Healing Trauma Beyond Words: Brain, Body, and Spirit with Julia Hassall
From Hope Illuminated Podcast: Helping the Helpers Bring Light to Life’s Darkest Moments by Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas
March 30, 2026 · 47 min
About this episode
Julia Hassall shares her journey of healing after profound loss and discusses the limitations of traditional talk therapy.
In this episode of Hope Illuminated, I sit down with Julia Hassell to explore what it really looks like to heal after profound loss.Julia’s story is both heartbreaking and deeply inspiring. After losing her father to suicide and navigating multiple losses in her family, she found herself on a path to understand trauma at a much deeper level. What she discovered challenged everything she thought she knew about mental health and healing.Together, we talk about how trauma lives in the body, why traditional talk therapy can sometimes fall short, and how approaches like brainspotting and somatic work can help us process what words cannot. We also explore the role of spirituality, continuing bonds with loved ones, and the powerful idea that pain can become a doorway to purpose.If you’ve ever felt stuck in your healing journey, this conversation offers both hope and a new way forward. For more information on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/162
People in this episode
Guest: Julia Hassall
Topics covered
- healing
- trauma
- mental health
- spirituality
- loss
Keywords
- brainspotting
- somatic work
- continuing bonds
- purpose
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Healing Trauma Beyond Words
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