Reversing Trauma, Releasing Shame: How Validation & Healthy Anger Heal

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In Part Two of this ANEW Insight conversation, Dr. Supatra Tovar continues with psychotherapist, speaker, and anger expert Bronwyn Schweigerdt to unpack what it really means to reverse trauma—and why validation, healthy anger, and embodied integration are central to healing.

Bronwyn explains why two people can live through the same event yet have very different outcomes: it’s not only the incident, but the “trauma behind the trauma”—the unvalidated anger, self-directed rage, avoidance, and shame left unprocessed in the body. Through clear examples (Tom vs. Terrance), she shows how attunement and empathy protect children, while invalidation breeds isolation, self-blame, and PTSD symptoms that can persist into adulthood.

You’ll hear how shame functions like self-disgust/self-hatred, driving disordered eating, gut issues, compulsions, and substance use—often layered atop repressed anger. Bronwyn shares her integration exercise step-by-step: feel the sensation in the body, follow it back to the imprinting memory, then re-parent that younger self with validation, protection, and a symbolic “return” of misassigned shame. The result? More grounded boundaries, reduced reactivity, and genuine relief.

The episode also explores:

• Medication & emotions: how a “numb the feeling” paradigm can delay core healing—and how to align short-term pharmacologic support with the long-term goal of feeling your feelings.
• Severe diagnoses: a striking case where recognizing a chronically invalidating parent, setting firm boundaries, and honoring anger correlated with resolution of psychotic symptoms.
• Parenting for resilience: why authoritative (not authoritarian) parenting works—validating feelings, owning mistakes, apologizing, repairing, and modeling growth so kids learn, “I get to be human.”
  
  

If you’ve ever wondered how to actually move through trauma rather than manage it forever, this conversation gives you a practical roadmap rooted in compassion, embodiment, and truth-telling.

What You’ll Learn

• The “trauma behind the trauma” and why invalidation magnifies harm
• How shame + avoided anger lodge in the body and fuel symptoms
• A simple, repeatable integration exercise to dislodge shame
• Authoritative parenting scripts that validate without capitulating
• When meds help, when they hinder—and how to pair them with therapy
• How boundaries, validation, and healthy anger restore self-trust
  
  

Timestamps
 [00:00] Reversing trauma: anger, shame, and the “trauma behind the trauma”
 [03:00] Tom vs. Terrance: empathy as protection, isolation as injury
 [06:00] Evoking (not bypassing) feelings before validation
 [07:30] Shame, self-disgust, and links to eating/gut issues & compulsions
 [10:00] The integration exercise: tracing sensations to imprinting memories
 [11:30] Severe illness case study: boundaries and symptom resolution
 [16:00] From anger to compas

Thank you for joining us on this journey to wellness. Remember, the insights and advice shared on the ANEW Body Insight Podcast are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine. To learn more about the podcast and stay updated on new episodes, visit ANEW Body Insight Podcast at anew-insight.com. To watch this episode on YouTube, visit @my.anew.insight. Follow us on social media at @my.anew.insight on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads for more updates and insights. Thank you for tuning in! Stay connected with us for more empowering stories and expert guidance. Until next time, stay well and keep evolving with ANEW Body Insight!