Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — A few days ago, I was the witness to a very tragic accident, and the experience affected me very deeply. I reached out to a renowned #trauma specialist, and the advice she gave me changed my life. In this episode, you will hear that incredible advice because she allowed me to record it. Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald, PhD, a best-selling author and professor, reveals the 5 essential things you need to know about trauma so you can finally move forward with your life. Listen, and I will help you pick up the remote control for your brain and turn OFF the trauma loop. What’s the trauma loop? You may be in it and not know it: if you get triggered and have no idea why (and this expert says we almost never know why), have flashbacks playing in your head over and over again, the trauma loop is at play. With the help of our expert, Dr. MaryCatherine, you and I unpack (in real time) the accident I witnessed and how it affected me. With compassion and clarity, she explains what trauma really is and how to heal from it. You will learn and benefit from her decades of research and clinical experience. Dr. McDonald is one of the few experts who explains trauma and how to heal it in a way that is easy to understand, and her 5 truths will change the way you relate to yourself forever. The strategies and science in this episode will help you: - Know what to do 4–24 hours after the traumatic event occurs. - Understand the ‘trauma loop’ so you can identify when you are stuck and how to get out. - Properly process traumatic events, even if they were deep in the past. - Spot myths about trauma that even psychologists don’t understand. - Know what narrative psychology is and why it’s proven to work. - Uncover and heal from your flashbacks, looped thoughts, and triggers. - Learn why you and your siblings have different memories of the same events. - How to calm your nervous system and be present with your emotions And I want to be upfront with you: yes, today’s episode is powerful, and it’s also a serious topic. If this isn’t the right time for you to listen, I understand completely. Just bookmark it so you can come back to it later. I’m not going anywhere. Xo Mel In this episode: 00:00 Intro 02:44 Something scary happened that left me feeling traumatized. 06:07 How full panic hit me in this exact moment 12:09 What narrative psychology is and why it’s proven to work 14:23 Understand the ‘trauma loop’ so you can identify when you are stuck. 17:15 How your brain processes a normal event or memory 19:04 How your brain processes a traumatic event 22:02 Understand why you have flashbacks, looped thoughts, and triggers. 28:03 How EMDR can integrate traumatic memories properly 29:19 Why do you and your siblings have different memories of the same events? 34:57 Why the feeling of shame around having a trauma response is normal 41:16 3 ways to calm your nervous system and be present with your emotions 45:38 The biggest myth about triggers that psychologists even get wrong #healing #healingjourney — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com​ — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins​?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah