Episode Details

She built her identity around achievement, resilience, and always having everything under control — until a catastrophic spinal injury during pregnancy changed everything. Desirae Terry, licensed psychotherapist, speaker, and author of the upcoming memoir *Spinal Tap: How My Medical Trauma Uncaged Me*, shares how medical trauma forced her to confront a deeper question: Who are we when the roles we built our identity around are taken away?

In this powerful conversation, Desirae discusses:

• Life in her 20s as a confident elite athlete with big dreams

• The fertility journey and the medical procedure that changed her body forever

• Why people-pleasing kept her silent even in a life-altering moment

• Losing independence, dreams of motherhood, and her sense of self

• How she began untangling perfectionism and external validation

• Rebuilding a life rooted in authenticity instead of performance

If you’re in your 20s struggling with people-pleasing, perfectionism, or the pressure to always be “good enough,” this episode offers real hope and hard-earned wisdom.

Desirae now helps others move beyond survival performance into lives that feel true.

Timestamps below ⬇️

#MedicalTrauma #Perfectionism #PeoplePleasing #DesiraeTerry #SpinalTap #ConversationsWithSekani

Connect with Desirae Terry

Website: https://www.brightlinecounseling.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desirae-terry-lcsw-a3324595/?isSelfProfile=true

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chronically.becoming

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Chapters

0:00 - Intro & Welcome Desirae Terry

1:40 - Life in Her 20s: Elite Athlete & Big Dreams

8:15 - Fertility Journey & the Pituitary Tumor

15:30 - The Lumbar Puncture That Changed Everything

23:10 - Losing the Ability to Walk & Independence

31:45 - The Voices of Perfectionism & People-Pleasing

40:20 - Learning to Advocate for Herself

48:50 - Rebuilding Beyond Performance

57:15 - Final Thoughts on Authenticity & Healing