Jennifer’s Story: Breaking the Stigma of Therapy, Trauma, and Emotional Healing

This powerful episode of Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads brings you the raw, honest, and resilient story of Jennifer Ginty—entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and founder of My Moody Monster. Jen lives with Complex PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder stemming from childhood trauma, and she shares how she finally faced her emotional pain, built a healing team, and created tools to help kids and adults express emotions in healthy ways.

We are proud to share that our podcast is the 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner for Health and the 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner for Best Mental Health Podcast—with over 2 million downloads worldwide. Please help us continue to grow and improve: leave your feedback (written or as a voice message) at https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a.

Mental Health Quote of the Episode

"Control isn’t necessary for life. You don’t need control to live a happy, healthy life." – Jennifer Ginty

 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

In this episode, Jennifer opens up about years of postponing her healing journey, confronting her abuser, and navigating the deep emotional weight of trauma, motherhood, and identity loss. We explore:

• What triggered her decision to heal finally
• Her experience with inpatient care and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Creating My Moody Monster, a tool for emotional regulation
• How generational trauma and people-pleasing behaviors held her back
• Raising children with mental health challenges
• The importance of creating a personalized support team

SEO Keywords: trauma recovery, emotional healing, PTSD, mental health podcast, childhood trauma, therapy journey, DBT, emotional regulation, parenting mental health, My Moody Monster, coping skills for kids, mental wellness, breaking the stigma, women’s mental health

 

Meet Jennifer Ginty

Jennifer is the founder of My Moody Monster, a therapeutic plush toy designed to help children express emotions through physical play. Diagnosed with Complex PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, Jennifer built a support team, embraced inpatient therapy at McLean Hospital, and now shares her story to help others begin their healing.

She also hosts the When Not Yet Becomes Right Now podcast—born from the realization that the right time to heal is now.

• Website: https://www.mymoodymonster.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mymoodymonster/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mymoodymonster
• BlueSky: @mymoodymonster.bsky.social
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymoodymonster
• TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@mymoodymonster

 

Key Takeaways

1. Healing takes readiness, not permission — It’s okay to say “not yet,” until your mind says “right now.”
2. Coping skills must be practiced before you need them — Just like muscles, emotional regulation tools require repetition.
3. Kids need emotional tools too — Jennifer’s My Moody Monster is a creative, tactile way to help children express and understand emotions.

 

Actionable Tools

1. DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) — Focus on mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance.
2. Build your therapy team — Don’t settle for the wrong therapist. Speed-date until you find the right fit.
3. Coping Skill Tools — Try frozen washcloths, modeling clay with essential oils, or tools like My Moody Monster to interrupt intense emotional spirals.

 

Chapters & Time Stamps

• [00:00] Intro: Welcome to our award-winning show
• [01:10] Jennifer’s journey begins – Trauma, college, and “not yet” moments
• [02:57] The breaking point: Bankruptcy, identity loss, and finally saying “right now”
• [06:38] Confronting her abuser and community shame
• [10:09] Motherhood and mental health—her son’s early suicidal ideation
• [15:57] Barriers to mental health care access and insurance frustrations
• [20:52] DBT & McLean Hospital: Building her mental health toolkit
• [26:05] Real-time coping tools (box breathing, frozen towels, modeling clay)
• [30:22] The birth of Moody: Creating an emotional outlet
• [34:06] The love letter: Why Moody is a symbol of hope and self-compassion
• [36:51] Learning to accept love and let go of control
• [40:37] Bonus Questions: Her anxiety theme song, tattoos, and the word she hates

 

References & Mentions

• McLean Hospital – Premier mental health hospital: https://www.mcleanhospital.org/
• DBT Therapy Overview: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/dialectical-behavior-therapy
• Crayola Model Magic Clay – Great tactile tool: https://shop.crayola.com/modeling/model-magic
• My Moody Monster: https://www.mymoodymonster.com

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Let’s continue breaking the silence around mental health—together.

#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #TraumaHealing #CPTSDRecovery #MyMoodyMonster #ParentingAndMentalHealth #MentalHealthMatters #EmotionalRegulation #DBTskills #HealingJourney #ChildhoodTrauma #MentalHealthSupport #TalkAboutIt #InvisibleIllness #ComplexPTSD #WomenInPodcasting #TherapyIsCool #MentalHealthForMoms #Podmatch #Grex #DirtySkittles

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