45: Mental Health, Harm and Healing with Artist and Author Tracey Yokas

In this powerful episode of Conversations for Couples, Julie and David Bulitt are joined by artist, author, and mental health advocate Tracy Yoka Kos, whose memoir Bloodlines: A Memoir of Harm and Healing explores her family’s painful but inspiring journey through mental illness, eating disorders, and the complicated healing process that followed.

Tracy shares the story of her daughter’s sudden descent into severe anorexia, depression, and anxiety following the unexpected death of Tracy’s mother—and how it impacted not only their daughter’s life, but their marriage and personal histories. Tracy opens up about her own background with trauma, her late diagnosis of chronic PTSD, and the emotional hurdles she and her husband faced in learning to support their daughter and themselves.

The conversation dives deep into parenting under pressure, the dynamics between partners during a crisis, the generational impact of trauma, and the role of creativity in healing. Tracy also discusses how mixed media art became a tool for emotional regulation and self-care—and how she now helps others reconnect with themselves through creative practices.

📖 Learn more about Tracy & her book:
🌐 https://www.tracyyokacreates.com

📘 Bloodlines: A Memoir of Harm and Healing — Available wherever books are sold

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Connect with Julie & David Bulitt
🌐 Website: https://www.thebulitts.com
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