Finding Joy Through Trauma: A Conversation with Sports Psychologist Dr. Hillary Cauthen
Welcome back to the Productive Joy podcast! In this powerful episode, Dr. Christie McMullen sits down with Dr. Hillary Cauthen, a clinical sports psychologist and author of Hello Trauma, Our Invisible Teammate, to unpack the deep, and often invisible, connections between mental health, trauma, and athletic performance.
This isn’t just a conversation about athletes—it’s a conversation about how all of us carry trauma, and how joy and intentionality can become pathways to healing and high performance, no matter your field.
From Athlete to Advocate
Dr. Cauthen shares her personal story of growing up as a multi-sport athlete and how that journey led her into the field of sports psychology. Her transition from performance-driven competitor to mental health professional offers a unique lens into the world of competitive sports—and how much goes unseen beneath the surface.
As she puts it, the field of sports psychology is about more than just performance—it’s about people.
Why Mental Health Belongs in the Locker Room (and the Boardroom)
Together, Dr. Hillary and Dr. Christie dive into the mental side of performance, drawing attention to high-profile examples like Simone Biles, who brought international focus to the need for psychological safety and support in elite sports.
Dr. Cauthen emphasizes how crucial it is to understand the difference between the learning zone and the performance zone—and why pushing people too hard in the wrong space can lead to burnout, not excellence.
Whether you're an athlete, a coach, a corporate leader, or a teacher, the message is clear: mental health is performance health.
Hello Trauma: Naming the Invisible
One of the most compelling parts of the conversation is Dr. Cauthen’s introduction of her new book, Hello Trauma, Our Invisible Teammate. In it, she unpacks the idea that trauma doesn’t just show up in the big, obvious moments—it lives quietly in the background, influencing how we show up every day.
She reminds us that acknowledging trauma isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength. And naming it is the first step toward healing.
Joy Is Not a Luxury—It's a Strategy
As always, Dr. Christie brings the focus back to Productive Joy—how it’s not just possible to find joy in difficult spaces, but necessary for growth. Together, the two experts talk about how intentionality, trauma awareness, and mental health care are not separate from performance—they are essential to it.
When you allow people to feel safe, seen, and supported, they don’t just survive—they thrive.
Rapid Fire and Final Thoughts
The episode closes with a fun round of rapid-fire questions, where we get a glimpse into Dr. Cauthen’s personality and passions beyond the profession.
🎧 Want to hear the full conversation?
Tune into this powerful episode of the Productive Joy Podcast and explore how you can create space for mental health, trauma awareness, and joy in your own journey.
📘 Explore Dr. Hillary Cauthen’s book:
Hello Trauma, Our Invisible Teammate – Available now wherever books are sold.
About Dr. Christie McMullen
Dr. Christie McMullen is a best-selling author, educator, and founder of The Intentionality Group. With over two decades of experience helping adults improve human interaction, she brings laughter, logic, and heart to everything she does. She’s worked with leaders and learners at Aetna, ReMax, Solaris, RISE, and beyond—always with one goal: to make work more fun and people more extraordinary.
This episode is sponsored by Shine Press
Want to increase your visibility and impact? A book can establish you as a thought leader in your space. Shine Press makes the publishing process seamless.
Illuminating Stories. Empowering Authors. Shine Press
