“The Trauma Chronicles” Produced and Hosted By Cynthia Toussaint & John Garrett
Beginning in February 2022, For Grace’s “The Trauma Chronicles” series will stream monthly via Facebook Live in partnership with The Mighty, the leading online site for chronic illness advocacy. The show will be produced and hosted by For Grace leaders Cynthia Toussaint and John Garrett who’ll interview leading experts about trauma as a catalyst for chronic illness as well as how many survivors move on to healing and positivity. The show will air live on The Mighty FB pages including Chronic Illness, PTSD and their flagship FB page, The Mighty Site.
This educational series will explore trauma, in its multitudinous forms (generational, childhood, adult-onset, societal, global, etc.), and how it can adversely impact personal health and wellness, both physically and mentally. By interviewing survivors, authors and healthcare professionals, “The Trauma Chronicles” will perhaps more importantly shed light on how to recover and progress to the transformative growth phase (Post-traumatic growth) where victims empower themselves to emerge stronger, more focused and with a new and clear vision for the future.
Join Cynthia and John every fourth Tuesday of the month @ 1pm PST at The Mighty for a lively interview that’ll explore the many dimensions of trauma – while inspiring those challenged by this dynamic to grow and thrive!
Upcoming Guests
TBA
Past Shows
Mahshid Hager
Mahshid Hager, MFT, was born in Tehran, Iran. Her family relocated to Germany in 1981, where she spent her teenage years. After finishing high school, she moved to the United States to fulfill her dream of studying abroad. Her lived experience as an immigrant give her a unique understanding of cultural and social impacts and systemic inequities. Mahshid is a licensed Marriage and family Therapist in the state of California. After earning her undergraduate degree in Psychology, she received her Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from San Diego State University. Mahshid then studied the work of Dr. Peter Levine and became certified in his Somatic Experiencing® approach, a body-based naturalistic approach to healing trauma.
To view Mahshid’s September 22nd episode of the “The Trauma Chronicles”, please link HERE.
Stephanie Weaver
Stephanie Weaver, MPH, is a speaking coach, chronic illness advocate, migraine sufferer and the author of The Migraine Relief Plan and The Migraine Relief Plan Cookbook. She is a childhood sexual abuse survivor and has lived with chronic pain since 1983, when she fell roller skating and cracked a vertebrae. She’s explored multiple healing modalities over the years to deal with her pain conditions, which eventually led to a diagnosis of CFS and fibromyalgia in 2003. She’s had six surgeries, the first when she was 17 to remove an ovarian cyst, two hernias repaired, a spinal fusion and a revision, and most recently, the removal of half her thyroid due to a small thyroid cancer. She’s a big believer in resilience, healing, and the power of forgiveness.
To view Stephanie’s August 30th episode of “The Trauma Chronicles”, please link HERE.
Dr. Jennifer Pierce
Jennifer Pierce, PhD, is a Research Investigator in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and received her doctorate in Social and Health Psychology from Wayne State University. As a principal investigator at the Back & Pain Center, she conducts research aimed at understanding the impact of trauma on pain phenotype and pain-related behavior. She is also interested in extending this mechanistic work to interventions for people with pain, as well as for individuals who experience trauma and exhibit a pain vulnerable phenotype. She is the Principal Investigator of the Pain and Social Experiences Project at the Back & Pain Center.
To view Dr. Pierce’s extraordinary April 26th episode of “The Trauma Chronicles”, please link HERE.
Heather Grace
Heather Grace has worked in the health industry and with nonprofits throughout her career, most recently with the Council On Aging’s Southern California chapter as Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator. For nearly a decade, Heather worked in Continuing Medical Education where she launched the first live online CME event in 1998. Some of the organizations she’s worked with include: Psychiatric Times, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and NAMI. Heather is a trauma survivor and woman in pain as well. She’s had the genetic condition Ehlers Danlos Syndrome her whole life. Following a serious car accident and a work injury, she was diagnosed with CRPS & Intractable Pain in 2006. Heather believes that she achieved Post-Traumatic Growth by focusing on wellness in every aspect of her life, using a holistic/integrative approach.
To view Heather’s February 22nd episode of “The Trauma Chronicles”, please link HERE.
Ingrid Brown
Ingrid Brown is a woman in pain and trauma survivor. After experiencing a serious childhood car accident, she’s suffered with Type 1 diabetes and Rheumatoid Arthritis, and, until recently, enjoyed a career as a Clinical Dietician to help people like her live their best lives. Several years ago, Ingrid endured a harrowing medical trauma that left her with additional chronic pain. Since then, she struggles to stay active, adjusting to a life more quiet than she intended. Still, she maintains physical and mental well-being by doing Barre Method class every day along with swimming and biking. Ingrid continues to share her trauma experiences, in part to help others avoid the pitfalls of medical procedures.
To view Ingrid’s March 29th episode of “The Trauma Chronicles”, please link HERE.
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See you at The Mighty’s Mighty Site Facebook Page!
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Past For Grace Live Shows in Partnership with The Mighty
Miracle Makers (2019)
Also catch the archive of “Miracle Makers“, For Grace’s 2019 live stream show on The Mighty – where Cynthia interviewed inspiring women who are making the world a better place for Women In Pain!
The Pain-Cancer Connection (2020)
Also catch the archive of “The Pain-Cancer Connection”, For Grace’s 2020 live stream show on The Mighty – where Cynthia interviewed healthcare practitioners, researchers and survivors about the under-appreciated link between cancer and chronic pain!
The Trauma-Illness Paradigm (2021)
Also catch the archive of “The Trauma-Illness Paradigm”, For Grace’s 2021 live stream show on The Mighty – where Cynthia and John interviewed healthcare practitioners and survivors about the emerging connection between trauma and chronic illness!