What do you think?
Rate this book
Badass Stories: Grit, Growth, Hope, and Healing in the Shitshow
Real life, lessons, and growth that comes from being a bona fide Badass!Badass Stories is all about the grit of survival in tough times, the growth that comes from pain, the hope for something better, and the healing that happens along the way. It is a compilation of short stories that illustrate some of the most important lessons I've learned about life from the real people in my life and my psychology practice. They are everyday human stories of heartache, inspiration, and change. Badass Stories focuses on what we can easily miss in the shitshow of life - the big lessons that come from the accumulation of little things in the everyday. The stories are real, relatable, and therapeutic for the average person, without the extreme positivity that can leave some readers feeling they are being told to think happy thoughts - which can convey a sense of inadequacy.
- GenresNonfictionSelf Help
288 pages, Paperback
Published February 14, 2023
2 people are currently reading
1729 people want to read
About the author
Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt
6 books25 followersI am a recovering people pleaser, control freak, worrier, and motherfucker. One thing I know is that life sometimes hurts, and we can’t run from that. We have a choice of whether or not deny it or go with it. I’ve learned that going with it is a better investment, but I need to laugh while I’m doing it.
After more than 20 years of providing counseling services, I developed the idea of combining cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness techniques, with salty language and humor hold themselves accountable for choice. .
I am a board-certified in Health Psychologist and executive coach living in Michigan with my husband, two teenage sons, and the dog prince, Bacon. I am a human being and a work in progress just like you.
After more than 20 years of providing counseling services, I developed the idea of combining cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness techniques, with salty language and humor hold themselves accountable for choice. .
I am a board-certified in Health Psychologist and executive coach living in Michigan with my husband, two teenage sons, and the dog prince, Bacon. I am a human being and a work in progress just like you.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 20, 2023
This book is really helpful for anyone having a tough time. I enjoyed the easy to understand language. I also appreciate the use of curse words to express what someone is going through.
The book is broken up into small bits with information, a relatable story that utilizes the idea presented and a related journal prompt. The story range in issues. Some are harder than others due to possible triggers.
I’m going to go back and work through some of the journal prompts. You can read the book as a whole or break it up and work through sections at whatever pace works for you.
The book is broken up into small bits with information, a relatable story that utilizes the idea presented and a related journal prompt. The story range in issues. Some are harder than others due to possible triggers.
I’m going to go back and work through some of the journal prompts. You can read the book as a whole or break it up and work through sections at whatever pace works for you.
February 26, 2023
I LOVED this read. It is encouraging to see the badass in everyday stories. I love the exercise at the end to write your own badass story. This book was motivating, inspiring, supportive, and inclusive. Check it out if you are looking to be inspirited by real stories - of real humans- going through real shit and gain a deeper insight into your inner badass.
May 8, 2023
Jodie is a great storyteller. We all have our own stories and sharing them helps all of us. I recognize myself and others in my life. Let’s face it, we all have our own shit shows right? Grit is my new favorite word.
Thank you Jodi for your great insights!
Thank you Jodi for your great insights!
March 7, 2023
Grit is my new favorite word.
April 8, 2023
Dr. Eckleberry-Hunt compiled several inspirational stories from her work as a therapist to display how with grit, growth and hope, we can cope with the difficult things in our lives. I appreciated this book as she talks about not only her clients growth but hers as a therapist as well. As a social worker, there were several takeaways from this book that I will take into my practice.
March 1, 2023
Full review at: https://readingourshelves.wordpress.c...
The author breaks the book up into four parts, with chapters focusing on grit, growth, hope, and healing. These are stories from her years studying and then working in psychology. The stories feature many patients with different backgrounds and stories, obviously… but what I found more interesting is that, often, it is Eckleberry-Hunt who learns a lesson in these chapters.
Some of these may seem like they are tied to her role as a therapist, but I believe they can be useful for many of us. Lessons like sticking to boundaries, or not being able to will someone else to change, are probably ones we have all had experience with. How she goes about being able to help her clients – or NOT help them, in some cases – are the parts that I found both personal (to her) and universal.
The clients’ stories themselves are at turns heartbreaking, frustrating, and triumphant. Please note: these people are dealing with heavy things. Veterans with PTSD, parents who have lost a child, domestic abuse, substance abuse, and more are represented here. If these sorts of topics are too triggering for you, consider this your warning.
Because there are so many different topics, though, I found myself drawn into each story for different reasons. Sure, some may have reminded me of myself… but just as many brought to mind friends, family members, etc. I kept thinking of the many people I could pass my copy on to, because so many of us will find something within the pages that comes close to some aspect of our own stories.
The author breaks the book up into four parts, with chapters focusing on grit, growth, hope, and healing. These are stories from her years studying and then working in psychology. The stories feature many patients with different backgrounds and stories, obviously… but what I found more interesting is that, often, it is Eckleberry-Hunt who learns a lesson in these chapters.
Some of these may seem like they are tied to her role as a therapist, but I believe they can be useful for many of us. Lessons like sticking to boundaries, or not being able to will someone else to change, are probably ones we have all had experience with. How she goes about being able to help her clients – or NOT help them, in some cases – are the parts that I found both personal (to her) and universal.
The clients’ stories themselves are at turns heartbreaking, frustrating, and triumphant. Please note: these people are dealing with heavy things. Veterans with PTSD, parents who have lost a child, domestic abuse, substance abuse, and more are represented here. If these sorts of topics are too triggering for you, consider this your warning.
Because there are so many different topics, though, I found myself drawn into each story for different reasons. Sure, some may have reminded me of myself… but just as many brought to mind friends, family members, etc. I kept thinking of the many people I could pass my copy on to, because so many of us will find something within the pages that comes close to some aspect of our own stories.
June 3, 2023
Badass Stories is an inspiring and empowering book written by Dr. Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt. She beautifully weaves personal anecdotes, expert psychological insights and practical advice into an engaging narrative. It goes beyond just telling stories -but offers practical tools for growth and healing.
This book will leave you feeling empowered and ready to embark on my own journey of healing and growth.
This book will leave you feeling empowered and ready to embark on my own journey of healing and growth.
June 8, 2025
Life doesn’t always feel new or exciting—and maybe that’s what makes it beautiful. This book is about the wild, unpredictable ride that is real life. It’s not always pretty. It's rarely neat. But it’s ours.
People don’t often talk out loud about their fears. Most of us feel isolated, like we’re the only ones stuck in the chaos. This book says—it’s okay to be in a sh*tshow. Let’s stop hiding it and start embracing it.
The author draws from her own messes—those deeply personal, painful moments when she felt not good enough, when she felt beyond repair. And she doesn’t sugarcoat anything. She doesn’t laugh at others’ pain or pretend to be above it—she sits beside it, offering comfort, perspective, and honesty.
What I loved the most is her language, is cheeky, bold, and sometimes full of “coffee and cuss words”—but that’s exactly what made me smile in between the truths that hit hard. These are not neatly packaged lessons. They’re stories from people (including herself) who’ve made mistakes, fallen down, and somehow found strength in the cracks.
And in that, Badass Stories reminds us: we’re not alone. We’re more alike than we realize. We’ve all been there. And in that shared messiness, there’s something beautifully badass.
If you're going through something (or have ever been through something), this book is for you. You’ll walk away with a little more grit, a little more hope, and a fire in your belly to own your badassery.
Badass ma....
People don’t often talk out loud about their fears. Most of us feel isolated, like we’re the only ones stuck in the chaos. This book says—it’s okay to be in a sh*tshow. Let’s stop hiding it and start embracing it.
The author draws from her own messes—those deeply personal, painful moments when she felt not good enough, when she felt beyond repair. And she doesn’t sugarcoat anything. She doesn’t laugh at others’ pain or pretend to be above it—she sits beside it, offering comfort, perspective, and honesty.
What I loved the most is her language, is cheeky, bold, and sometimes full of “coffee and cuss words”—but that’s exactly what made me smile in between the truths that hit hard. These are not neatly packaged lessons. They’re stories from people (including herself) who’ve made mistakes, fallen down, and somehow found strength in the cracks.
And in that, Badass Stories reminds us: we’re not alone. We’re more alike than we realize. We’ve all been there. And in that shared messiness, there’s something beautifully badass.
If you're going through something (or have ever been through something), this book is for you. You’ll walk away with a little more grit, a little more hope, and a fire in your belly to own your badassery.
Badass ma....
March 16, 2024
HOW are more people not talking about this book???? This was one of the easiest to read, most touching collection of REAL stories I have ever read through in the mental health realm. From the very start in the intro, the author really gets down and dirty - it comes off so human and realistic that you just can't help but keep reading! Each section has stories - some of them are "successes" and some of them aren't 100% positive outcomes but ALL of them have something you can learn from and reflect on. I could see myself in many of the stories, and it was so refreshing to feel less alone in those moments. THANK YOU for writing this, thank you for writing this THE WAY THAT YOU DID, thank you for sharing, thank you for being real.
May 5, 2023
More stellar work by Jodie. She rocks everything she does. She's a original badass
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews