As a clinical psychologist & trauma therapist, my next guest, Dr Ingrid Clayton always strived to help others overcome their pain. But, little did Ingrid know that she, too, carried hidden wounds that she’d yet to fully comprehend.

A fractured self-esteem, substance abuse disorder, perfectionism, & a series of dysfunctional relationships might have indicated that something was amiss, but having been raised in a bewildering haze of gaslighting, Ingrid found herself constantly questioning her own reality.

It wasn't until Ingrid stumbled upon a case study by renowned psychiatrist & writer Dr. Bessel van der Kolk - which eerily mirrored her own experiences - that a profound realisation struck her: the word "trauma" held a deeply personal resonance. 

In her gripping memoir, "Believing Me", Ingrid fearlessly delves into the legacy of childhood trauma inflicted by a narcissistic, abusive step-father & a broken, invalidating & enabling mother. 

As I often say on BRAVE JOURNEYS, Just because you don’t name it or acknowledge it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  And yet, for those who are raised by narcissistic, gaslighting parents, they often doubt their own history, their own truth, & for many, their own sanity.

But when Ingrid's step-father Randy dies, an incontrovertible calling roars from deep within her – urging her to reclaim her narrative & finally tell it in her own words.

 BUT BEFORE YOU GO…

 Find out more about Ingrid here

 Follow Ingrid on Insta here

 Follow Ingrid on Facebook here

 Buy Ingrid’s gripping memoir, "Believing Me" here

 Find out more about Tam here

 Follow Tam on Insta

 Follow BRAVE JOURNEYS on Insta

 Join the conversation and chat about the episode here

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CREDITS:

Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday

With thanks to my special guest: Ingrid Clayton

Audio Editor: Melissa May

With very special thanks to George Weinberg & Ursula Ferguson 

BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrungwho are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.