In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Different Hats Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Susanna Petche, a GP, trauma specialist, and CPTSD survivor, for one of the most open, vulnerable, and important conversations I’ve ever had on the show.
Susanna shares her lived experience of sexual trauma, misdiagnosis, and the long road to healing. We talk honestly about what it means to be trauma-informed, in healthcare, education, workplaces, and in our day-to-day lives, and why reframing success starts with emotional safety.
🔍 In this episode, we explore:
🎧 Whether you’re a parent, a leader, an educator, or simply someone on your own healing journey, this episode is full of insight, honesty, and, most importantly—hope.
✨ \"Healing is possible for everyone.\" – Dr. Susanna Petche
Key Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
03:52 – What Success Used to Mean (And Why It Changed)
06:26 – The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
11:33 – Why Vulnerability Feels So Hard (Especially in the UK)
15:19 – Is the Education System Emotionally Broken?
22:29 – Ambition After Trauma: Still Striving, But Differently
39:15 – The Body Keeps the Score: Trauma in the Medical System
46:34 – The Need to Teach Boys, Not Just Protect Girls
54:12 – The Corrosive Power of Shame
1:37:33 – Final Message: Healing Is Possible for Everyone
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🌐 Learn more and listen at https://www.different-hats.co.uk/podcast
#TraumaInformed #MentalHealthAwareness #CPTSD #HealingJourney #IWD2025 #RedefiningSuccess #DifferentHatsPodcast #VulnerabilityIsStrength
About Dr Susanna Petche
Dr. Susanna Petche is a GP, innovator, CPTSD survivor, and samba reggae drummer with over 23 years of clinical experience. She specialises in psychological trauma and its impact on the mind, body, and spirit. Susanna is on a mission to raise awareness of psychological trauma and help create a more compassionate, trauma-informed world.
To contact Dr Susanna Petche or find out more click here - https://www.trauma-sense.com/
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
Produced By:
H2 Productions Ltd – https://h2productions.co.uk
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