Kathleen Murphy: What It Means to Come Home to Yourself

Kathleen Murphy: What It Means to Come Home to Yourself

From Human School by Miles Adcox

March 23, 2026 · 1h 39m · Episode 20

About this episode

Kathleen Murphy shares her journey from trauma and addiction to becoming a respected trauma clinician, exploring themes of self-worth and personal growth.

If something in this episode resonated, it might be worth a conversation. Onsite offers intensive workshops near Nashville and San Diego for people navigating burnout, trauma, relationships, and addiction. One free call with their team can help you find the right fit. Visit ⁠experienceonsite.com⁠ or call 1-800-341-7432. Have you ever been so buried in survival that you couldn't feel your own worth? What if everything you survived was quietly shaping you into exactly the person someone else needs? Kathleen Murphy, M.A., LMFT, LPC, is one of the most respected trauma clinicians in the field. Before that, she was homeless, addicted, and living on the streets with a one-year-old daughter, cycling through fourteen treatment programs before her life changed. She opens up about her childhood trauma and how it stuck with her, growing up as "a sin" in her mother's eyes, and what it felt like to be "symbolically annihilated." She reveals how Viktor Frankl’s book, a newspaper found on the street, and a shelter bed that arrived two weeks instead of six months later changed everything — and how those experiences became the foundation for the way she teaches today. She goes…

People in this episode

Host: Miles Adcox

Guest: Kathleen Murphy

Topics covered

  • trauma
  • self-worth
  • addiction
  • burnout
  • personal growth
  • mental health

Keywords

  • trauma
  • self-worth
  • addiction
  • burnout
  • mental health
  • personal growth
  • recovery

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Onsite, experienceonsite.com

Books & works: Viktor Frankl’s book

More episodes of Human School

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Human School podcast page.