Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling

Born without arms, not without attitude!Nicky Abdinor is an expert on doing MORE, with less. Nicky is a registered Clinical Psychologist, international speaker, and founder of the non-profit organisation, Nicky’s Drive. Nicky has a passion for challenging our perceptions of ABILITY. She is a firm believer that it’s not our situation, but how we THINK about our situation, that determines our emotional well-being.  Nicky is a sought-after inspirational keynote speaker who gained international recognition following her TEDx talk, "Driving Dreams." She was awarded the 2022 “Speaker Hall of Fame” award, a great honour through the Professional Speakers Association of South Africa. Nicky has presented talks as far as Europe, the USA, Middle East and Australia - and now will be chatting to us from her office in Cape Town Some key points from our interview: ·        How unbroken means finding meaning in our perceived brokenness·        How there was no medical explanation for being born without arms and shortened legs·        How her parents always focused on what she could do and not what she couldn’t which led to her never seeing her limitations·        How it was never a question of can Nicky do this? but how ·        How she focused on academics and trained as a psychologist·        How she believes her humour helps her with her positive attitude ·        How meeting a client who had lost and arm and a leg in an accident made her realise she should share her story to motivate others ·        How a woman in the UK gifted her an adapted car and she said driving gave her wings·        How she started a non profit organisation to help other people with disabilities get their car adapted to meet their needs ·        How she believes it’s so important to not ignore what is wrong, but focus more on what is right Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nickyabdinorspeakerTwitter: @Nicky_AbdinorLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickyabdinor/Instagram: @nicky_abdinorWebsite: www.nickyabdinor.com TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJV9LG9-Vp0   Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Tammy is Canadian and moved to Scotland in 1989.   She is trained in adult massage and when she had her first child it just felt logical to massage her.   She then discovered research about the benefits of massage for preterm babies and became passionate about massage for all, especially babies/children.  She began teaching parents, mid-wives, health visitors, early years practioners and the Scottish School of Child & Baby Massage was born 28 years ago.   She ran her business while having and raising a family of 7 children. She has many stories about the profound impact that massage has on lives of other babies/parents with bonding, health & well-being and wants to start writing a book now that most of the young people have moved out!!  Some key points from our interview:·       How unbroken means being able to pick herself up whatever happens·       How life in Vancouver was chaotic as she was born to a schizophrenic mother ·       How she fell in love with massage at 12 when received one from a Dutch woman and started to have massage parties teaching her friends as a teenager·       How when she moved to Scotland, she met Jim and qualified in massage·       How her family became one of seven children including one son who has severe autism and epilepsy·       How she loves teaching mums to massage their babies and has so many stories of mental health improving for the mums and physical health too for babies·       How she believes that massage can be used to help others connect to themselves and their baby which improves the bonding between them both·       How self-care is not a luxury but an important way to take care of our healthHer website for training: http://www.babymassage.org.uk/Online course for Parents: https://bambinoandi.co.uk/Facebook:  Scottish School of Child & Baby Massage                                          *                               *                           *                          *Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718    Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Jaz Ampaw-Farr is a ‘resilience ninja’, international speaker, coach and author. Hailed in the US as ‘The British Oprah’, Jaz has travelled the world advising governments, educators and helping tens of thousands of people with her bespoke leadership development programmes, training courses and motivational speeches. As a successful entrepreneur, mum of three, and former teacher - she knows a thing or two about galvanising people into taking action! With a passion for resilience, positive disruption, and a human-first approach to everything, Jaz’s energy is infectious and you can’t help but become mesmerised and fall under her captivating spell Some key points from our interview:·       How she believes that unbroken is about being unbreakable and being able to reform with a new story to be resilient·       How she feels that resilience is all about knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do·       How her start in life was tough and being beaten, neglected and sexually abused left her feeling broken, worthless and defeated for many years ·       How she ended up in care at eight years and homeless as a teenager but meeting five everyday heroes when she was at school changed her life ·       How having a family is her success as she broke the cycle·       How she’s passionate about helping people to become at least 10% braver·       How her brother dying of a heroin overdose motivated her to speak out to show others what is possible in choosing a different life·       How when she recently received an award at a conference, she was moved as she reflected on the enormity of her journey from foster care to speaker of the year  www.jazampawfarr.com Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718 Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Andrea Rainsford –Andrea had an extensive career in the corporate world, working as a Business Development Manager for Ernst & Young and Eversheds.  A career change beckoned following a stroke and in 2009, Andrea graduated with a BSc in Computing Science. A need to help and guide small businesses followed and SEO Angel was born in 2014.  SEO Angel aims to de-mystify SEO, to help small and micro businesses with their visibility and watch them thrive! Some key points from our interview:·        How she believes that Unbroken means her life had many broken shards of glass at times, but she’s examined and fixed them and is thriving again·         How in 2003 she was diagnosed with ME which almost broke her as she fought against the illness and believes that could be what led to her stroke·        How once she was left hospital, she didn’t leave her house for six years·        How she was unable to carry on with her work and went to university and got a degree in computing science·        How she went to university in a wheelchair, but walked in for her graduation with crutches  ·        How despite being told by her Dr’s that she won’t walk again she never gave up on her dream of walking unaided·        How she practices self-care ·        How at the time of this interview she has walked without the use of crutches for the last eight weeks only but is also determined to dance unaided too!·        How she recognises that it would be so easy to wallow in everything she’s been through, but she chose to get back https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-rainsford-seo-angelhttps://www.subscribepage.com/o4t3y8 Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718    Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

As a professional speaker, author and resilience coach Steve’s mission is to deliver his story that took him from wheelchair to world champion and beyond.  He explains how he fixed his broken life and the learnings he gained which he now shares to empower people with the right mindset to go confidently on their journey in the direction of their dreams, their GOLD.   He’s passionate about everyone experiencing the happiness and fulfilment of achieving the life that they have imagined and truly deserve Some key points from our interview: ·        How Kuntsugi means unbroken to him, which is a Japanese word that refers to a broken vase that is mended with gold, making it better and more unique·        How he believes that resilience is a like a wave and there are a range of emotions you need to go through to come out the other side·        How a car accident in 2002 caused so many injuries to his legs that he was told he may never walk again·        How his patience was tested as he wore a cage over his leg for 18 months but could also only twist the bolts through his legs by 1mm per day, which grew his leg back·        How even walking just 10 seconds per day caused utter exhaustion, but he pushed himself to improve·        How he stopped saying “Why me?” and instead I’d say “Try me!”·        How years later he was looking for a new challenge and discovered paratriathlon’s and started his training ·        How he has always focused on what he can do rather that what he can’t do·        How he went from being told he may never walk again to becoming British and then world champion in the paratriathlon·        How he believes if you want to become a high achiever in life then you need to start focusing on what you want to achieve www.steve-judge.co.uk Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718    Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Joan Kane (director, writer, performer, educator) recently performed her script of Almost 13 in the Edinburgh Festival Fringereceiving a five-star review. She also got favourable reviews for her direction of Safe and what do you mean in New York and Edinburgh.  She is the founding Artistic Director of Ego Actus Theatre Company. Off Broadway, she directed Sycorax at HERE, Play Nice! at 59e59 theatres, and I Know What Boys Want at Theatre Row. She directed Six Characters in Search of an Author in Oslo, Norway and Kafka’s Belinda in Prague. Joan was awarded Best Director in the United Solo Festival where she has directed six pieces. She was named to the Indie Theatre Hall of Fame by nytheatre.com.  She has also directed plays and readings at the Lark, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Urban Stages, Workshop Theatre, Nylon Fusion, Abingdon Theatre, Oberon Theatre, the Samuel French Short Play Festival, T. Schreiber Studio, and many others. Joan is an alumni of the LaMama directing and playwriting symposiums in Umbria, Italy. She is a member of the Playwright/Director unit at Actor’s Studio, the League of Professional Theatre Women, the Dramatists Guild, and the Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers Some key points from our interview:·        How she believes that being broken is ok ·        How in the summer of 1969 she witnessed a gang member being murdered and she was then raped by the murderer to silence her·        How she became a selected mute after these traumas, as she was too scared to speak out·        How a friend encouraged her to go for therapy at high school as she was having obtrusive dreams·        How she was encouraged at a writing retreat in Italy to share her story·        How it took her many years to write her story down due to shame and denial·        How writing has been her escape from trauma and her therapy too·        How she’s passionate about storytelling and wrote “Almost 13” which are her memories of a young girl’s violent summer in Brooklyn and plays all 10 characters herself ·        How she believes we can all have horrible things happen to us, but we can survive them too Review of Almost 13  - “Joan Kane sets an example to others to face up to their stories and to be prepared to share them in order to disseminate, perhaps dissipate and gain some healing through the process”Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718   Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Arno Michaelis is a speaker, author of My Life After Hate, co-author of The Gift of Our Wounds,  Filmmaker, and Peacebuilding Consultant.  In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Arno was a leader of hate groups, and frontman of the hate-metal band Centurion before single parenthood, love for his daughter, and the forgiveness shown by people he once hated helped to change his world, bringing love for diversity and gratitude for all life.  Arno has appeared on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360”, “The View”, the BBC, CBC, and ABC. He has published op-ed on CNN, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and Al Jazeera English.·        How he feels proud of his broken heart as it opened him up for the world to touch the most tender part of him·        How his faith in humanity remains unbroken·        How he had an idyllic childhood even though he ended up in hate groups·        How violence and hatred made sense in his world when nothing else did and he likens it to an addiction·        How a black women pointed to his newly tattooed swastika on his finger and told him “That’s not who you are” and her compassion totally disarmed him and left him powerless·        How he left hate groups and went to the rave scene which was hyper diverse and found himself embraced by the people he would have attacked in the past ·        How he struggles with self-forgiveness but recognises its importance and that it’s a process·        How he believes people commit crimes because they are suffering ·        How he now embraces diversity, practices gratitude, is a Buddhist, promotes peace and has totally tuned his life around     https://www.parents4peace.org     https://www.instagram.com/arnomichaelis/?hl=en Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718    Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

He says he’s just a bloke that runs ultra-trail marathons in his spare time…16 now!!He lives just outside of Glasgow with his awesome wife Nikki who has been and is his total rock. He’s 48 years young and passionate about running, cycling and all things motorsport and if he’s not in trainers, he’s on a bike or driving a car. ‘Anxiously chilled out’ describes his approach to stuff now after suffering a catastrophic stroke, out of the blue, in February of 2017 at 42, that changed his life and set him on a new and exciting path and adventure.  He thinks the words loyal, considerate, challenging and inappropriately dark humoured would best describe him. Some key points from our interview:·       How he thinks the word unbroken means acceptance of who and what he is·       How at forty-two years old he suffered a cryptogenic stroke despite being obsessed with cycling and training·       How he wasn’t sure it was a stroke when it happened, but his wife had read about FAST (face, arms, speech and time) acronym and knew it was worse than just an ear infection, which is what he thought he had·       How he didn’t want to make a fuss and call an ambulance, even though he was aware that he couldn’t stand or speak properly ·       How he found himself in dark spaces emotionally·       How he believes his stubbornness helped him to recover physically and emotionally·       How he made a choice of who he was now going to become because of his stroke·       How he believes that his stroke was the best thing that ever happened to him as it softened him·       How he accepts and loves who he is now and feels he’s a more compassionate version of himself  Reach Out to Andy here: Instagram - andyd2574_stroke_of_luck Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718   Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Deborah Henley has over 20 years in psychology and personal developmentFormerly a competitive oarswoman, sailor and swimmer, with qualifications in neurolinguistics, hypnotherapy and the expressive arts - she draws on some extraordinary life experiences, a keen commercial sensibility and a quirky and creative perspective on lifeHer book, ‘Your Leadership Story’, was shortlisted in the Business Book Awards and has become a transformational programme for speakers to find their message and storyWorking with global bluechips such as Accenture, AmEx, Microsoft and the MOD, she inspires her audiences to bring the life and soul back into their organisationsHer vision is to equip leaders to create cultures in which everyone can shine - even (or especially when) they feel ‘Perfectly Flawed’Some key points from our interview:How unbroken means to her that our soul, and our essence is like water and can’t be broken How she focused on looking after her father’s needs when her mother left when she was eleven, before her own needs How as an adult she was able to let go of her anger and frustration and was able to forgive her mother How she felt as if she didn’t matter much, and she struggled with her self-worthHow her journey has been about creating healthy boundaries and learning to put herself first and standing up for her soulHosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718  Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Roxy Rhodes is a psychotherapist and business coach with a private practice in Derbyshire who works predominantly with women who are ready to make some life changes.  Her no BS, filter-free and empathic approach makes her a force to be reckoned with. She'll call you out on your excuses and hold your hand to make the changes.  Her sarcastic humour will immediately put you at ease and you'll find yourself feeling like you've known her for years. She genuinely loves to watch women grow and says that's her "why" that underpins everything she does.  Some key points from our interview: ·      How Unbroken means being whole and authentic and not using any valid reason as an excuse to not do the things we want to do·      How at aged two she was scalded over 70% of her body and wasn’t expected to live·      How miraculously her organs that had shut down started to work again and she need her hands or feet amputated ·      How she grew up in hospitals and loved everything about them·      How she feels that because her parents never covered up her burns and skin grafts, she never felt any shame around them ·      How she believes we are only vulnerable if we are ashamed ·      How she learnt to put good boundaries in place to support herself·      How she wants to inspire other to not try and fit in and don’t let anything hold you back, go after your dreams You can find out more about her at roxyrhodestherapy.co.uk and filterfreebusiness.com ..And join her free Facebook Group at facebook.com/groups/filterfreebusiness"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718   Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Peter Paul Parker is a Dahn Master in the mind-body-spirit arena, a musician and sound healer. He works with both the energy and physical body. Peter is a Ki Gong champion, winning the international competition with the British Team in Korea in 2016. Peter runs a successful coaching business achieving amazing results with highly sensitive people and empaths using the Dream Method.He has set up a local charity called Brighter Living helping the elderly with their health and well-being using Ki Gong and meditation. Peter has also worked with schools locally, helping students connect with themselves.Peter has launched the Bright Beings Academy online internationally, which incorporates everything that he does to empower people to reach their full potential as human beings. Peter's motto is ‘Journey Inwards – Succeed Outwards’ Some key points from our interview:·        How he believes that unbroken means that even though at times it may feel like the end of the road, he knows it isn’t and he keeps going·        How he used to focus on what the fall over but now he focuses on the come back·        How his mother became his best friend as he couldn’t understand his brother’s energy, but she passed away when he was eleven·        How he struggled when he was sent to boarding school after his mother died and felt like it was hell because there were paedophiles and bullies there·        How he left the sales world to become a musician and loved improvising music as it became a type of meditation for him·        How he looks back and sees that his drinking habit covered up the pressures of the music world and his unprocessed childhood trauma – ptsd -now helped by traditional Chinese medicine·        How he discovered Ki Gong at a mind, body & spirit festival he was at with his wife and it spoke to him·        How he believes that everything we go through comes up in our body- “The Body Keeps the Score”“Journey Inwards – Succeed Outwards”Reach Out To Peter here >>                            https://www.peterpaulparker.co.uk/"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718  Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Charlotte Rush is a Marketing Director with a career spanning over 20 years. In recent months she has started to embark on a journey of becoming a lived experience speaker, telling her story, which details how she has been shaped by grief, and how she's now playing an active role in moving beyond it. An orphan by the age of five, Charlotte is currently writing a book about her life, which was initially merely a form of therapy for herself. Charlotte now hopes that by sharing her story she can help others understand how you can emerge from a life defined by grief to build something meaningful and loving. It’s a story of resilience – about how even the darkest and most disabling challenges life can throw at you can be overcome with drive and determination and a growing understanding of the grieving process Some key points from our interview:·       How unbroken means being able to adapt to life’s biggest challenges that are thrown at you ·       How she lost both of her parents by the time she was five years old and went on to live with grief all her life·       How she never had any specialist support as a young child growing up with grief·       How she was recently diagnosed with PTSD because of her childhood even though it felt like it was just a normal life for her·       How she feels that she’s just on the start of her journey at aged forty·       How she now feels comfortable about living with grief all her life and decided to write her story down to help othersReach out to Charlotte on...www.rushconsulting.co.uk"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718  Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

After a lifetime spent caring for her disabled parents, Helen had her own children, and began to suspect her mum was deliberately pretending to be unwellShe began reading her mother's 55 years’ worth of diaries after her death in 2016 and discovered her mum’s deception went far beyond anything she had imaginedShe wrote My Mother, Munchausen’s, and Me in the aftermath, piecing together the truth about her parents, her childhood, and her identitySome key points from our interview:• How Unbroken means moving forward with happened to her without it defeating her• How after she read her mother’s diaries, she realised that her whole childhood was founded on lies• How it took her many years to realise that her childhood was abusive as she had been gaslit by her mother for years and it didn’t occur to her to question it• How her mother controlled her thoughts, ran her down constantly, believing she was a failure, telling her what she liked and didn’t like- since she has developed mental health awareness.• How her mother’s symptoms of Parkinson’s didn’t match the illness and even her Parkinson’s nurse realised she wasn’t being truthful about her condition• How she chose to forgive her mother as she wanted to be free of her grip on her, but it’s continuous work• How she’s determined to create the best life she can for her and her family and will love wholeheartedly and sincerely even though it terrifies her to be vulnerable*Factitious disorder, malingering, hypochondriasis all are similar meaning terms.www.helennaylorwriter.com"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/You can listen to the full extended series of incredible stories on https://www.buzzsprout.com/1386718Watch edited highlights on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Winnie M Li is an author and activist. Her debut novel Dark Chapter is a fictional retelling of her real-life stranger rape in Belfast, from victim and perpetrator perspectives. Translated into ten languages, it won The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize, and was nominated for an Edgar Award and the Best First Novel Award. She is currently adapting it for the screen.Her second novel Complicit was published in Summer 2022 and selected by The New York Times for their August book club. Winnie is also Founder of Clear Lines, the UK’s first-ever festival addressing sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion. Her PhD research at the London School of Economics explores media engagement by rape survivors as a form of activism. She holds an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland in recognition of her writing and activismSome key points from our interview:How being Unbroken means being able to retain her essence of who she is despite everything she has gone through.How she writes and speaks about rape to leave a trail, offer hope, and build communities for other survivors.How she wrote every other chapter from the perpetrators point of view in her first book “Dark Chapter” to try and make sense to what had happened in this 15-year old’s life.How she chooses not to be angry after hearing that the man who raped her has now been linked to other cases of sexual assault since his release from prison.How her second book “Complicit” looks at the misogyny, power, exploitation, and the open secrets that have become normalised in the film industry for women.How she never assumed that she would meet a partner one day and become a mum.LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/winniemliSocial media: Twitter @winniemliInstagram winniemliFacebook https://www.facebook.com/winniemli"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/Watch the highlights of the interview on YouTube HERE Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Richie is an entrepreneur, film producer and actor. His entrepreneurship spans successful businesses across property development; sport; and education. As an actor Richie has appeared in many TV, Feature films on Netflix and Amazon, and has recently completed a number of international Bollywood films. Richie believes everyone in life can act and we all take on the role of a character in life. He has found acting to be a successful way of tackling and dealing with deep personal matters. We wear masks which hide the true ‘us’ and help portray different images. But what lays behind the mask? - often trauma, sadness, and darkness. Richie is in the process of removing his mask and raising awareness of childhood sexual abuse and the impact this has in adulthood, particularly amongst middle aged malesSome key points from our interview:How he believes that Unbroken means overcoming traumas that could have broken him, but didn’t .How he’s now on a mission to remove his mask of trauma and feels passionate about speaking out about the childhood sexual abuse he experienced as a teenager.How he struggled with shame and blame for years, wrongly thinking it was his fault but now understands that the blame lies 100% with the perpetrator.How it took the impact of other traumas to bring the feelings of the childhood sexual abuse to the surface and now wants to speak out to heal himself and other men too.How he recognises that he used alcohol to self-medicate to stop the pain and negative thoughts he was feeling.How he recognises the importance of speaking out to rid the feelings of shame to reclaim his life."Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/Watch edited highlights on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Lynn is a mental health awareness champion, counsellor, film producer and author of four books that give advice and hope to sufferers of mental illness and their families, including Hope with Eating Disorders 2nd Edition, Hope with OCD, Hope with Depression and Hope with Anxiety, all published by Hammersmith Health Books.  A mother to grown-up twin daughters, Charlotte and Samantha, and Grandma to Charlotte’s 6-month-old twins Georgia and Reggie, Lynn’s passion for mental health awareness came through the battles she faced with Samantha, who suffered with anorexia nervosa in her teens and obsessive-compulsive disorder in her early 20s. Some key points from our interview: ·        How she believes that we are broken at times, but we can make waves to make ourselves better·        How when she noticed the changes in her daughter’s behaviour regarding food, that she had to speak to her about it·        How she spent four years looking for help to deal with her daughter’s eating disorder and decided to discharge her from all treatments and do it herself ·        How she believes that the way eating disorders are approached hasn’t changed or evolved·        How she’s passionate about breaking the taboos around mental illness and that no family ever feels alone in their struggle·        How she’s so proud of her daughter who has produced and co-written a short film called “A Day with OCD” – obsessive compulsive disorder.·        How she works with the whole family and not just the sufferer of the eating disorder·        How eating disorder recovery is possible  Website: www.lynncrilly.comhttps://www.instagram.com/lynn_crilly/"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/Watch edited highlights on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Jennifer Fraser is the founder of The Bullied Brain. She's an award-winning teacher, best-selling author, and unlikely whistle-blower. And key in mental health awareness. Her new book The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health tells the story of her journey to repair after battling to protect students from teacher abuse and failing.  With a PhD in Comparative Literature, she believed that there must be research that could help her recover.  That's when she discovered what scientists know about the amazing powers, we have within to repair our hurt brains. And to contribute to suicide prevention. Some key points from our interview: ·        How she feels that we are never unbroken as our brains are never unbreakable·        How she discovered her son was a victim of bullying and abuse, including emotional abuse from teachers at his school when she took the testimonies of 8 other students who had also been bullied·        How she discovered that the school had known about this for a year and failed to protect their students·        How she decided to do the research into the neuroscience of being bullied and wrote her book to show the impact of bullying on the brain but also how it can be healed too·        How her own trauma of being emotionally, physically, and sexually abused by 3 teachers was triggered by her son’s trauma·        How she went to the police to report her own abuse to stop covering up and to honour a student “Ellen” who tragically died by suicide after being abused by a head teacher that was covered up by the school·        How we all have the power to convert our mind bully to our own empathic coach in order to rewire our brain"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/Watch edited highlights on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

David Mark is recognised as a 'master of the dark psychological thriller', drawing upon his 15 years of experience as a crime journalist. After a decade as a full-time novelist and Sunday Times bestseller, David penned the critically-acclaimed memoir PIECE OF MIND, detailing his lifelong battle with depression, mania, OCD, addiction and hallucinations. The book has been labelled 'a life-saver' and 'essential reading' by readers, contemporaries, and mental health professionals. How he feels that unbroken means that he’s like a wild horse as he’s not had his will snapped or been broken into submission by his illness.How he believes that he’s so much more than the events in his life.How being truthful was not as difficult as he thought it would be when he was writing his memoir,How writing really helped him to work out what was his illness and what was his personality.How he used to think he was demonic because of the hideous hallucinations he experienced but managed to grow used to them by learning what was real and what wasn’t.How he still struggles with the idea of being vulnerable and weak.How he can’t emphasis enough that we should treat people who are unwell with tenderness, patience and compassion.How he now feels he’s at the best he’ll ever be and never though he could be this well with his mental illness."Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/Watch edited highlights on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

#howtowriteabook  #sexualabuse #healingLaura Davis is the author of The Burning Light of Two Stars, the story of her loving yet tumultuous relationship with her mother, and six other non-fiction books, including The Courage to Heal, Allies in Healing, I Thought We‘d Never Speak Again, and Becoming the Parent You Want to Be. Her groundbreaking books have been translated into 11 languages and sold 1.8 million copies. In addition to writing books that inspire and change people’s lives, the work of Laura’s heart is to teach. For more than twenty years, she’s helped people find their voices, tell their stories, and hone their craft. Laura loves creating supportive, intimate writing communities online, in person, and internationally. You can learn about Laura’s books, workshops, read the first five chapters of her new memoir and all of her upcoming writer’s retreats,  from her website www.lauradavis.net. Some key points from our interview:•How she believes we can be stronger at the broken places of our lives•How her supressed memories of her abuse reappeared 25 years later•How her mother didn’t believe her when she told her about the abuse she experienced from her grandfather, and it caused an estrangement between them•How she was able to care for her mother in her later life, even though she felt she had betrayed her•How she never got the apology she wished for from her•How she recognised they had a great bond and chose to reconcile with her•How she feels she has an active relationship with her mother since she’s died and focuses on all the positive things, she gave her rather than the challenging ones"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/Watch edited highlights on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Meet the man who, like a giraffe, stuck his neck out for what he believed.  Like Nelson Mandela, Siya Twani was imprisoned for making a stand against injustice in South Africa. Siya is a Resilience and Mental toughness motivational speaker who speaks in schools and businesses across the country Siya is a motivational speaker on a mission to empower, educate and enthuse people, especially children and young people, with resilience skills. With over 30 years’ experience of speaking in the education sector, he is highly recommended by Ofsted and other authorities and can put his message across in an articulate manner that is accessible to all  Some key points from our interview:·        How he believes he’s not a broken person but more of a wounded healer·        How he feels he was imprisoned from the moment he was born as he was born under apartheid·        How he refuses to believe he was a victim of apartheid, but the victor of his life·        How at just 17 he was sent to prison for 4 years because he was speaking out about the injustices within the education system for black students·        How he was tortured and brutalised during his time in prison but chose to forgive his captors years later·        How he learnt to let go of his anger and bring in empathy and understanding by realising his oppressors were victims too of apartheid·        How he strongly believes that through love and understanding we can all make this world a better place to live in ·        How he his philosophy that governs his life is “face it, embrace it, defy it and conquer it”Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/Watch edited highlights on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken Short of time but want to tune in?Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE