Ep 193. Why It’s Never Too Late to Heal, with Tully JohnsEp 193. Why It’s Never Too Late to Heal, with Tully Johns
Behind The Smile with Ash Butterss
Health coach and former zookeeper Tully Johns reflects on buried childhood abuse, years of depression and PTSD, and the small daily practices that helped him rebuild. The conversation focuses on movement, self-compassion and connection as practical anchors for long-term healing.
1:04:01•20 Sept 2026
Why It’s Never Too Late to Heal: Tully Johns on Trauma, Tiny Habits and Hope
Episode Overview
- Tiny, consistent actions like a forced smile or one-word gratitude entry can slowly shift mood and self-belief.
- Movement, even a simple walk or light stretching, acts as medicine for both body and mind.
- Balancing discipline with genuine self-compassion helps prevent burnout and supports sustainable recovery.
- Checking in with your younger self and offering the care you missed can be a powerful healing practice.
- Connection with trusted people and honest sharing makes it far easier to manage depression, trauma and relapse risks.
“The stories and my experience as a child shape me, but they don’t define me.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety and healing from deep childhood wounds? This conversation follows health coach and former zookeeper Tully Johns as he talks through decades of buried trauma, depression and anxiety, and the slow, unglamorous rebuild that followed. You’ll hear Tully trace how childhood sexual abuse, hidden even from his own memory, later showed up as crippling depression, PTSD and thoughts of checking out.
He recalls looking at a photo of his four-year-old self and realising, with a mix of grief and tenderness, just how much that little boy had been carrying. As he puts it, “The stories and my experience as a child shape me, but they don’t define me.” The episode leans heavily into practical recovery tools rather than quick fixes.
Tully and host Ash Butterss chat about tiny, consistent actions: a forced smile in the mirror, a single word of gratitude in a journal, a short walk when a big workout feels impossible. Movement, morning routines, sleep, food, breathwork and community all get airtime as everyday foundations for life after trauma. There’s also a big emphasis on self-compassion and connection.
Tully speaks honestly about learning to balance discipline with gentleness, checking in with the frightened four-year-old version of himself, and letting trusted people see him at his most fragile. His three non-negotiables – movement, self-compassion and connection – are framed as simple, doable anchors for anyone feeling stuck in their own “messy middle”.
If you’re juggling trauma, mental health challenges, parenting, or burnout, and you’re tired of polished “success stories”, this conversation offers raw honesty, quiet hope and a reminder that it really is never too late to heal. Which of Tully’s tiny practices might be the first step you’re ready to take?
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