Courtney Wells, Ph.D.: ‘I’m Broken’: Trauma and the Fear of Being Too Much
“Healing after trauma is like building a house in the midst of a storm—not to outlast the storm, but to live beyond it.”
Chapter Summary:
In ‘I’m Broken’: Trauma and the Fear of Being Too Much, psychologist Courtney Wells, Ph.D., reflects on how trauma can reshape a person’s relationship with self and others—often replacing confidence with shame, and longing with fear. Whether trauma disrupts a once-stable life or defines the only life someone has ever known, the path forward demands active, vulnerable engagement with new ways of being. Dr. Wells writes with fierce clarity and compassion about how healing is not a return to who we were, but an ongoing commitment to risk, relationship, and radical self-trust—even when that feels impossible.
About Dr. Wells:
Courtney Wells, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and founder of Pivot Psychological Services. They specialize in trauma, identity, and collective healing, with a deep commitment to supporting Queer folx and cultivating liberatory spaces for growth.