Raising Awareness Episodes

Fedra Tehrani on Trauma Healing, Anxiety, and Emotional Regulation | 1,685 Fedra Tehrani believes meaningful healing begins with understanding the patterns behind our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. A licensed clinical therapist with a background in social and clinical psychology, Fedra has dedicated her career to helping individuals navigate trauma, anxiety, emotional challenges, and complex life experiences. Her professional journey began at San Mateo County Hospital, where she worked in an acute crisis unit before becoming Rehab Director, supervising therapists and supporting individuals through difficult circumstances. She later joined Edgewood Center, working with adolescents and young adults with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through this experience, she expanded her expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), trauma-informed care, and mindfulness-based coping strategies. Her message is simple: greater awareness can…

How to Break Free From Survival Mode and Find Inner Peace with Anna Gibbon | 1,678 Anna Gibbon believes our most difficult experiences do not have to determine how we live the rest of our lives. As the owner and chief consultant of Minwamon Consulting, Anna brings more than 40 years of experience in criminal and social justice, including work in demanding environments where decisions carried serious consequences for people's liberty and lives. Throughout her career, Anna experienced bullying, threats, intimidation, physical assaults, and challenges to her credibility and reputation. Yet rather than allowing those experiences to keep her trapped in survival mode, she found a path toward greater happiness, freedom, and personal peace. That journey led Anna to create The Extraordinary Path Protocol, an approach shaped by her own experience of releasing what kept her in survival and choosing a different way forward. Her message is simple: what you have survived may be part …

Xiaoyin “Shell” Li on How Architecture Can Better Support Autism and Neurodiversity | 1,674 Xiaoyin “Shell” Li believes the spaces around us can do more than serve a function. They can influence how we learn, regulate, connect, and experience the world. A licensed architect, educator, multidisciplinary designer, and neurodivergent mom, Shell is dedicated to creating healthier, more inclusive environments that support different ways of experiencing and interacting with space. Her commitment to neuroinclusive design became deeply personal while raising her son on the autism spectrum. That experience inspired her to explore how thoughtful design can better support learning, sensory regulation, comfort, and well-being. Shell holds a B.A. in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Architecture from the University of Kentucky. Her experience also includes teaching and managing the Syracuse University NYC Architecture Program and serving as a gues…

Mary Lynn Childerston on Family Court Reform and Child Safety | 1,669 Mary Lynn Childerston believes protecting children requires more than reforming broken systems. Sometimes those systems must be fundamentally reimagined. Describing herself as a “disruptive educator,” Mary Lynn has shifted her focus from advocating for educational, legal, and social reform toward helping create new systems designed to better serve children and families. That mission is driving her creation of the Family Court Accountability Project (FCAP), an initiative centered on accountability and the belief that children's safety and well-being should remain at the heart of family court decisions. Through FCAP, Mary Lynn hopes to bring people together around new approaches to systems she believes are failing the families they were created to serve. Her message is simple: when an existing system no longer protects the people who depend on it, meaningful change may require the courage to build somet…

Patricia Knight Meyer on Adoption, Identity, and the Right to Know | 1,663 Patricia Knight Meyer believes every person deserves access to the truth of their own identity, and no one should have to spend decades proving who they are. An author, speaker, and adoption reform advocate, Patricia was handed over as an infant along a Texas hospital curb in 1970 without an agency, judge, or legal adoption paperwork. She grew up with a fraudulent birth certificate and little documentation of her true identity. At 39, Patricia began searching for answers with no original records, known birth name, or confirmed birthplace. Her investigation eventually led her to both of her birth parents, and at 47, she received her first legal birth certificate. She shares her journey in WONDERLAND: Memoir of a Black-Market Adoption, an award-winning memoir exploring identity, secrecy, family separation, reunion, and the consequences of an adoption system that failed to legally recognize who she was…

Roxanna Johnson helps spouses and partners heal from betrayal trauma by acknowledging their pain while rebuilding identity, faith, and hope. Her work shows that healing does not require minimizing what happened, but facing it truthfully and refusing to let another person’s choices define who you become.

Amy Ratkovich on Self Awareness and Breaking Emotional Patterns | 1,648 Amy Ratkovich believes understanding ourselves begins with curiosity, not judgment. A psychotherapist with more than a decade of experience, Amy's work is grounded in exploring what it means to be human and why we think, feel, relate, and respond in the ways we do. She approaches therapy through psychodynamic, relational, and body-aware perspectives, recognizing that our present lives are often shaped by experiences and patterns that developed long before we became conscious of them. At the heart of Amy's work is the belief that people make sense when we take the time to understand the full context of their lives. Our histories, relationships, emotional experiences, and even the wisdom held within the body can offer important clues about the patterns we continue to carry. Rather than simply focusing on changing behaviors, Amy encourages deeper awareness of what may be driving them. By becoming more con…

Christine Malek on Healing After Abuse and Reclaiming Your Identity | 1,630 Christine Malek believes surviving abuse is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning of discovering who you were always meant to be. A SASSI Coach, speaker, author, and international advocate for women affected by abuse and domestic violence, Christine has dedicated her life to helping women rebuild their confidence, reclaim their identity, and step into lives defined by strength rather than survival. Her work focuses on the often overlooked chapter of healing: what comes after leaving an abusive situation. As the founder of The SASSI Academy, Christine guides women through a transformational process of rediscovering their authentic selves, replacing fear and self doubt with confidence, purpose, and hope. Through coaching, speaking, and mentorship, she creates a supportive path for women ready to move beyond their past and embrace a future they choose for themselves. Drawing from both profes…

Fred Auzenne on Behavior Change and Breaking Unhealthy Patterns | 1,629 Fred Auzenne believes the patterns holding us back are not permanent. Once we understand how they were formed, we can begin to redesign them. A former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer, performance facilitator, and founder of the Clear Edge Institute, Fred has spent more than 25 years exploring why capable, intelligent people sometimes act against their own goals and what it takes to create lasting behavioral change. His perspective was shaped by an unusual foundation. In military intelligence, Fred studied influence, behavior, and the ways people can be manipulated. Today, he applies that understanding in a very different direction, helping people recognize the environmental and behavioral patterns influencing their choices so they can regain greater control over their lives. Drawing on research in neuroscience and human behavior, Fred developed Clear Edge 90, a 90 day performance system designed …

Jeanie Brookbanks-Smith on Resilience Beyond the Diagnosis | 1,612 Jeanie Brookbanks-Smith knows that resilience is not built when life is easy. It is built one step, one choice, and one day at a time. A registered nurse, Board Certified Nurse Coach, speaker, endurance athlete, and founder of Life After Diagnosis, Jeanie has spent more than 30 years caring for patients through life's most difficult moments. Then, in 2021, everything changed when she unexpectedly became the patient. After surviving acute liver failure, multiple ICU stays, sepsis, and a rare blood cancer diagnosis, Jeanie discovered that healing extends far beyond physical recovery. Drawing from her experience on both sides of the bedrail, she now helps people living with chronic illness rebuild self trust, regulate their nervous systems, and develop the emotional resilience needed to move forward with confidence. Combining decades of clinical expertise with her personal journey, Jeanie empowers others to na…

Jennifer Chassman Browne on Disability Inclusion and Awareness | 1,611 Jennifer Chassman Browne believes true inclusion begins when people are seen, heard, and valued for who they are. An educator, author, and inclusion advocate with more than 25 years of experience, Jennifer has dedicated her career to creating learning environments where every person has the opportunity to belong. As a teacher, school leader, and founder of New Ground Educational Consulting, she helps schools and organizations build cultures rooted in accessibility, equity, and meaningful inclusion. Living with rheumatoid arthritis since the age of six, Jennifer brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work. Through workshops on disability inclusion, allyship, social justice, and belonging, she challenges people to rethink how environments, systems, and attitudes shape the experiences of those with disabilities. Her upcoming book, See Us, Know Us: Profiles of Disability, continues t…

Jon Garstang on Dog Training and Human Animal Connection | 1,608 Jon Garstang is an award winning dog and human trainer, educator, writer, and musician whose work focuses on strengthening the relationship between people and animals through compassion, understanding, and education. Originally trained as an actor at Royal Holloway, University of London, Jon began his career in music before a side job in dog care unexpectedly changed the direction of his life. Fascinated by the connection between humans and dogs, he founded For Dogs’ Sake in Southwest London in 2008 and began developing his own approach to training and behavioral education. His passion soon expanded beyond private training into international animal welfare work. In 2010, Jon traveled to Zambia to support shelter dogs and create community education programs focused on responsible dog care and training. Since then, he has worked with shelters across Eastern Europe and Greece, helping improve rehabilitation, rehomi…

Katie and Chris Bowick on Addiction Recovery and Marriage Healing | 1,597 Katie and Chris Bowick believe healing begins when people stop hiding their struggles and start telling the truth. Co-authors of Coloring Outside the Lines: A Love Story in the Gray of Addiction, Recovery & Redemption, Katie and Chris share a deeply personal journey through addiction, codependency, broken trust, and the long road toward rebuilding a marriage. Their story stands apart because it is told from both perspectives, offering an honest look at the pain, hope, and transformation experienced by each partner. Chris opens up about the hidden reality of addiction behind professional success and outward achievement, while Katie gives voice to the often unseen experience of loving someone through addiction, navigating fear, uncertainty, resilience, and faith. Together, they reveal that recovery is not just about sobriety. It is about restoring relationships, rediscovering identity, and learning to tru…

Nora Smyth on Creating Safer Spaces for Healing | 1,589 Nora Smyth believes meaningful change begins with the people who care for others. A licensed clinical social worker, educator, and founder of Join The Constellation PLCC, Nora is dedicated to strengthening the next generation of mental health professionals through intentional clinical supervision, practical education, and trauma informed leadership. Her work is driven by the belief that healthier practitioners create healthier individuals, families, and communities. As the author of five self care toolkits, Nora equips both clinicians and the public with practical strategies for resilience, reflection, and emotional well being. She is also developing specialized continuing education focused on domestic violence, helping practitioners move beyond theory with real world tools that strengthen trauma informed care. Beyond her clinical work, Nora is a passionate advocate committed to breaking the silence surrounding domest…

Sara Hathaway on Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times | 1,549 Sara F. Hathaway explores one of society's most uncomfortable questions: what happens when everything we depend on suddenly disappears? An author, self-defense instructor, podcaster, and preparedness advocate, Sara has built a devoted following through The Changing Earth Series, a gripping fictional universe that examines the fragility of modern civilization and the resilience required to survive its collapse. But beneath the action, suspense, and survival scenarios lies a deeper message. Confidence is not something you find in a crisis. It is something you build long before one arrives. Drawing from her expertise in self-defense and personal preparedness, Sara teaches people how to develop the mindset, skills, and adaptability needed to face uncertainty with strength rather than fear. Whether through her novels, The Changing Earth Podcast, or The Changing Earth Audio Drama, she challenges audiences to think differe…

Howaida Abdalla on Reclaiming Power After Survival | 1,521 Howaida Abdalla turned survival into purpose. Life coach. Advocate. Voice for healing and empowerment. Through lived experience, resilience, and unwavering compassion, Howaida helps survivors reclaim their identity, rebuild confidence, and move beyond the pain that once defined them. Her work creates space for honest conversations, deep healing, and the kind of transformation that begins when people finally feel seen, heard, and believed. Alongside her coaching and advocacy, she is deeply committed to raising awareness around the long-term emotional impact of FGM, challenging stigma, and helping communities better understand the realities survivors carry long after the silence ends. Her message reaches beyond survival. It is about reclaiming power, restoring dignity, and choosing a future on your own terms. Healing is possible. Your story matters. And your life belongs to you. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Enj…

Emily Holl has dedicated her life to giving a voice to the people so often left out of the conversation: siblings of individuals with disabilities and complex health needs. As Director of The Sibling Support Project, she has become a leading advocate, writer, and guide for families navigating the lifelong realities of love, responsibility, identity, and connection. But her work is more than professional. It is deeply personal. As a sibling herself, Emily understands the invisible emotions, quiet sacrifices, and profound bonds that shape these relationships in ways the world rarely sees. Through her writing, research, workshops, and advocacy, Emily creates space for siblings to feel seen, understood, and less alone. Her work speaks to the complexity of caregiving, family, and belonging with honesty, compassion, and extraordinary depth. Whether through her books, public speaking, or support programs, she reminds people that behind every diagnosis is a family learning how to carry bot…

1,420 | From Emotional Eating to Healing with Jane McGuinness Jane McGuinness is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, author, and mother of three who brings warmth, honesty, and lived experience into her work. Originally from Australia, she now calls North Vancouver home, where she embraces the outdoors and finds balance through hiking and biking. A recovering emotional eater, Jane is a strong advocate for acceptance, gratitude, and kindness. Her approach to life and counseling is rooted in compassion, self awareness, and the belief that joy and laughter are essential to healing. Her debut book, Always Hungry: How I Lost the Weight and Found Myself, shares her personal journey and offers insight into the deeper emotional side of transformation. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎧 Love our show? Show some love! 👉 Check out today’s guest: www.janemcguinnesstheauthor.com 🎬 Need stunning videos, clean audio, or scroll-stopping designs? Check out our media services at https://www.kmmedi…

1,404 | Celeste Glover on Turning Tragedy Into Advocacy Celeste Glover is a hands on remodeler and landlord whose business motto is simple: Improving community. She has built her career transforming highly distressed properties into safe, livable homes, strengthening neighborhoods one project at a time. On July 19, 2023, Celeste survived a complete spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the waist down. While there is currently no cure for spinal cord injury, she has committed herself to pursuing innovative treatments that are showing promising results in restoring function and improving quality of life. These emerging therapies are helping address paralysis, spasms, nerve pain, incontinence, and autonomic dysreflexia, with clinical trials underway in the United States and additional treatment options available internationally. Celeste is raising funds to participate in treatment at Verita Neuro in Guadalajara. While she understands that a full recovery may not be pos…

1,395 | Anne Karber Shares How Radical Self-Awareness Changes Everything Anne Karber is an author, podcast host, and voice for intentional living and radical self-awareness. She is the author of The Life Hack Playbook, a practical and deeply personal guide that explores how self-honesty, energy management, and conscious choice can reshape the way we experience our lives. As host of the Let’s Get Naked podcast, Anne leads raw and unscripted conversations about healing, identity shifts, boundaries, and rebuilding a life that feels aligned and sustainable. Her work is grounded in lived experience, including navigating burnout, internal disruption, and the decision to stop living on autopilot. Through her writing and conversations, Anne helps people move from survival mode to self-trust. She teaches that lasting growth comes not from perfection or hustle, but from awareness, ownership, and the courage to choose differently. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎧 Love our show? Show some lo…

1,388 | Christopher Rivers on Navigating Ambition Without Losing Yourself Christopher Rivers is a former US Army officer and combat veteran who enlisted at 17 and served in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics with a focus on Nuclear Engineering, along with master’s degrees in Public Policy and Foreign Service from Georgetown University. After his military service, Christopher worked as a policy advisor and strategic problem-solver at the US Department of State and later in the private sector, guiding organizations through complex operational and leadership challenges. His career spans national security, diplomacy, corporate strategy, and a statewide political campaign, giving him a rare, firsthand perspective on how power operates within institutions. His debut book, You Shouldn’t Have to Kill to Get Ahead, draws on that experience to examine ambition, integrity, and the system…

1,330 | Matteo Esposito on Turning Autism Into Artistic Purpose Matteo Esposito is an Autistic playwright, props designer, actor, and singer-songwriter from Canada whose work celebrates creativity, inclusion, and the transformative power of theatre and music. His acclaimed play Sorting It Out has been produced seven times across North America, including a successful Off-Off-Broadway run in 2023, produced by Jon L. Peacock of Play Readings with Friends. Matteo also designed the props for the production and later reprised his original role as Nick Kinderwood in the 2024 Richmond Hill, Ontario performance to a sold-out audience. Dedicated to inspiring others through art, Matteo uses theatre as a teaching tool and is now expanding his creative expression into magic and illusion—reminding audiences that life, like art, is full of wonder and unseen possibilities. For Matteo Esposito, creativity isn’t just performance—it’s purpose. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎧 Love our show? Sho…

1,327 | How to Keep Kids Safe Online in a Digital World with Nathan LaChine Nathan LaChine is a longtime foster parent, educator, and advocate with over two decades of experience supporting Washington State’s most vulnerable youth. A third-generation foster parent, he has provided therapeutic foster care for more than 20 years and is the founder of Evergreen Caregiver Support, an organization dedicated to empowering caregivers through training, resources, and community connection. He is the author of The Internet Safety Workbook for Tweens: With Olivia and Friends, an interactive guide that helps kids and families learn digital safety through storytelling, real-life scenarios, and engaging activities. The workbook features reflection exercises, “Chat Starters,” and a family internet safety agreement to promote healthy online habits. As a trainer and speaker, Nathan’s expertise spans internet safety, online grooming prevention, CSEC education, LGBTQIA+ youth support, harm redu…

1,313 | Kathleen Scheible on Raising Awareness for Homeopathic Medicine Kathleen Scheible has been a practicing classical homeopath since 2005, serving clients in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood and online worldwide. After witnessing remarkable healing in both her son and stepson through homeopathy, she left a career in engineering to dedicate her life to natural medicine and holistic wellness. Her journey reflects both curiosity and conviction—combining analytical precision with compassionate care. Throughout her career, she has contributed extensively to the homeopathic community and is now helping lead efforts to raise funds for the first-ever Homeopathic Medicine Political Action Committee, advocating for fair and progressive regulation of homeopathic medicines in the United States. Dedicated to healing, advocacy, and integrity in the practice of homeopathy. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎧 Love our show? Show some love! 👉 Check out today’s guest: https://w…