In this powerful and deeply vulnerable episode of TheSelf Aware & F**ked Up Podcast, host Sandtrice Russell (Tree the LPC) sits down with Jamie Hughes—social psychologist, trauma recovery coach, and author—to unpack the lasting impact of childhood trauma on the brain.

Jamie shares his personal story of losing his mother at justeight years old and being forced to live with a father he had never met until her death. In the midst of grieving, he endured emotional abuse for expressing his pain, leading to years of internalized shame and being labeled a “bad child.” His journey of survival and self-discovery ultimately led him into the field of mental health, where social psychology not only gave him the tools to understand his trauma—it saved his life.

Tree also opens up about her own struggles with grief andtrauma after losing her father, and how beginning EMDR therapy became a turning point in her healing. Together, she and Jamie explore how unprocessed trauma can shape behavior, why children are often misunderstood in their pain,and what it takes to finally break free from the labels of the past.

This episode is both an honest reflection and a roadmap foranyone navigating the lifelong effects of trauma while searching for understanding, compassion, and healing.

Connect with Jamie:

Website: beacons.ai/managing_mental_health

IG: instagram.com/managing.mental.health

TikTok: tiktok.com/@managingmentalhealth

For more information on Tree the LPC visit https://linktr.ee/TreetheLPC or the UniqueDestiny.org website. Also be sure to follow @treethelpc on all social media platforms.

To purchase the Minding my Own Mental HealthJournal and other Unique Destiny Merch visit UniqueDestiny.org/shop

This podcast is not a substitute for therapy.