Trigger / Content Warning: I want to be sure my listeners are aware that in this episode we will be talking (in general terms) about sexual abuse.
This week’s episode will be a little different. My guest is not an author or a speaker, but instead is an everyday mom who attended one of my Empty Nest, Full Life Retreats. It was at the retreat that she shared her story with me, and I was so touched by it that I asked if she would share her story here on the podcast.
My guest is Katrina Cowen, a mom to five adult children, and a counselor with a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling. But as she shares today, her pursuit of counseling was actually unexpected, and came through her own journey of processing events she had miscategorized from her childhood.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- The importance of digging into the depths of your story
- How shame clouds the lens we look at life through
- Why we can be confident that God’s faithfulness remains through the highs and lows of life
- That it is never too late for you to pursue a new calling or a life-long passion
Katrina truly has so much wisdom to share, and I am eager to share this episode with you!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Katrina’s Counseling Website
- When Abortion is Part of Your Story with Pat Layton | Episode 52
- Empty Nest Full Life Retreat (Join the waitlist to be notified about this year’s retreat!)
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks!
My Key Takeaways:
1) Negative experiences in our past have an impact on our lives today. As we heard Katrina share, we often repress memories of abuse, trauma, and hard experiences from our past. Although we may not remember them, the negative impact from that event still pops up in our daily life. It’s important to take the time to reflect on your past and experiences, maybe even writing out a timeline of your life with the significant memories, both positive and negative, noted. Take the time to sit with your story and consider how each of those events shaped you as a person and what impact they have had on your life today.
2) You are worthy of healing. It can be easy to say that we want to move on and just “leave the past in the past.” But the truth is, our unresolved past never stays hidden. I know it will hurt to have to sort through your past and to come to terms with the ways you were hurt or even how you hurt others, but on the other side is healing. You are loved and worthy of pursuing wholeness and healing.
3) God can redeem your past. There is no story that cannot be redeemed. God knows all of the hurt and shame you may feel. He knows the dreams you gave up. God may not restore the exact plan you had for your life before, but I promise that He has a better one for you. He desires to walk with you towards healing.
4) Awareness is the first step. I really appreciated how Katrina consistently brought this up during our conversation. When it comes to our story, we don’t have to be in a rush to process it. The first step is awareness, and it’s okay for us to move at the pace that’s realistic for us to move forward from that place.
About Katrina:
Katrina Cowen has a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary and is a counselor for Compass Christian Counseling. Her own experiences with suffering and challenging transitions led her to pursue a degree in counseling. Katrina’s hope through sharing her story and counseling others is to help them as she has been helped. Katrina has five adult children and lives in central Kentucky with her husband, David.
