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

The Writing Your Resilience Podcast is for anyone who wants to use the writing process to flip the script on the stories they’ve been telling themselves, because when we tell better stories about ourselves, we live better lives. Every Thursday, host Lisa Cooper Ellison, an author, speaker, trauma-informed writing coach, and trauma survivor diagnosed with complex PTSD, interviews writers of tough, true stories, people who've developed incredible grit, and professionals in the field of psychology and healing who've studied resilience. Over the past 7 years Lisa has taught writers how to write their resilience. Each time her clients and students have confronted the stories that no longer serve them, they’ve felt a little safer, become a little braver, and revealed more of their true selves. Now, with this podcast, she is creating a space for you to do this work too. Equal parts instruction, motivation, and helpful guide, Writing Your

Writing Your Resilience: Building Resilience, Embracing Trauma and Healing Through Writing is a education podcast hosted by Lisa Cooper Ellison, with 139 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 82. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Lisa Cooper Ellison hosts Writing Your Resilience: Building Resilience, Embracing Trauma and Healing Through Writing, a education show with 139 episodes published.

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

  Summer Rewind: Writing Rituals: Staying Grounded While Being Vulnerable with Natalie Buster

  Sep 3, 202644 min

  Send us Fan Mail About this episode: In this summer rewind episode, I revisit my conversation with yoga therapist and certified death doula Natalie Buster as we grapple with this question: How do you write about really tough, or even traumatic, life events in a way that connects with your audience and the truth, without losing yourself? It’s a question so many writers ask me. Natalie's answers are ones every writer and creative needs to remain open hearted and true to their art and who they are. Episode Highlights 2:28 What Is a Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor? 7:18 Opening the Shop Step One: Grounding 12:07 Opening the Shop Step Two: Breathwork 16:27 Opening the Shop Step Three: Moving Your Body 21:43 The Importance of Play 25:42 Opening the Shop Step Four: The Power of Affirmations 29:11 What Death Teaches Us About Storytelling 35:42 Natalie’s Best Writing Advice 37:10 Closing the Shop Resources for this Episode: Our Year at ABODE Before You Go Bonus Episode: Opening and Closing the Shop Natalie’s Costume How to Locate, Reclaim and Strengthen Your Writing Voice Donate to Abode Natalie’s Bio: Natalie is a yoga therapist, an end-of-life navigator, a certified death doula, a grief reliever, an actor, a podcaster, a writer, and a mentor with a deep desire to help people. As a professional actor in New York City, Natalie first discovered yoga as a way to practice self-care in an incredibly demanding profession. After dealing with personal loss, Natalie found comfort in the world of yoga therapy and has since made it her life's mission to help people find relief and love. Natalie specializes in working with people at the end of life, people experiencing grief, and loss, and performers looking to practice self-care. She is currently serving as the executive director of Abode, an end-of-life home that offers contemplative care for the dying. Connect with Natalie: Websites: https://nataliebuster.wixsite.com/groundedactor https://www.nataliebuster.com/yogaforendoflife https://www.nataliebuster.com/ https://abodehome.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliebusteryoga/ https://www.instagram.com/groundedactorproject/ Building Better Memoir Scenes: 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/ Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

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

  Summer Rewind: When Agents Say No with Jessica Yen

  Aug 20, 202634 min

  Send us Fan Mail About this episode: In this summer rewind episode, I revisit my conversation with Jessica Yen, an alumni of my Camp Structure program and now a coach about the challenges she faced while dealing with discouraging feedback from a literary agent. Join us as we explore how agents think, what the market may–or may not–be looking for, and how to regain your power when difficult feedback knocks you down. Episode Highlights 5:41: The Agent Mindset 10:55: Are We Ready for COVID Stories? 13:12: The Demand for Parenting Books 15:10: Finding Your Book’s Essential Question 24:10: Taking Your Power Back 27:15: A New Take on Writer’s Block Resources for this Episode: Categorically So by Jessica Yen Beauty by Jessica Yen (nominated for a Pushcart Prize) How I Went From “Big 5 or Die!” to Ecstatic Self-Published Author by Denise Massar Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops by Allison Hong-Merrill What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates The True Meaning of Success and The Multiple Paths to Publish Your Book with Courtney Maum Recovering from Cults and Religious Trauma Through Writing with Tia Levings How to Stop Gaslighting Yourself with Ingrid Clayton Jessica’s Bio: Jessica Yen is a Chinese American author who explores the intersection of memory, family, culture, language, identity, and history. Her work has been supported by an Oregon Literary Fellowship, Regional Arts and Culture Council, Caldera Arts, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, and Voices of Our Nations Arts. She is a twice-Pushcart Prize nominated essayist whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in Fourth Genre , The Masters Review , Oregon Humanities , and Best American Travel Writing , among others. She is currently working on a memoir. By day, she writes grants and edits academic manuscripts for non-profits, university departments and scholars, and clinics who seek to address health inequities and works as a wellness coach. You can find her online at www.jessicayen.com . Connect with Jessica: Website: www.jessicayen.com Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less: 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 Building Better Memoir Scenes: 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/ Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

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

  Summer Rewind: Crafting Stories that Ignite the Soul with Sue William Silverman

  Aug 13, 202658 min

  Send us Fan Mail About this episode: In this summer rewind episode, I revisit my conversation with the amazing Sue William Silverman about her craft book Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul. In it, we talk about the power of creative nonfiction, how to use metaphor, masks, and language to harness its power, and how this work can lead to personal growth. Episode Highlights 4:00 Why We Write Creative Nonfiction 8:00 Metaphors in Creative Nonfiction Writing 24:00 Using Masks to Externalize the Narrator and Connect with Their Voice 30:00 Writing, Creativity, and Emotional Truth 36:00 Creative Nonfiction Writing and Personal Growth 42:00 Writing, Memoir, and Essay Collections. 48:00 Writing, Resilience, and Self-Expression Resources for this Episode: “ Innocence & Experience: Voice in Creative Nonfiction ” by Sue William Silverman “ INTERVIEW & REVIEW: Sue William Silverman, Author of Acetylene Torch Songs ” Crafting Meaning in Flash Nonfiction with Sue William Silverman How to Write a Memoir When You Don’t Remember with Sue William Silverman Sue’s Bio: Sue William Silverman is an award-winning author of nine works of nonfiction and poetry. Her new book, "Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader," is a collection of flash essays. Her book on the craft of writing, "Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul," won the 2024 IPPY Silver Award. Her memoir-in-essays collection, "How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences," won the gold star in Foreword Reviews INDIE Book of the Year Award. Other works include "Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction," made into a Lifetime TV movie; "Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You," which won the AWP Award; and "The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew." She’s co-chair of the MFA in Writing program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her media appearances include The View, Anderson Cooper-360, and PBS Books. Connect with Sue: Website: www.SueWilliamSilverman.com Facebook: @SueWilliamSilverman Insta: @suewilliamsilverman Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less: 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 Building Better Memoir Scenes: 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/ Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

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

  Summer Rewind: The Fawning Trauma Response: Ingrid Clayton on Healing People-Pleasing and Codependency

  Jul 23, 202656 min

  Send us Fan Mail Have you been told you’re a people pleaser or found yourself saying yes when you meant no, without even thinking about it? Have a friend who struggles to express their feelings or share their preferences? If so, you might have encountered the fawning trauma response. Join me and Ingrid Clayton, author of Fawning the memoir Believing me, for this summer rewind episode where we unpack the misconceptions regarding this trauma response, share our experience strength and hope, and show you how to join the unfawning revolution she’s spearheading with her new book. Episode Highlights 1:30: The Fawning Trauma Response 5:51: The Problem of Co-dependence 10:04: Complex Trauma’s Impact on Our Nervous Systems 12:50: Fawning’s Influence on Writing 22:29: The Energetic Signature of Your Book 28:45: The Unfawning Process 43:45: The Role of Tears Resources for this Episode: What is the Fawning Trauma Response by Ingrid Clayton How to Stop Gaslighting Yourself with Ingrid Clayton Believing Me by Ingrid Clayton Get Your Free Human Design Report Ditch Your Inner Critic Now Ingrid’s Bio: Ingrid Clayton is a licensed clinical psychologist with a Master’s degree in transpersonal psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She has maintained a thriving private practice in Los Angeles for over seventeen years, supporting individuals in healing trauma, reclaiming agency, and reconnecting to their authentic selves. She's the author of Fawning and Believing Me . Her work has been featured in Oprah Daily , The New York Times , Women’s Health , and Forbes , and she has appeared on podcasts and programs including 10% Happier with Dan Harris , Girls Gotta Eat , and NPR’s On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti . Her latest book, Fawning , addresses an often-overlooked piece of the fight-flight-freeze reaction to trauma—explaining what it is, why it happens, and how to help survivors regain their voice and sense of self. Connect with Ingrid: Website: https://www.ingridclayton.com/ Instagram and YouTube: @IngridClaytonPhD Get a free copy of her PDF on the fawning response: https://www.ingridclayton.com/fawningtraumaresponse Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/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 Building Better Memoir Scenes: 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/ Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

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

  Summer Rewind: Exploring The Loneliness Epidemic with Athena Dixon

  Jul 16, 202650 min

  Send us Fan Mail How do you define loneliness? How did the pandemic impact the way that you define and experienced it? What does success look like for you? What is one positive association you have with being alone? These are just a few of the questions Athena and I explore in this summer rewind episode that tackles the multiple facets of loneliness, how to decide what is for you and what is for the public, and how to create your own definition of success. Episode Highlights 4:00 The Problem of Loneliness 8:00 Establishing Intimacy Between Reader and Writer 11:00 The Skills of Being Honest 16:00 Finding the Vessel for Your Story 20:00 Defining Success for Yourself 27:00 Digital Loneliness 35:49 Intentional Isolation 42:00 Loneliness and Hyper-independence Resources for this Episode: Cherry Picking Pleasure by Athena Dixon (part of her column in Open Secrets Magazine) The Incredible Shrinking Woman by Athena Dixon Get Your Free Human Design Report Ditch Your Inner Critic Now Athena’s Bio: Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Athena Dixon is an essayist and editor. She is the author of The Loneliness Files (Tin House), The Incredible Shrinking Woman (Split/Lip Press) and No God In This Room (Argus House Press). Her work also appears in The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic (Haymarket Books) and Getting to the Truth: The Practice and Craft of Creative Nonfiction (Hippocampus Book). She writes the monthly column Radical Pleasure for Open Secrets Magazine. Athena is an alumni of V.O.N.A., Callaloo, and Tin House and has received a prose fellowship from The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing and a Second Book Residency from Tin House. She serves as the Nonfiction Editor for Split/Lip Press and a Consulting Editor for Fourth Genre Magazine. Connect with Athena Website: https://athenadixon.com/ Instagram: @the_muse_paper Facebook: @AthenaDevonDixon Connect with your host, Lisa: Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/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 Building Better Memoir Scenes: 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/ Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

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