Jacqueline Pfadt is a consultant for financial reporting systems & IT support services and the author of PTSD Raw and Real: A Reason for Hope and Motivation to Fight On. Having survived sexual abuse as a child and reclaimed her life through therapeutic work, Jackie bears witness to her lived experience through PTSD Raw and Real to help others cope with the struggles of trauma and healing. She is a staunch supporter and advocate of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and the ALS Association North Ohio Chapter, using her voice to raise awareness for these important issues.

Jackie joins me today to share her life’s story—from surviving childhood sexual abuse to reclaiming her life. She explains how her mother supported her through her journey and how learning to let go of expectations healed their relationship. She discusses the value of normalizing conversations about trauma and describes how writing letters, journals, and her book helped her find her voice and speak her truth. She also highlights how working with an individual therapist, having a community of abuse survivors, and sharing her story publicly contributed to her path to wholeness and healing.

“I want to be a witness to what I’ve experienced and be with others. By being willing and open, you help others become brave and vulnerable.” - Jackie Pfadt

This week on the Trauma Hiders Club Podcast:

• Why Jackie wrote PTSD Raw and Real
• Her source of hope and motivation and why she writes and speaks about trauma
• Surviving childhood trauma and getting to the next level of healing
• What it took for Jackie to open up and receive support
• How acceptance and letting go allowed Jackie to connect with her mother and heal their relationship
• The power of journaling in overcoming the barriers to therapy
• How rage, shame, and trauma can make people reject others
• How a support group of abuse survivors helped Jackie speak her truth
• The reason Jackie decided to use her name instead of a pen name when she wrote PTSD Raw and Real
• How she cultivated the courage to accept her story and share it with the world
• Why non-veterans get PTSD and the importance of normalizing conversations about trauma
• Learning to let go of control and staying present in the moment of healing

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

Connect with Jackie Pfadt:

• Book: PTSD Raw and Real: A Reason for Hope and Motivation to Fight on
• Jackie Pfadt on LinkedIn

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