128. What a holistic nurse wants every parent dealing with pain to know - Julia Bitter
In this episode with Julia Bitter, a registered nurse and holistic nurse coach, talks about career resilience, how she used every setback to build a career she actually loves, and why your body might be trying to tell you something. If you’re a parent dealing with something chronic (pain, migraines, autoimmune, fatigue, etc.) and you feel like you’re at the mercy of your body or the healthcare system, Julia gives us a new lens and practical tools to start actually managing it, on your own terms.
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Intro
(08:12) What it felt like to lose her dream nursing job for the first time — and the union displacement process nobody warns you about
(11:45) Being handed a list of people she could "bump" — and why she never did it, not once
(14:45) Taking a risk on a brand new community pain management program she knew nothing about
(17:55) The bio-psychosocial model of pain — why your sleep, stress, relationships, and emotions all make pain worse (or better)
(22:12) Julia's own story of childhood chronic illness and autoimmune conditions — and not realizing stress was behind her hospital visits
(26:59) "Couples therapy with your body" — learning to listen before your body starts screaming
(30:18) Why having the right care team changes everything, and how to advocate for yourself in a system that doesn't always listen
(35:11) Prevention vs. flare-up management — what to do before things spiral, and what to do when they already have
(40:15) The flare-up box strategy: writing a plan when you're well so your autopilot has somewhere better to go
(42:10) Displacement number three, building a home on five acres during COVID, and natural horsemanship as unexpected therapy
(50:23) Becoming a certified holistic nurse coach — what that actually means and who it's for
(52:32) Pain reprocessing therapy: the evidence-based approach that's helped patients go completely pain-free
(01:00:29) Pronoia — the opposite of paranoia, and Julia's thesis for getting through every hard thing
(01:03:26) How to find a pain clinic or pain specialist near you (Canada, US, UK, and beyond)
KEY TAKEAWAY
Your body isn't working against you, it's talking to you, and learning to listen before it has to scream is one of the most powerful things a working parent can do for their health, their career, and their family.
About Julia Bitter
Julia Ott Bitter is a Registered Nurse and Clinical Coordinator with Fraser Health Authority’s Community Pain Management Program. With over a decade of experience in health care, she champions trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches to healing and systems-level change. She holds dual degrees in Nursing and Psychology from the University of British Columbia and is a Certified Holistic Nurse Coach and Consultant. Julia recently founded Safe Space Healing, a private practice integrating holistic, evidence-informed support for pain, stress, and burnout. She is also a busy mom living on a five-acre equestrian hobby farm and loves spending time with her family outdoors.
Connect with Julia Bitter
Website | https://www.safespacehealing.ca/
Email |Julia@safespacehealing.ca