The Place Between Our Pains (with K.J. Ramsey)

Just seconds into our conversation, tears arrived.

In the darkest season of my life, K.J.’s writing was a lifeline. Our parallel crises in health and faith helped me feel seen — when my body was in pain and my faith felt fragile.

K.J. is a trauma-informed therapist, a Penguin-published author of four books, and someone who lives with seven chronic illnesses. Her wisdom is hard-won, forged through suffering rather than theory.

With her untamed and courageous writing, she refuses to censor pain into neat church formulas. Instead, she invites us to stay with suffering long enough for tenderness — and true joy — to emerge.

Her newest book, The Place Between Our Pains, was meant to be an exploration of joy — until her life nearly ended. What followed was medical trauma, parts of her body literally dying from the very treatments that kept her alive, and a reckoning that tested everything she believed about faith, suffering, and hope.

In this episode, we get a little nerdy about mushrooms — not for fun, but for the spiritual wisdom they offer about decay, nourishment, and why nothing is wasted.

We talk about:

• living with chronic illness, medical trauma, and religious harm

• faith that changes when pain doesn’t resolve

• why bypassing pain also bypasses the cross

• foraging through our past to rediscover joy

• small glimmers that sustain us when hope feels too big

• prayer when you’ve lost the words

If you’re in the place between your pains, this conversation is for you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and inspirational purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Dr. Wai-Jia Tam is a medical doctor and complex trauma survivor, but not a licensed therapist or mental health provider. Please seek qualified professional support for your specific situation where needed. Episodes may include sensitive topics such as trauma, abuse, suicide, grief, or spiritual harm. Please listen gently and at your own pace. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. 

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