In this episode of Healing is the Best Revenge, host Karina Hagelin—a survivor, artist, educator, and advocate—talks about their journey of healing from complex trauma and the tools they’ve found useful. The episode centers on coping strategies and self-care practices specifically for managing CPTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder). Karina shares about their featured zine, Surviving to Thriving #3: A Trauma Survival Toolkit, which covers coping techniques like grounding, positive self-talk, journaling, visualization, and creative expression, as well as app recommendations to support these practices.
As a monthly tradition, Karina also introduces a set of November journaling prompts focused on exploring and refining personal coping skills. Questions encourage listeners to reflect on their most effective skills, identify any unhelpful habits, consider harm reduction in their approaches, and assess any gaps in their coping strategies. They also invite listeners to think about ways to document these skills in a format that’s accessible to them.
The episode is a brief, supportive check-in designed to help listeners reflect and strengthen their healing journey. Karina closes by encouraging listeners to share the podcast to help it reach others who may benefit from this supportive space.