In this episode of The Neil Haley Show, Debra Palmer, PhD in nursing, discusses her memoir Between Wounded and Well: Lessons in Healing, sharing how physical, emotional, and spiritual healing are deeply connected. Drawing from her career as a nurse practitioner, educator, and author, Palmer explains that healing is not only about the body repairing itself, but also about reconnecting with purpose, meaning, faith, and supportive relationships.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7jck3znHPuHvLcorI8RBiY
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-neil-haley-show/id1506126739
YouTube: https://youtu.be/bPhWEyPLvYQ
Palmer describes the four physical stages of wound healing—hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and maturation—and connects them to emotional healing through what she calls the four A’s: awareness, acknowledging universal connections, action, and acceptance. She explains that while the body often knows how to heal physically, emotional and spiritual healing can be more difficult because trauma, adversity, and past wounds may interrupt a person’s ability to feel hope or purpose.
A major theme of the conversation is resilience. Palmer shares seven recurring resilience practices, including purposeful connection, self-care, supportive partnerships, forgiveness, lifelong learning, healthy boundaries, and gratitude. She emphasizes that healing does not happen in isolation. People heal through giving and receiving time, talents, resources, love, and support.
The discussion also explores childhood trauma and how early adversity can affect adult health, behavior, relationships, and emotional regulation. Palmer explains that trauma can lead people to seek unhealthy forms of self-soothing, while also impacting physical health over time.
Palmer also shares how faith shaped her journey. Raised in the Christian tradition, she explains that her deepest healing came through reconnecting with God as her anchor. Her next project is a devotional inspired by years of journaling and meditating on the Lord’s Prayer.
Ultimately, Palmer wants readers to understand healing as a holistic journey. Her message is simple: never give up hope for a better tomorrow.