Healing After Trauma and Loss: Grief, Sobriety, Resilience & Finding Purpose with Nicole B. Gebhardt

Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠⁠Content Note: This episode discusses infant loss, sexual assault, grief, trauma, and sobriety. Please take care of yourself as you listen. How do you begin healing when life changes in ways you never imagined? Grief, trauma, sexual assault, and loss can profoundly affect how we see ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us. But healing isn't about pretending those experiences didn't happen or expecting ourselves to simply move on. In this episode of The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook welcomes Nicole B. Gebhardt for a deeply personal conversation about navigating devastating loss, surviving difficult experiences, choosing sobriety, and discovering what it means to rebuild a life with intention. Nicole shares experiences that have shaped her journey, including sexual assault during college, the heartbreaking loss of her baby, and the choices that became part of her healing. We also explore her advocacy for military spouses, her recognition as National Guard Spouse of the Year, and how she has used her experiences to support others. Together, we consider what it means to acknowledge our pain without allowing it to determine our worth or every choice we make moving forward. In This Episode, We Explore: Healing after trauma and loss: Navigating grief and experiences that change our lives. Sexual assault and institutional accountability: The impact of not receiving the support or response we need. Sobriety and coping patterns: Recognizing when the ways we've learned to cope may no longer be helping us. Self-care during difficult seasons: How small rituals and intentional practices can support emotional well-being. Military spouse advocacy: Building community and support through shared experiences. Resilience and finding purpose: Exploring what it means to move forward without minimizing what we've experienced. Personal agency and self-worth: Recognizing the choices available to us as we navigate healing. A FEEL Reflection: Are the ways you've learned to cope still supporting the person you are today? Healing doesn't have to follow anyone else's timeline. And we don't have to turn every painful experience into something positive for our lives to have meaning. You're Worth All of It. You're Valuable Because of Who You Are, Not What You Do. And You Get to Choose. Ways To Engage: Notice how you respond to unexpected challenges. Do you acknowledge what you're experiencing or feel pressure to keep pushing through? Examine your coping patterns. Are the ways you've learned to cope still helping you? Consider what support might look like today. Is there a person, resource, or practice that could help you navigate this season? Timestamps: Prioritizing Self Care - ( 4:06 ) Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 15:42 ) Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 19:10 ) Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 25:29 ) Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 34:18 ) Living Out of Your Own Expectations - ( 36:16 ) Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself - ( 39:51 ) Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 42:55 ) 5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 47:17 ) 5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 48:38 ) Original Music by Rio & Valencia Saint-Louis ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations.