Dr. Joyce Mikal-Flynn

I am Dr. Joyce Mikal-Flynn, the force behind MetaHab, creator of the Post-Traumatic Growth Conferences, and a best-selling author. With over 25 years of experience, I’ve dedicated my career to helping transform adversities and traumas into triumph and growth, providing programs for individuals, professionals, and companies to recognize and reclaim their strength—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

My journey began with my survival. In 1990, I died. With the help of some amazing doctors providing over 20 minutes of CPR, I was brought back to life. That experience took me through some very tough times but also fueled my passion for resilience, trauma care, and the research that created MetaHabilitation​, a pioneering approach guiding survivors toward Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG).

I am the author of multiple publications, including ​Turning Tragedy Into Triumph,​ which reveals how individuals and communities uniquely use traumas and challenges to move beyond survival and, over time, utilize these experiences for growth. I continue to research, lecture, and apply Metahabilitation in a variety of recovery and rehabilitation settings in Canada, Italy, the UK, and the US to help survivors, including veterans, first responders, individuals dealing with addiction and dependency, cancer patients, caregivers, and clinicians, experience PTG.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of San Francisco, a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) credential from the University of California, Davis, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Sacramento State University, and a Doctor of Education from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California. I have been a Family Nurse Practitioner for over 25 years and have held faculty positions at the University of California, Davis, Touro University, and Samuel Merritt College. I am a Professor at Sacramento State University in the School of Nursing.

My new book, Anatomy of a Survivor: Building Resilience Grit & Growth After Trauma, details the exact makeup of survivors, describing how they used their inner strength to build resilience, navigate through, and ultimately grow from traumas and major life challenges. Trauma and crisis are inescapable aspects of life. Generally framed as something to get over, trauma never fully leaves those who survive it. For over two decades, I have worked with and studied the issues survivors face. Interlacing stories with research on genetics, posttraumatic growth, and the neuroscience of resilience and happiness, this book outlines how survivors of trauma structure a positive and productive response, shows how survivors are built, and presents a unique system guiding them forward.