Healing Trauma & Reclaiming Your Life with Joseph Gleed

In this powerful episode of the SuperSelf Podcast Series, Pete Ferrari sits down with Army veteran, trauma therapist, former undercover anti-human trafficking operator, educator, and Krav Maga expert Joseph Gleed to talk about trauma, fear, resilience, psychological flexibility, and what it really takes to rebuild a life after something difficult happens. Joseph’s career has taken him from the military and self-defense training to undercover anti-trafficking operations and, eventually, the treatment of complex trauma. The turning point came after seeing a young trafficking survivor one year after her rescue. She was physically safe, cared for, and surrounded by resources—but she was still suffering. Joseph realized something critical: Rescue is only the beginning. Pete and Joseph explore why trauma recovery cannot follow a one-size-fits-all protocol, why what matters is not only what happened to you but what you continue carrying forward, and how people can rebuild confidence, agency, and flexibility after their world has been narrowed by fear. They also unpack the mind-body connection, self-defense as one piece of trauma recovery, values, committed action, why motivation is unreliable, and Joseph’s belief that pain and fear can become some of our greatest teachers. The goal is not to eliminate every hard thing from your life. It is to build the capacity to carry the hard stuff while still doing the important stuff. **Episode Highlights:** - 06:15 – Why physical safety is only the beginning of recovery - 17:09 – The swamp analogy: why suffering needs a purpose - 32:37 – Psychological flexibility explained - 40:51 – Stay curious instead of judgmental - 48:21 – Trauma does not have to become a lifelong identity **Key Takeaways:** - Rescue is not recovery. Removing someone from danger is essential, but safety alone does not erase what happened. - Trauma treatment cannot be one-size-fits-all. - You are more than what happened to you. - The goal is not controlling everything that happens. It is becoming more capable of choosing how you respond. - Fear and avoidance are not necessarily evidence that something is wrong with you. - Stay curious. Stay present. Stop judging everything. **About the Guest:** Joseph Gleed is an Army veteran, trauma therapist, educator, Krav Maga instructor, and former undercover anti-human trafficking operator. He has spent approximately two decades working with veterans, first responders, survivors of violence, trafficking survivors, and individuals dealing with PTSD, complex trauma, chronic pain, burnout, and other difficult psychological conditions. His background also includes training special operations personnel and participating in anti-human trafficking operations that helped rescue hundreds of children and adults. Joseph teaches at Utah Valley University and the University of Utah and is the owner of Renova Wellness & Consulting, where the team specializes in complex and treatment-resistant presentations, including complex PTSD. His work focuses on psychological flexibility, personal agency, values, committed action, the mind-body connection, and helping people build the capacity to live meaningful lives alongside the inevitable difficulties of being human. Connect with Joseph Gleed: - Website: https://renovawc.com/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-gleed-64a676b1/ *This episode is brought to you by Jaca Rare Sugar.* Jaca is a revolutionary, rare sugar called allulose with 0 net carbs, 0 glycemic index (diabetic & keto friendly), and 90% fewer calories than sugar. Jaca tastes, cooks and bakes like old school sugar with none of the harmful effects.  www.jacasugar.com