“Far better than I deserve.” That’s how Travis Blakeley describes his life today, a perspective shaped by sobriety and a deep reliance on his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Three years ago, his life looked nothing like this. For more than two decades, high-functioning addiction ruled quietly beneath professional sports, athletic success, and a thriving…
“I have to stop pleasing everybody because I will lose myself.” At 24, Ebony Jones-Thomas hit rock bottom. After a lifetime shaped by foster care, adoption, multiple sexual assaults, identity struggles, and relentless people-pleasing, she made one decision that changed everything. This sexual assault survivor story isn’t just about overcoming childhood trauma, it’s about healing…
“Today marks seven years since I lost my son, Dylan. He died by suicide seven years ago today. He was 25.” These are Paula Baldwin’s words on the seventh anniversary of Dylan’s death, the day we recorded her podcast episode, and the first time she shared her story publicly. Paula is a suicide loss survivor,…
“When we look at all of these spheres together, the light, the shadow, and the gift, it liberates us to choose relationships that are actually nourishing, healthy, and mutually fulfilling,” says Danielle Laura, energetic self-mastery expert. “And who doesn’t want that?” Danielle helps trauma survivors reconnect with who they were designed to be before trauma…
“People are crying and moving and making noises,” Dr. Tyler Lewis remembers thinking when he first walked into a network spinal session. “This doesn’t make sense.” Still, he got on the table. With just a few light touches along his spine, Dr. Lewis took “this deep breath that felt endless.” “I walked out and I…
George Bryant introduces himself with refreshing honesty: “Unapologetic lover of Jesus. A-minus dad today, B+ partner, C+ entrepreneur with room for improvement.” This grading system isn’t false humility. It reflects a trauma survivor’s hard-won understanding that emotional healing isn’t about perfection, but about the active and honest pursuit of growth. George’s healing journey spans eight…
When Alexa Bigwarfe’s identical twin daughter, Katherine, died just two days after birth, she learned what so many of us discover through profound loss: we cannot heal alone, and there is no single path to healing. What followed was a deeply personal journey of spiritual healing that moved through writing to heal, breathwork for healing,…
When Charles McIntyre walked through the doors of Men of Nehemiah, a Christian rehab for men, after a long battle with addiction, he was, in his own words, “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” He’d tried everything. Nothing worked. He was defeated, broken, and convinced his life would never change. Today, Charles works…
When I was working through my own healing from childhood trauma, one of the most powerful parts of my journey involved working with rooms and understanding how environment plays a role in both recovery and child abuse prevention. I spent considerable time doing healing exercises focused on recreating my childhood bedrooms as part of memory…
When I think about my five-year-old self, the little girl who experienced sexual abuse, my heart focuses on what could have been different. If someone had taught me about body safety, I might have had the language to describe what was happening. If the adults around me had understood the signs of grooming, earlier protection…