Intentional post-traumatic growth

Can we intentionally foster post-traumatic growth? I believe the answer is yes.

In March, I had the privilege of closing out the 30th annual WELL (Women Educating, Leading, and Learning) conference—an inspiring weekend with powerful, passionate women.

My talk explored how we can actively engage with adversity to fuel personal transformation. Life’s most difficult moments—loss, illness, separation and divorse, career upheaval—can break us. But under the right conditions, they can also expand us.

From my experience, these key factors support post-traumatic growth:

💔 Let yourself break to rebuild. PTG and resilience don’t always go hand in hand. Facing and integrating pain is hard but essential for transformation.

🤝 Seek and accept support. Healing happens in community. Safe spaces and expert guidance matter.

🏃‍♀️ Your identity is a verb. Life’s challenges shake our sense of self. Embracing identity as a process, not a fixed state, unlocks deeper wisdom.

🦋 Life is change. Navigating transition with openness (rather than resistance) makes all the difference.Embrace liminality.

🧘🏼‍♀️ Develop your inner resources. Growth isn’t just a mindset shift—it’s an embodied practice.

To be clear: I’m not a therapist, nor am I discussing PTSD, which requires clinical care. And this isn’t about bypassing pain—it’s about engaging with it in a way that fosters learning and growth.

A huge thank you to the women at WELL for their courage, wisdom, and generosity in sharing their stories, and being present for me to share mine.