Episode 130: The Story She Stopped Editing: Healing Through the Language of Scars
Wed Feb 04 2026
In this episode, Tracey shares the powerful parallels between the physical scars she carries and the emotional ones she spent years learning to understand. At eight years old, Tracey survived life-threatening burns when a candle ignited her homemade costume. She recalls going into survival mode instantly, brushing off her pain, and learning early on to fix problems quickly and minimize her own needs. This became the pattern that shaped much of her life. Tracey later joined the Coast Guard and found herself walking directly into the wounds of trauma through search-and-rescue missions. She reflects on how she often rescued others while subconsciously longing to be rescued herself. Many missions shifted from rescue to recovery, and the adrenaline kept her disconnected from her internal world. When her military career ended, Tracey felt bored, depressed, and untethered — not realizing this was the collapse that followed years of unaddressed trauma. It wasn't until 2014–2015 that she learned what PTSD truly was, and it took even longer before she sought therapy. She describes how she once believed therapy was a place for "pity parties," only to discover it was the compass she needed. Tracey talks about how humour became her deflection, isolation became her norm, and self-help strategies could only take her so far. Her turning point came when she recognized that she had choices — real options to move toward healing, connection, and her authentic self. Her key message to the listeners of the show is: Be courageous and not lack fear, courage is moving in the midst of fear, it's absolutely worth it; if you are wondering, then you are missing something; just start with one choice in the direction of your authentic self - choose to move into connections.
Guest Bio:
Tracey's journey into understanding how our mind is set was born from trauma, the literal flames of life-threatening burns at the age of eight and the trauma associated with years of Search and Rescue and Marine Safety in the United States Coast Guard. She tells her story of navigating over 30 years of undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), focused on the years in the Coast Guard in her number one book "Rescue to Recovery" , but seldom speaks about the years of wandering after being burned.
While working as a Scar Tissue Therapist, Tracey realized that there are great similarities between physical and emotional injuries and, left unaddressed, they have similar ways of limiting us. Tracey's mission is to help others understand that we have great power in our choices and we can train our mind to serve our highest good. She is the former Director of Mentors and facilitator of Mental Fitness at the Polk Institute and a Veteran of the United States Coast Guard.
URL for shoutout: https://www.supportthevets.org/donate
Tracey is passionate about supporting Veterans Affairs and the essential services they provide for those who have served. The organization offers a wide range of supports to veterans and their families, and donations — both monetary and non-monetary — go a long way in helping meet their needs.
Where to find me:
Website: https://www.rescuetorecovery.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traceybrown_official/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@traceybrownsays1530
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In this episode, Tracey shares the powerful parallels between the physical scars she carries and the emotional ones she spent years learning to understand. At eight years old, Tracey survived life-threatening burns when a candle ignited her homemade costume. She recalls going into survival mode instantly, brushing off her pain, and learning early on to fix problems quickly and minimize her own needs. This became the pattern that shaped much of her life. Tracey later joined the Coast Guard and found herself walking directly into the wounds of trauma through search-and-rescue missions. She reflects on how she often rescued others while subconsciously longing to be rescued herself. Many missions shifted from rescue to recovery, and the adrenaline kept her disconnected from her internal world. When her military career ended, Tracey felt bored, depressed, and untethered — not realizing this was the collapse that followed years of unaddressed trauma. It wasn't until 2014–2015 that she learned what PTSD truly was, and it took even longer before she sought therapy. She describes how she once believed therapy was a place for "pity parties," only to discover it was the compass she needed. Tracey talks about how humour became her deflection, isolation became her norm, and self-help strategies could only take her so far. Her turning point came when she recognized that she had choices — real options to move toward healing, connection, and her authentic self. Her key message to the listeners of the show is: Be courageous and not lack fear, courage is moving in the midst of fear, it's absolutely worth it; if you are wondering, then you are missing something; just start with one choice in the direction of your authentic self - choose to move into connections. Guest Bio: Tracey's journey into understanding how our mind is set was born from trauma, the literal flames of life-threatening burns at the age of eight and the trauma associated with years of Search and Rescue and Marine Safety in the United States Coast Guard. She tells her story of navigating over 30 years of undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), focused on the years in the Coast Guard in her number one book "Rescue to Recovery" , but seldom speaks about the years of wandering after being burned. While working as a Scar Tissue Therapist, Tracey realized that there are great similarities between physical and emotional injuries and, left unaddressed, they have similar ways of limiting us. Tracey's mission is to help others understand that we have great power in our choices and we can train our mind to serve our highest good. She is the former Director of Mentors and facilitator of Mental Fitness at the Polk Institute and a Veteran of the United States Coast Guard. URL for shoutout: https://www.supportthevets.org/donate Tracey is passionate about supporting Veterans Affairs and the essential services they provide for those who have served. The organization offers a wide range of supports to veterans and their families, and donations — both monetary and non-monetary — go a long way in helping meet their needs. Where to find me: Website: https://www.rescuetorecovery.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traceybrown_official/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@traceybrownsays1530