Apr 10 2025 53 mins
This week, I’m joined by someone whose work has profoundly shaped my own healing journey—Dr. Hillary McBride. A psychologist, researcher, author, and speaker, Hillary is a leading voice in the integration of embodiment, spirituality, and trauma recovery. We discuss her personal story as well as themes from her powerful new book, Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing.
Whether you’ve struggled with body image, experienced spiritual harm, or simply long to feel more whole—this conversation is for you.
We explore:
* Hillary’s story of healing from an eating disorder—and how it led her into her life’s work
* Why body image issues are never just about the body
* How trauma fragments our nervous system and disrupts our sense of safety, trust, and self
* What spiritual trauma is and how it can quietly take root in early beliefs and experiences
* How our attachment to God is often shaped by relational wounds—and what healing can look like
Order your copy of Holy Hurt here
Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here.
If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love:
Episode 48: Loving Your Body as a Spiritual Practice, Why the Flesh Isn’t the Body, and 3 Heresies We Kind of Believe
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Editing by Giulia Hjort
Music by Andy Luiten
Sound editing by Kelly Kramarik
While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.
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