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Health & FitnessMental Health

The Trauma Recovery School

Bonita Ackerman du Preez

The Trauma Recovery School Podcasts examines everyday anxiety that can affect most of us at some point in our lives, but did you realise your anxiety may have been caused by a specific traumatic event in the past? These insightful and interesting discussions look at the relationship between trauma, anxiety, stress and what can be done to tackle the intrusive thoughts and the ‘anxiety spiral’ so many of us experience.

Bonita Ackerman du Preez, Founder of The Trauma Recovery School is an award-winning master trauma recovery therapist, trainer and coach specialising in anxiety, stress, PTSD, confidence, and resilience.
Bonita utilises the unique Integrated Trauma System to provide support, education and understanding regarding trauma-related anxiety.
These podcasts are especially designed to help take you from anxiety to awareness and beyond.

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  • 22 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 4 min
  • English

Episodes 22

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  • August 24 · 3 min

    #131 Why You Say Yes When You Mean No | The Trauma Response Behind People-Pleasing

    In this episode, we explore the fawn response and how trauma can influence your ability to say no, set boundaries, and listen to what you actually want. You'll learn why people-pleasing can feel automatic, why saying no may trigger fear or guilt, and how repeatedly overriding your own needs can affect your relationships, emotional wellbeing, and sense of self.

  • August 17 · 3 min

    #130 Why You Can't Relax After Trauma | When Rest Doesn't Feel Safe

    In this video, we explore the connection between trauma, nervous system regulation and the inability to rest, and why being physically inactive isn't always the same as experiencing genuine rest. You'll learn: Why you can feel exhausted but still struggle to relax Why sitting still can trigger racing thoughts or anxiety How trauma can keep your nervous system in a heightened state of alertness Why accepting help or slowing down can feel uncomfortable Why taking a holiday doesn't always resolve chronic exhaustion The connection between trauma, the stress response and rest Why creating nervous system safety is an important part of trauma recovery The goal isn't simply to tell you to sleep more, take a holiday or "try harder" to relax.

  • August 11 · 4 min

    #129 How Trauma Damages Self-Trust | Rebuilding Confidence in Your Own Decisions

    In this episode, we explore the connection between trauma and self-trust, and why repeatedly doubting yourself can become a learned survival pattern rather than a personality flaw. You'll learn: Why trauma can affect self-trust and decision-making Why you may constantly seek reassurance from other people How people pleasing and perfectionism can be connected to self-doubt Why repeatedly questioning yourself can become a learned pattern How small, consistent actions can help rebuild trust in yourself Why the Reprogram phase of the Trauma Recovery Method™ focuses on creating new patterns and responses Rebuilding self-trust isn't about forcing yourself to suddenly become confident.

  • July 27 · 4 min

    #127 How to Find Yourself Again After Trauma | Returning to Your True Self

    In this episode, we explain why returning to yourself rarely happens through one life-changing moment. Instead, it often develops through small, repeated experiences that teach the nervous system safety. You'll learn how identity, trauma, and nervous system regulation are connected, and why lasting recovery is built gradually through consistent, neuroscience-informed practices.

  • July 20 · 4 min

    #126 Why You Don't Feel Like Yourself Anymore | Trauma & Identity

    In this episode, we explore how trauma can influence identity, why the nervous system creates protective behaviours, and the difference between your survival self and your authentic self. You'll also learn why recovery is not about becoming someone new, but about helping the brain and body feel safe enough to reconnect with who you have always been.

  • July 13 · 5 min

    #125 Why Trauma Lives in the Body | The Missing Piece in Recovery

    In this episode, we explain how trauma can become a long-standing survival response within the nervous system and why recovery is not simply about positive thinking or relaxation. You'll learn why regulation is built through repeated experiences of safety, how the brain and body work together, and why lasting change often requires a structured approach rather than relying on a single technique.

  • July 6 · 4 min

    #124 Why You Feel Unwell When Medical Tests Are Normal | Trauma & The Nervous System

    In this episode, we explore how trauma can affect the nervous system and why the body may continue responding as though danger is still present. You'll learn how survival responses can influence physical sensations, why these reactions are not a sign of personal weakness, and why nervous system regulation is an important part of trauma recovery.

  • June 22 · 5 min

    #122 Why You Still Feel Stuck After Therapy | Trauma Explained

    In this episode, we explore why trauma is more than a memory of the past. Trauma can influence how the brain predicts the future, how the nervous system responds to uncertainty, and how individuals relate to themselves and others. You’ll learn why feeling stuck is often linked to survival patterns that prioritise protection over progress.

  • June 15 · 4 min

    #121 Negative Self-Talk & Trauma | What Your Brain Learned

    In this episode, we explore how trauma can influence the brain’s focus on protection, prediction, and threat detection. You’ll learn why criticism, self-doubt, and fear-based thinking can become deeply ingrained patterns, and why simply trying to think positively often doesn’t create lasting change.

  • June 8 · 3 min

    #120 Why the voice in your head is not telling the truth.

    In this episode, we explore how the brain learns to use internal dialogue as a form of protection. You’ll learn why the inner voice often anticipates rejection, avoids shame, and constantly scans for risk, as well as why understanding these patterns does not automatically change them.

  • May 25 · 4 min

    #119 Why high achievers living with trauma feel worse despite success

    In this episode, we explore how the nervous system can begin associating achievement with safety, control, and self-worth. You’ll learn why stillness can feel uncomfortable, why the body stays in motion even during rest, and how survival patterns can quietly drive overworking and perfectionism.

  • May 18 · 4 min

    #118 Why High Achievers Burn Out | Trauma & Survival Mode

    In this episode, we explore how the nervous system can associate achievement with safety, validation, and control. You’ll learn why productivity can become a coping mechanism, how survival patterns drive overworking and burnout, and why insight alone does not change these deeply wired responses.

  • May 12 · 4 min

    #117 Why overthinking makes trauma & PTSD feel worse!

    In this episode, we explore how trauma can change the role of thinking, shifting it from clarity to protection. You’ll learn how the brain scans for potential threats, why mental overactivity becomes automatic, and why insight alone does not stop these patterns.

  • May 4 · 4 min

    #116 Why Your Mind Won’t Switch Off | Trauma & Overthinking

    In this Episode, we explore how trauma can change the role of thinking, shifting it from clarity to protection. You’ll learn how the brain scans for potential threats, why mental overactivity becomes automatic, and why insight alone does not stop these patterns.

  • April 27 · 6 min

    #115 Why You Feel Worse When Life Calms Down | Trauma Explained

    In this episode, we explore how the brain’s threat system remains active even when the environment is safe, and why calm can be misinterpreted as a signal that something is wrong. You’ll learn how survival patterns are reinforced over time, how the body can associate stillness with danger, and why relaxation can feel difficult or unsafe.

  • April 20 · 3 min

    #114 Why You Overthink & Self-Sabotage | Trauma & Shame

    In this episode, we explore how shame differs from guilt, how it becomes identity-based, and how it can quietly influence behaviour over time. You’ll learn how unprocessed experiences can lead the brain to internalise events, creating long-standing beliefs such as “something is wrong with me” or “I’m not enough.”

  • April 13 · 6 min

    #113 Why Trauma Is Draining Your Body | Nervous System Survival Mode

    In this episode, we explore how trauma keeps the body in survival mode, leading to ongoing stress hormone activation. You’ll learn how this can affect the immune system, increase physical tension, disrupt sleep and hormones, and reduce the body’s ability to repair and restore itself.

Showing 1–20 of 22 episodes