Broken Beautiful Me - Stories of Hope, Gratitude & Resilience

In this powerful and reflective episode, we explore loss, achievement, identity, and the courage it takes to stop measuring life from the outside in. In this episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Alan Lazaros, CEO and co-founder of Next Level University, a globally ranked Top 100 podcast with over 2,300 episodes listened to in more than 180 countries. Alan's story begins with profound loss. His father died when Alan was just two years old. Years later, his stepfather left, taking with him an entire extended family and financial stability. What followed was a childhood shaped by abandonment, pressure, and an unspoken belief that achievement could replace safety. Driven to prove his worth, Alan became a high achiever. He excelled academically, rose quickly in corporate America, and achieved financial success at a young age. From the outside, his life looked like the definition of success. Inside, something was missing. A near-fatal car accident at age 26 became a turning point. It forced Alan to confront a question many avoid: If this were the end, would I be proud of the life I lived? That moment cracked open a deeper journey, one focused not on external validation, but on meaning, alignment, and internal fulfillment. In this deeply honest conversation, Alan shares how achievement without purpose can become another form of avoidance, and how personal growth, self-awareness, and meaning must come before lasting success. In this episode, Alan shares: • 🌱 How early loss shaped his drive, ambition, and fear of abandonment • 💔 Why achievement can become a survival strategy rather than a source of fulfillment • 🧠 The difference between external success and internal alignment • 🔄 The Four Buckets of Life and why most people get stuck in the wrong one • ⚖️ How to balance health, wealth, love, and purpose without burning out • 🧩 Why inaccurate self-perception keeps people stuck, even when they work hard • 🎯 The "glass and rubber balls" metaphor for focus, boundaries, and leadership • ✨ Why meaning, not status, is the true driver of long-term fulfillment Alan also speaks candidly about coaching, humility, and the uncomfortable truth that growth requires seeing ourselves clearly. He challenges listeners to rethink what they chase, why they chase it, and whether their success actually reflects who they are. This episode is a reminder that healing doesn't always look like slowing down. Sometimes it looks like realigning. Letting go of who you thought you had to be. And choosing a life built from meaning, not expectation. A grounded, insightful, and deeply human conversation about loss, ambition, self-awareness, and the courage it takes to build a life that feels true. ⸻ Follow Alan Lazaros Website: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com Podcast – Next Level University: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-level-university/id1227858278 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alanlazarosllc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc

Welcome to Season Four of Broken Beautiful Me. In this deeply grounding and compassionate episode, we explore healing not through willpower or escape, but through presence, surrender, and learning to feel safe inside your own body. In this intimate conversation, Kelly sits down with Hans Andreas Weygoldt, a transformational coach and breathwork facilitator whose journey from addiction to emotional freedom reshaped not only his life, but his understanding of what true healing requires. After spending eight years caught in opioid addiction, Hans learned that what he was really trying to numb were unexpressed emotions, unresolved trauma, and a nervous system stuck in survival mode. His healing began not with force or discipline, but with surrender, curiosity, and breath. Through his work today, Hans helps high-performing leaders and individuals uncover the hidden emotional patterns beneath stress, success, and self-sabotage. His approach blends neuroscience, breathwork, and consciousness-based coaching to support emotional regulation, presence, and authentic leadership. In this thoughtful and heart-centered episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Hans and Kelly explore how healing unfolds when we stop running from discomfort and learn how to stay. In this episode, Hans shares: • 🌿 How suppressed emotions live in the nervous system, not the mind • 🧠 Why success and achievement can become a form of emotional avoidance • 💔 How generational trauma quietly shapes our relationship with anger, grief, and vulnerability • 🌬️ Why breathwork creates safety for emotional release without substances • 🤍 How shame begins to dissolve when it is witnessed without judgment • 🔁 Why healing is not about fixing yourself, but learning to trust your inner experience • ✨ How gratitude can transform guilt, regret, and pain into purpose • 🕊️ Simple breath practices that can be used anytime to return to calm and presence Hans also reflects on the importance of community, sharing, and connection in the healing process. He explains why healing is not meant to be done alone and how safe spaces allow the nervous system to finally let go of what it has been holding for years. This is a gentle, powerful conversation about addiction, emotional liberation, breath, and the courage it takes to feel deeply in a world that often teaches us to shut down. A compassionate, grounding, and deeply human episode about healing the nervous system, breaking generational cycles, and discovering peace through presence. ⸻ Follow Hans Andreas Weygoldt LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-andreas-weygoldt-151777356/ Website https://pneumorphosis.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hans.andreas.weygoldt Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hansandreasweygoldt

What if the bravest thing you ever do isn't surviving what happened to you… but choosing to stop hiding it? Welcome to Season Four of Broken Beautiful Me. We begin this new season with a deeply honest and compassionate conversation about grief, trauma, therapy, and the courage it takes to live openly after years of silence. In this profoundly moving episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Linda Feig Knipe, a retired high school counselor and first-time author who spent decades helping others through trauma while quietly carrying her own. After the death of her husband, Linda found herself at a crossroads that would change the way she lived, healed, and told the truth about her life. Linda's story is one of resilience shaped over a lifetime. In her twenties, she survived sexual assault and lived for years with unprocessed trauma, shame, and PTSD. Later, while training to become a counselor, she was unexpectedly triggered and forced to confront what she had spent years burying. Therapy became not only a place of healing, but a turning point that transformed how she understood herself, her work, and her relationships. Writing her book Braving Therapy later in life required Linda to face a new fear — the fear of being fully seen. For the first time, she chose honesty over protection, openness over silence, and courage over comfort. In this intimate and thoughtful conversation, Linda shares: • 🌿 How grief became a gateway to personal transformation • 💔 The long-term impact of trauma and why silence can become toxic • 🧠 What therapy really feels like from the inside — and why it's so hard to begin • 🕊️ How shame shapes our inner lives and keeps us disconnected • 💬 Why healing doesn't mean going back to who you were, but becoming someone new • 🤍 The power of sharing our stories and learning we are not meant to do life alone • 🔍 Why human connection matters more than ever in an increasingly digital world Linda also discusses her book Braving Therapy, written as a companion for anyone who has ever wondered whether therapy might help but felt afraid to take the first step. Her message is clear: healing takes courage, honesty, and support — and no one has to do it alone. A compassionate, grounding, and deeply human conversation about grief, trauma, therapy, and the freedom that comes from finally telling the truth. ⸻ Follow Linda Feig Knipe Website: https://lfeigknipe.com/ Book – Braving Therapy (Amazon): https://a.co/d/4f8FwWF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l._feig_knipe FB: https://www.facebook.com/p/L-Feig-Knipe-100086436326648/

What if the moment that changes your entire life isn't a single event… but a series of wake-up calls your soul keeps sending until you finally pay attention? In this profoundly moving episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Simon Lüthi, a former high-performing corporate executive who nearly died multiple times before discovering the spiritual path that would transform his entire existence. Today he is known as The Rocket Shaman — a healer, energy medicine practitioner, and end-of-life doula whose work blends ancient wisdom with modern suffering. Simon's story begins long before adulthood: three near-death experiences as a child and teen, followed by years of pushing himself through perfectionism, pressure, and the relentless grind of corporate life. But everything began to unravel when he developed a mysterious autoimmune illness so severe he could barely get out of bed. Doctors couldn't explain it. Treatments failed. And then came cancer. These crises didn't break him — they opened him. Through shamanic training, energy medicine, ancestral healing, and an intense spiritual awakening, Simon discovered a deeper truth about illness, trauma, consciousness, and the unseen forces that shape our lives. His experiences guiding people through the final hours of life — and witnessing what happens in the moments just after — reshaped his understanding of love, death, and the continuation of the soul. In this intimate conversation, Simon shares: • ✨ The near-death experiences that marked him long before he understood them • 🔥 How chronic illness and cancer became the catalysts for his spiritual awakening • 🌿 The moment energy medicine finally shifted what modern medicine couldn't • 💫 Why he believes with absolute certainty that life continues after death • 🕊️ The signs and messages he's witnessed from loved ones who have crossed over • 🌀 How trauma can live in the body across generations — and even past lives • 🌙 What it means to guide someone through their final transition with peace and dignity • 💛 Why self-talk, intention, and inner authority are essential to true healing Simon also discusses his book, Becoming the Rocket Shaman, and how we can all begin reclaiming our power, our intuition, and the healing potential that lives inside us. A powerful, healing, deeply spiritual exploration of illness, awakening, and the invisible threads connecting us to something much bigger than ourselves.   Follow Simon Lüthi Website: https://www.therocketshaman.com Book – Becoming the Rocket Shaman (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FFPBNKSM Book – Becoming the Rocket Shaman (Barnes & Noble): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/becoming-the-rocket-shaman-simon-luthi/1148299305

What if the moment that changes your entire life arrives as a glowing ball of light in your bedroom doorway when you are only sixteen years old? In this deeply reflective episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Carmen Turner-Schott, MSW, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker, Christian astrologer, teacher, and bestselling author who has spent nearly three decades helping trauma survivors find meaning, resilience, and healing. Carmen's story begins in the Ozarks of Missouri, where she grew up feeling different from everyone around her. As a child she sensed things she couldn't explain, dreamt vividly, and carried emotions that didn't belong only to her. But everything shifted the summer before her senior year when she witnessed a glowing yellow orb of light in her bedroom doorway. Frozen in fear, unable to speak, she watched it move through her home as her mother tried to rationalize what neither of them could truly name. That moment became the spiritual turning point of Carmen's life. In the years that followed, Carmen experienced profound loss and intuitive awakenings that led her toward psychology, trauma work, and eventually the study of astrology as a tool for self-understanding. She began reading charts by hand, long before computers, discovering that each chart reflects a person's emotional makeup, strengths, wounds, and the energy they carry through the world. Today, Carmen is a professor of social work and a sought-after astrologer whose work bridges spirituality, psychology, and healing. In this conversation, she shares: • 🌟 How growing up empathic shaped her sense of identity and belonging • 🕯️ The night she encountered the glowing orb that opened her spiritual path • 🔮 Why astrology is less about prediction and more about understanding your inner landscape • 💫 The difference between your sun, moon, and rising signs, and why the moon sign reveals your emotional truth • 🧡 How each astrological sign heals differently, and what that means for self-care • 🌙 Why trauma shows up in specific parts of the birth chart, and how that knowledge helps survivors rebuild • 🌏 How ancient symbolism, psychology, and spirituality all converge through astrology Carmen also talks about her newest book, Your Astrological Energy, and how understanding your chart can help you cultivate compassion for yourself, deepen your relationships, and navigate your life with clarity and confidence. A warm, illuminating exploration of intuition, identity, healing, and the mysterious ways we are guided toward who we are meant to become. Follow Carmen Turner-Schott Website: https://www.carmenturnerschott.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmenturnershottauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deepsouldiversastrologywithcarmen YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@carmenturnershott 🎧 Listen to more episodes of Broken Beautiful Me for stories of hope, resilience, and healing.

What if the truth you discover decades later changes everything you thought you knew about your life, your loss, and your identity? In this moving episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Lisa Sugarman, an author, crisis counselor, and three-time survivor of suicide loss who has transformed profound grief into purpose, community, and healing. Lisa's story begins in childhood with the loss of her cousin at nine years old and the sudden death of her father just a year later. For 35 years she believed he died of a heart attack. In her mid forties, she learned the truth that he died by suicide, forcing her to grieve him all over again and reshaping her understanding of her past, her pain, and herself. Today, Lisa is a passionate mental health advocate, a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, a storyteller with NAMI, and the founder of The HelpHUB, one of the most comprehensive free mental health resource platforms available. She also facilitates Safe Place, a virtual support group for suicide loss survivors, and cohosts The Survivors Podcast.   In this conversation, Lisa shares: • 💔 What it is like to lose a parent twice, and how hidden truths create both wound and wisdom • 🌙 The three years she quietly cried herself to sleep while holding her life together on the outside • 🧭 How a single podcast appearance became the catalyst that changed the direction of her life • 🤝 The power of sharing our stories to break stigma, build connection, and create community • 🪢 Why grief never ends, and how it becomes the tether that keeps us connected to those we love • 🧩 How The HelpHUB is helping people find crisis support, tools, and treatment when they need it most A tender and courageous exploration of grief, truth, connection, and the healing that begins when we finally speak the stories we've held inside.   📘 Lisa is the author of Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss (2026), How to Raise Perfectly Imperfect Kids and Be OK With It, Untying Parent Anxiety, and LIFE: It Is What It Is. Follow Lisa Sugarman: Website: https://www.thehelphub.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisa_sugarman The Survivors Podcast: https://www.thehelphub.co/podcast The HelpHUB: https://www.thehelphub.co 🎧 Listen to more episodes of Broken Beautiful Me for stories of hope, resilience, and healing.

What if the key to healing is not just in the body but in the soul? In this powerful episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Dr. Carolyn Larkin Taylor, a neurologist who has dedicated more than three decades to understanding the connection between the brain, emotion, and spirit. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Hahnemann Medical College, Dr. Taylor completed her neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned the Humaneness in Medicine Award and was recognized as one of Philadelphia's Top Docs for Women. She recently published Whispers of the Mind: A Neurologist's Memoir, a deeply moving collection of personal and professional essays that explore how we face illness, addiction, trauma, and the search for meaning.   In this conversation, Dr. Taylor shares: • 🧠 How resilience and gratitude can rewire the brain for healing • 💊 Why addiction is a neurological disease, not a moral failure • ✍️ The power of writing and reflection to process grief • 💔 Lessons from patients who taught her the meaning of courage • 🌿 How compassion and forgiveness transform both patient and healer   A heartfelt exploration of what it means to be human, fragile, resilient, and beautifully connected.   📘 Whispers of the Mind is available now wherever books are sold. Follow Dr. Carolyn Larkin Taylor: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566811690823 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolyn.larkin.taylor/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynlarkintaylor-author Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carolynlarkintaylor/   🎧 Listen to more episodes of Broken Beautiful Me for stories of hope, resilience, and healing.

In this profound episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Dr. Robert Macauley — one of only a few hundred physicians in the United States to specialize in pediatric palliative care. Robert's memoir, Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor's Soul, is the first book to share the stories of children receiving palliative care — showing that this field is far more about how you live than how you die. Through the courage of these children and their parents, Robert found healing for deep wounds from his own past — and a new understanding of love, faith, and grace in the face of suffering. As both a physician and an Episcopal priest, Robert explores how a loving God could allow children to suffer — and what these young lives teach us about compassion, connection, and what truly matters. Together, Kelly and Robert talk about: • 🩵 The powerful lessons sick children taught him about living fully • 💭 The spiritual questions that shaped his journey as both doctor and priest • 🕊 How grief, faith, and storytelling intertwine to heal the soul • ❤️ Why remembering is one of the most sacred acts of love • 📖 The message behind his memoir: that meaning can be found even in loss If you've ever wrestled with grief, faith, or finding hope in hardship, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. ⸻ 📘 Order Dr. Robert Macauley's Book: ➡️ Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor's Soul (Also available through local bookstores, Amazon, and Powell's) 🌐 Connect with Dr. Robert Macauley: Website: https://becauseiknewyou.com Instagram: @DrBobMacauley Facebook: DrBobMacauley ⸻ ✨ Subscribe to Broken Beautiful Me for more soul-deep conversations about resilience, faith, and the beauty found in our most broken moments.

What happens when a nine-year-old girl leaves communist Poland for the "land of freedom"… and instead walks straight into 13 years of silence, fear, and abuse? This week on Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Christine Sadry — award-winning author, former UN peacekeeper, and survivor of unimaginable childhood trauma. At just nine, Christine was promised a new life in America. Instead, she arrived alone at JFK Airport… and no one came to meet her. The next morning, every belonging she had was gone. What followed were years of cruelty and isolation that could have broken anyone. But Christine didn't break. She rose. From being abandoned as a child to serving the United Nations across war-torn countries — even being blessed by Pope John Paul II — her life is a testament to the power of forgiveness, faith, and the human spirit. In this deeply moving episode, Christine shares: • 💔 How she found courage in the middle of trauma • 🕊️ Why forgiveness set her free from the past • 🌍 The unexpected path that led her to global peacekeeping • 🙏 What it really means to never give up on yourself If you've ever felt trapped by your past, Christine's story will remind you — healing is possible, and hope is never lost. ⸻ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Broken Beautiful Me Podcast 📘 13 Years Lost by Christine Sadry — Available on Amazon 🌿 Follow Kelly Buckley on Instagram @kellybuckleyofficial

What happens when a woman in her late forties makes a promise to her dying mother… and ends up changing the entire trajectory of her life? This week on Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Margie Zable Fisher — co-author (along with her late mother) of The Cabernet Club, published on January 31, 2025. Margie's story is one of reinvention, resilience, and love. Before becoming a full-time writer after 50, she ran a successful P.R. agency for 20 years, with her work appearing in The New York Times, AARP, Fortune, Next Avenue, and more. She's a wife, mother, Cabernet lover, spelling-bee enthusiast, and first-time triathlete after 50 — proving it's never too late to rewrite your story.   In this deeply moving conversation, Margie opens up about: 🌿 Turning fear into fuel — how she transformed the prospect of turning 50 into a year-long "Margie Project" of trying new things, from motorcycle riding to zip-lining. 🏃 How one 5K race led to triathlons and a completely new relationship with herself. 💔 Fulfilling a promise — finishing and publishing the manuscript her mother spent 20 years writing, just as she had vowed before her mom passed away. ✍️ Teaching herself fiction writing from scratch, while navigating raw grief. 🧠 How grief became a gift, shaping a legacy and unlocking unexpected creativity. 📚 The journey of bringing The Cabernet Club to publication and what came next.   Margie's story is proof that midlife is not the end of the book — it's the start of a whole new chapter.   🎧 Listen now to hear a story about love, loss, courage, and the powerful ripple effects of keeping a promise. 🔗 Connect with Margie 👉 Website & Bonus Chapter: margiezfisher.com    👉 The Cabernet Club — available now wherever books are sold.   🎥 Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/T6njqOGGYzs  

What if addiction isn't something to fix… but a portal to awakening? This week on Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly Buckley sits down with Greg Vorst and Michael Nolan — co-founders of Embodied Recovery, a pioneering treatment centre in Silicon Valley helping people transform addiction and mental health struggles into soul growth and empowered living. Greg and Michael are doing recovery differently. Their Empowered Living Teachings weave together psychology, ancient wisdom, and embodied practices. Drawing from therapy, 12-Step recovery, and Sundo — Korean Taoist breathwork, they guide clients back to their inner wisdom, creating spaces where spiritual transformation and nervous system regulation go hand in hand. Their personal stories are raw, honest, and deeply human. Both men walked their own recovery paths — spanning spiritual communities, 12-Step rooms, and years of personal work — before creating a treatment model rooted in integrity, embodiment, and community. In this powerful conversation, they open up about: • 🌿 Reframing addiction from a "problem to fix" to a spiritual doorway to awakening • 💨 How bottom-up healing and daily breathwork unlock transformation where talk therapy alone can't • 🧱 Working with denial and resistance through love, trust, and gentle truth-telling • 🎶 Rediscovering the "Melody of Love" — and how to return to it when life pulls you away • 🤝 Why every team member at Embodied Recovery works their own recovery program — and why it matters for clients • 🌀 How their new nonprofit Melos will offer graduates a community of spiritual practice, sober dance, and breathwork long after treatment ends This is an episode about coming home to yourself, breaking through the noise, and remembering that the gold has always been inside you. ✨ ⸻ 📌 Links & Resources • 🌐 Kelly's Website: https://www.kellybuckley.com • 📚 Kelly's Books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com (search "Kelly Buckley") • 🧠 Embodied Recovery: https://www.embodiedrecovery.org • 🎶 Melos Nonprofit: https://www.melosrecovery.org (opening planned for 2026) ⸻ 🎧 If Greg and Michael's story resonates with you, share this episode with someone who's ready to stop fixing… and start awakening.

What happens when the woman who seems to "have it all" admits she's still terrified to be seen? This week on Broken Beautiful Me, Kelly sits down with Angie Hawkins — The Inner Glow Coach and author who helps high-achieving, spiritual women stop chasing love and approval… and start radiating fierce confidence from within. Angie's story is both breathtaking and brutally honest. She's bungee-jumped in New Zealand, skydived, run 16 marathons, and even leapt out of a helicopter Navy SEAL-style. She packed up her life in Chicago and moved to Hawaii alone — all in the pursuit of purpose and joy. But behind the fearless exterior was a deep fear of truly being seen. In this powerful conversation, Angie opens up about: • 🌿 Her journey from emotional rock bottom to rediscovering her inner light • 🪂 How bungee jumping became a metaphor for courage and transformation • 📱 The "Instagram vs Reality" exercise that cracks open vulnerability in her workshops • 🌞 What it means to shine from the inside and how it ripples into every area of life • 💬 Why facing our deepest fears is the key to real freedom This is an episode about masks, courage, and the quiet revolution that happens when women stop seeking external validation and start trusting themselves. ⸻ 📌 Links & Resources • 🌐 Angie's Website & Coaching: https://runningandslippers.com • 📚 Running in Slippers — Angie's Memoir: Available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook on Amazon (search "Running in Slippers Angie Hawkins") • 🗓️ Book a Free Coaching Call with Angie: https://runningandslippers.com → Free Call section ⸻ 🎧 If Angie's story resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to be reminded: the glow is already inside you.

Hey Friends, welcome back to Broken Beautiful Me 💜 This week's conversation is raw, brave, and soul-shifting. I sit down with Katie Baker—writer, advocate, and childhood abuse survivor—who has transformed her pain into profound purpose. 👉 From years of battling addiction, shame, and silence… 👉 To sitting in sacred ayahuasca ceremonies around the world… 👉 To writing her memoir When the Universe Holds Your Hair Back… Katie shares how she reclaimed her voice, her body, and her spirit. Her story is not just about surviving trauma—it's about reclaiming agency, finding community, and daring to live fully. ⸻ 🔖 Episode Chapters 00:00 – Katie's son says "Mom, it's your turn to heal" 02:00 – Facing childhood trauma & breaking silence 09:00 – First experiences with psychedelics & ayahuasca 16:00 – Inside a sacred ceremony: intention, process & release 25:00 – Turning pain into advocacy and writing her memoir 32:00 – Healing family relationships across generations 46:00 – What society misunderstands about survivors 54:00 – Learning self-care and finding balance 01:01:00 – Katie's legacy of hope for future survivors ⸻ In this episode, we talk about: • 🌱 The turning point when her son said: "Mom, it's your turn to heal." • 🍃 How therapeutic psychedelics opened a path to transformation. • 💔 What society still misunderstands about abuse and survivors. • 💡 Why telling our stories breaks cycles of shame and secrecy. • 🌍 How Katie is now helping others heal through writing, advocacy, and spiritual practice. Katie's honesty reminds us: every scar tells a story—and every story has the power to heal. 📖 Connect with Katie Baker Website: peaceandfirehealing.com Book: When the Universe Holds Your Hair Back (available on Amazon, Audible, Spotify) 💜 If this episode moved you, please subscribe, review, and share with someone who needs to hear that healing is possible. Together, we shine brighter.

In this deeply moving episode, we welcome Dr. Beverly Thorn — psychologist, author, dementia caregiver, and certified end-of-life doula. Dr. Thorn spent decades as a clinical psychology professor at Ohio State and the University of Alabama, publishing hundreds of articles and books on chronic illness. But when her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, her professional expertise collided with personal reality. She became a full-time caregiver and, later, an end-of-life doula, documenting her journey in her powerful book: Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver This episode dives into: • The hidden emotional toll of dementia caregiving and why so many feel alone. • Why caregivers must care for themselves — not just for their loved ones, but because they matter too. • Practical tools like journaling, meditation, and support groups to reduce stress. • Why it's vital to plan for end-of-life care and set clear boundaries as a caregiver. • The surprising role of music, movement, and memory in dementia care. ⸻ ⏱️ Episode Chapters: 00:00 – Dementia caregiving: the hidden struggle 02:30 – Dr. Beverly Thorn's journey from psychologist to caregiver 05:00 – Writing Before I Lose My Own Mind 10:00 – Loneliness, stigma & the emotional cost of dementia 20:00 – Why caregivers neglect their own health 28:00 – Planning for end-of-life & honoring wishes 37:00 – Journaling, meditation & coping with grief 43:00 – Support systems, respite care & "the club" 50:00 – Research, resilience & final advice for caregivers 55:00 – How to connect with Dr. Thorn ⸻ 🔗 Links & Resources • 🌐 Dr. Beverly Thorn's website: www.drbeverlythorn.com • 📖 Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver – Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Ask your local bookstore • 🎧 Free relaxation & meditation audio guides: www.drbeverlythorn.com • 📚 Alzheimer's Association statistics & caregiver resources: www.alz.org • 🌐 Host's website: www.kellybuckley.com ⸻ 📌 Key Topics • Dementia caregiving myths & truths • Why caregivers often neglect their own health • Coping with grief before, during & after loss • Building a reliable care team • Finding resilience in brokenness

Welcome to another episode of Broken Beautiful Me with host Kelly Buckley. Today's guest, Ranae Van Roekel, shares her extraordinary story of trauma, incarceration, and transformation. After childhood abuse and decades of silence, Ranae found herself serving a 51-month federal prison sentence. But instead of letting prison define her, she chose healing — and now she helps others through her platform Connecting to Cope.   ✨ In this episode, you'll hear: • The trauma Ranae carried for decades and how silence shaped her choices • Why prison became the start of her healing • The life-changing moment when she chose recovery over despair • How she now helps others through Connecting to Cope • Insights into the U.S. criminal justice system and the First Step Act 💬 Share this episode with someone who needs hope, resilience, and the reminder: you are not the worst thing you've done.   👉 Connect with Ranae: • Website:  www.connectingtocope.com 🌐 • Instagram: @connectingtocope 📸 • Facebook: Connecting to Cope 👍   👉 Connect with Kelly: • Website: Kelly Buckley 🌐 • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustOneLittleThing/ 📘 • Instagram: @kellysbuckley 🌸 • YouTube: Broken Beautiful Me ▶️   🎧 Subscribe for more stories of hope and resilience!

In this episode of Broken Beautiful Me, host Kelly Buckley sits down with John Beyer, author of Live a Little Better: One Man's Journey of Survival, Sobriety and Success.   🌟 John's story is one of resilience, hope, and transformation:   • Born to addicted parents and raised in chaos & poverty    • Hit rock bottom before finding sobriety through Alcoholics Anonymous 🍃   • Sober since March 31, 1986    • Built Men on the Move, one of Long Island's largest independent moving companies    • Faced his son Gregory's autism diagnosis head-on and became a passionate advocate    • Helped found & support autism organisations: David Center, Autism Speaks (Long Island Chapter), Spectrum Designs, The Nicholas Center    • Writes and records music — leaving a legacy for his children & grandchildren   This powerful conversation will inspire you to see that even through brokenness, healing is possible.   👉 If you've faced addiction, family struggles, or unexpected challenges, John's story will remind you: you can live a little better.   ⸻   Resources & Links Mentioned (Verified):   📘 Live a Little Better (memoir by John Beyer) → Simon & Schuster | Amazon | Barnes & Noble   🚚 Men on the Move → menonthemove.com   👕 Spectrum Designs (employing adults with autism) → spectrumdesigns.org   🤝 The Nicholas Center → tncnewyork.org   🎵 John Beyer Music → johnbyermusic.com   ⸻   Connect with Kelly Buckley:   🌐 kellybuckley.com   🎙️ Podcast: Broken Beautiful Me (available everywhere)   ⸻   Timestamps:   00:00 – Kelly's welcome & introduction    00:28 – John Beyer's early life & memoir background    07:36 – First AA meeting & beginning of sobriety    10:56 – Daughter's push to write his book    17:42 – Gregory's autism diagnosis & resilience    27:02 – Advocacy, Men on the Move & Spectrum Designs    35:15 – Music, family legacy & songwriting    45:11 – Closing & where to find John's work     

What happens when a Navy Commander becomes one of the world's most trusted spiritual mediums? In this deeply moving conversation, host Kelly Buckley welcomes Suzanne Giesemann — spiritual teacher, medium, and author named on Watkins' list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Together they discuss grief, signs from spirit, practical tools to connect with loved ones, and Suzanne's journey from military leadership to becoming a guide for millions seeking comfort and healing. ✨ Topics in this episode: • Signs from loved ones after death • How "The Sip of the Divine" can open you to spirit in just 3 minutes • The Awakened Way: Living from love and interconnectedness • The story of Wolfe's Message documentary • Finding meaning through grief and discovering wholeness at the soul level 📚 Learn more about Suzanne's books, classes, and events: SuzanneGiesemann.com 💜 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes of Broken Beautiful Me.

How do you survive unimaginable loss — and even find healing through it? In this emotional and inspiring episode of the Broken Beautiful Me Podcast, host Kelly Buckley talks with John DeDakis — award-winning novelist, writing coach, and former CNN journalist — about turning pain into purpose. John opens up about losing his sister and his son, and how writing became his lifeline. Together, Kelly and John dive deep into: ✨ Writing as a path to healing and self-discovery ✨ How men and women grieve differently in relationships ✨ Why gratitude and resilience matter in grief ✨ The power of storytelling to transform pain into hope ✨ Lessons from John's career in journalism and fiction writing This conversation is raw, real, and filled with wisdom for anyone who has faced loss — or wants to better understand the healing journey. 👉 Learn more about John DeDakis & his books: https://johndedakis.com 👉 Explore Kelly Buckley's work & books: https://kelleybuckley.com 💬 What's helped YOU heal in your grief journey — writing, art, music, community? Share in the comments so we can support each other. 📌 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell to join us for more healing conversations.

In this powerful episode of Broken Beautiful Me, host Kelly Buckley sits down with Malisa Hepner — a social worker, author, and host of the Emotionally Unavailable podcast — to explore her raw, unfiltered story of surviving extreme childhood trauma, battling shame, and reclaiming her life through radical self-love and authenticity. Malisa's journey began in the chaos of neglect, foster care, and the devastating loss of both parents. She shares how years of perfectionism and emotional unavailability led her to a breaking point — and the turning point that inspired her to choose life, leave a secure job, and start a podcast and private practice dedicated to helping others heal.   This episode dives deep into: Overcoming childhood trauma and the lasting impact of the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) score The truth about shame archetypes and how they shape our relationships Shifting from perfectionism to authentic, messy humanity Why gratitude and presence are essential for surviving life's "dark nights" Practical tools for ending the cycle of overthinking and reconnecting with your true self How Malisa's affordable workbooks are helping people worldwide heal from shame and emotional disconnection Malisa's story is proof that even in our most broken moments, we have the power to rewrite our narrative. Whether you're struggling with your past, battling self-criticism, or learning to love yourself for the first time, this conversation offers hope, practical wisdom, and a reminder that you are already enough.   Resources & Links: Malisa Hepner's Website & Workbooks: empoweredwithmelissahepner.org Follow Malisa on Instagram: @melissa.hoeppner Listen to the Emotionally Unavailable Podcast Connect with Kelly Buckley: kellybuckley.com  

In this heart-opening episode of Broken Beautiful Me, host Kelly Buckley sits down with Alyssa Scarano, licensed counselor and founder of Collective Therapy and Wellness, for a deeply compassionate conversation about grief, trauma, childhood wounds, parenting after loss, and the transformative power of therapy.   Alyssa shares her holistic approach to therapy—one that integrates mental, physical, and spiritual healing. She emphasizes the importance of moving away from clinical diagnoses as identity markers and toward whole-person healing that fosters self-compassion, emotional safety, and authentic connection.   From supporting bereaved parents and guiding clients through anxiety attacks, to trauma-informed parenting and the value of presence, Alyssa provides insights and strategies that resonate with anyone navigating loss or emotional pain.   In This Episode, We Cover:   • The vision behind Collective Therapy and Wellness   • How holistic therapy integrates mind, body, and spirit   • Breaking generational patterns through self-awareness   • Creating emotional safety in virtual therapy spaces   • Supporting bereaved parents and children through trauma   • How grief manifests emotionally and physically   • The role of anxiety, control, and vulnerability in trauma recovery   • Practical grounding tools for anxiety and grief attacks   • Why gratitude can be a lifeline in grief   • Navigating parenthood when you're grieving   • The power of saying "I don't have it all figured out" as a parent   • The future of therapy and the importance of relational healing   • Why "You Matter"—a message everyone needs to hear     🌟 Powerful Quotes   "Our emotions work like hunger—they are cues. And when we treat them with judgment, we invalidate their message." – Alyssa Scarano   "Gratitude doesn't erase grief. But it can anchor us to the present moment." – Kelly Buckley   "You matter. Your feelings are valid. You don't have to have it all figured out." – Alyssa Scarano     🔗 Connect with Alyssa Scarano & Collective Therapy   🌐 Website: www.collective-therapy.com   📸 Instagram: @livecollectivewellness   🗺️ Serving clients in: Florida, New Jersey, New York, Missouri, and Texas   📅 Offers: Therapy, coaching, group sessions, workshops & affordable community options     🙏 About Broken Beautiful Me   Broken Beautiful Me shares powerful stories of hope, resilience, and healing. Hosted by Kelly Buckley, each episode explores how people rise through life's hardest moments and find meaning in their brokenness.   Subscribe for more conversations that matter. 💛