What trauma takes—and what it leaves behind

There is a moment after trauma when you realize something has shifted—and there’s no going back to who you were before. In this opening episode of After the Fire, Michelle Hadley explores what trauma takes, what it irrevocably changes, and what quietly remains.

This is not a conversation about “bouncing back” or fixing yourself. It’s about understanding trauma as a threshold—one that alters perception, identity, and nervous system responses, but also awakens clarity, intuition, and depth. Michelle reframes survival not as damage, but as initiation, and invites listeners to release the pressure to return to an earlier version of themselves.

If you’ve ever felt like life has a clear before and after, this episode offers language, validation, and a steadier way forward—one that honors both what was lost and what emerged.

After the Fire is a Resilience Labs podcast about healing, integration, and reclaiming the power forged through survival.