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Parenting a child with a rare condition and over 40 surgeries
• Why letting go of the need to “fix” can open the door to deeper connection and joy
• Losing her beloved husband Colin to cancer and the aftermath of grief
• Surviving an abusive relationship and rediscovering her worth
• Learning to face the past in order to create a better future
• Julie’s mission to help other women rebuild their lives with dignity and hope
• Her powerful book Notes from a Blackberry and the story behind it

Connect with Julie Barth:
📖 JulieBarthAuthor.net
💛 CJBOutreach.org