How To Use Storytelling To Heal Unresolved Trauma – Julie Lavia

Have you ever been through trauma in your life and never had a real outlet to begin healing? That was Julie Lavia’s reality growing up. She was relentlessly bullied, silenced, and made to feel like her voice did not matter. For years, she did not know how to process the pain she was carrying or what to do with the unresolved trauma living inside her. She only knew it was there — shaping how she saw herself, how she moved through the world, and how she responded to life.
Everything began to shift when Julie was introduced to storytelling. For the first time, she found an outlet that allowed her to express what had been buried beneath the surface.
Storytelling became more than a creative practice — it became a path to healing, self-discovery, and reclaiming her voice. It gave her a way to make sense of her experiences, transform pain into meaning, and reconnect with the parts of herself that had been silenced.
In this talk, Julie shares how storytelling became a powerful tool in her healing journey. The audience will walk away with a deeper understanding of how owning, shaping, and re-framing their story can support emotional healing, self-expression, and personal empowerment.