Healing Beyond the Burn: The Mental Health Journey with Dr. Yulia Gavrilova, PhD

Clinical psychologist Dr. Yulia Gavrilova joins Corey Halstead to explore the critical role mental health plays in burn recovery. They discuss trauma, social support, common misconceptions about healing, and why psychological care should be an integral part of the burn recovery process.

In Episode 9 of All About Burns, Corey Halstead sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Yulia Gavrilova for an important conversation about the psychological and emotional side of burn recovery.

Dr. Gavrilova shares what led her into the field of burn psychology and discusses how a traumatic burn injury can affect far more than the body. Recovery can involve trauma, changes in identity, emotional distress, relationships, and the difficult process of adjusting to life after an injury.

Corey and Dr. Gavrilova explore some of the misconceptions surrounding burn recovery, including the idea that healing follows a predictable timeline. They discuss why healing is not linear and why survivors may need psychological and emotional support at many different points throughout recovery.

The conversation also highlights the importance of social connection. Family, friends, peers, healthcare professionals, and the broader burn survivor community can all play meaningful roles in helping survivors navigate life after trauma.

Dr. Gavrilova also discusses the need for mental health services to be better integrated into burn care so psychological recovery is treated as an essential part of healing rather than an afterthought.