4624: Healing From Here

What if the survival habits you built as a child are the exact things quietly destroying your adult relationships — and you don't even know it?

CW: In Episode 6 of 4624 — Healing From Here, siblings Ed Averette and L Michelle Salvant open with a candid reflection on their most emotional episode yet — one that caught them both off guard and revealed that healing rarely announces itself before it arrives. Ed admits with raw honesty that what he believed was 90% healed may actually be closer to 50%, and together, the siblings unpack what it truly means to be vulnerable in a space built for truth. They welcome their trusted friend and board-certified internal medicine physician, Dr. Yvette Mignon — founder of Med Spa by Dr. Mignon and author of the upcoming journal Midlife Revolution — for a conversation that goes deep into the science and soul of childhood trauma. Dr. Mignon explains how early traumatic experiences become hardwired into the nervous system, shaping the way adults communicate, love, react, and relate — often without ever realizing the connection. From dissociation and emotional memory to inner child healing and the danger of seeking from partners what was never given in childhood, this episode connects the dots between who they were as children and who they are today. If you've ever wondered why you keep repeating the same patterns, why certain things set you off in ways you can't explain, or whether it's too late to go back and do the real work — this conversation was made for you.

Timestamped Chapters:

(00:00 – 03:00) Cold Weather, Warm Truths: The Siblings Reflect on Breaking Down on Camera

(03:00 – 08:00) Enter Dr. Yvette Mignon: Why Midlife Is the Perfect Time to Open the Suitcase

(08:00 – 14:00) Is It Ever Too Late? Healing Childhood Trauma at 53

(14:00 – 26:00) Your Nervous System Remembers Everything: How Trauma Becomes Behavior

If this conversation helped you connect the dots between  childhood experiences and adult relationships, take a moment  to answer the Spotify poll for this episode.

And if you're listening on Spotify, follow the show so you don’t miss the next episode of 4624: Healing From Here.

What if everything society tells you about trauma is actually keeping you trapped in a narrative that prevents you from healing—and what if your body already knows exactly how to fix what's broken?

CW: In this powerful episode of 4624...Healing From Here, hosts Ed Averette and L Michelle Salvant welcome therapist and trauma expert Antonieta Contreras, whose Quora answers have reached millions of people seeking clarity on emotional pain and recovery. Antonieta, author of "How Deep Is The Wound," delivers a paradigm-shifting conversation that challenges the way society talks about trauma. She breaks down the critical distinction between pain and trauma, explaining why pain is an inevitable part of human existence but trauma doesn't have to be. The discussion reveals how the overuse and misunderstanding of the word "trauma" has created a dangerous narrative that convinces people they're permanently damaged when they're actually designed to heal. Through the powerful metaphor of physical wounds—how the body rushes to heal a cut on the arm—Antonieta illustrates that emotional healing works the same way when people learn to properly tend their wounds instead of obsessing over who caused them. Ed shares his perspective on functioning in chaos and moving forward despite painful pasts, while L Michelle explores the concept that humans are prewired for healing by design. The conversation tackles victim mentality, the importance of learning lessons from pain, and why different people respond differently to the same traumatic events. This episode offers practical wisdom for anyone ready to stop letting trauma narratives define their identity and start embracing their natural capacity to heal, adapt, and create a brighter future.

(00:00 - 08:59) The Wound That Society Won't Let Heal (09:00 - 19:59) Why Two People, Same Event, Different Wounds (20:00 - 33:59) Your Body Already Knows How to Heal—Here's What You're Missing (34:00 - 39:00) Forget Who Cut You, Take Care of Your Cut

If this conversation challenged the way you think about trauma and healing, take a moment to answer the Spotify poll for this  episode. Your perspective could help someone else rethink  their own healing journey.

And if you're listening on Spotify, follow the show so you don't miss future conversations on healing, trauma, and personal  transformation.

Sibling trauma, childhood abuse, and foster care experiences collide as Ed and Michelle discuss being treated differently in the same abusive household. Michelle was moved aside before their father's violent outbursts—spared from physical abuse but left wondering if her family resented her for it. Ed shares the pain of differential treatment for not having "Hayes blood," being denied opportunities while watching his sister receive validation he craved.

CW: In this profoundly vulnerable continuation, they explore how the same abusive father showed them completely different faces, creating parallel realities under one roof that fractured their understanding of each other. Ed opens up about his harrowing journey through multiple foster homes, feeling passed around and unwanted, battling suicidal thoughts, and ultimately finding salvation through faith and community.The siblings deliver a masterclass in honest communication as they move beyond decades of assumptions to truly hear each other's pain. They issue a powerful call to anyone on a healing journey: true recovery requires radical honesty, refusing to perform healing for others, creating safe spaces for difficult conversations, and understanding that layers of trauma peel back gradually over time.

Chapter Timestamps:(00:00 - 06:00) The Child Who Was Moved Aside: Michelle's Invisible Burden

(06:01 - 15:30) Not My Dad's Blood: Ed's Story of Differential Treatment

(15:31 - 29:00) From Foster Care to Finding Faith: Ed's Journey Through Abandonment

(29:01 - 36:00) Radical Honesty: The Only Path to Healing Family Trauma

If this episode brought up memories or reflections about your  own family story, take a moment to answer the Spotify poll for  this episode. Your perspective could help someone else feel  seen and understood.

If you're listening on Spotify, follow the show so you don’t miss  the next conversation on healing, family trauma, and breaking generational cycles.

"What does it truly cost to be the first partaker of your own healing—and is sharing your trauma story worth the price when it could save someone else's life?"

CW: In this raw and unfiltered episode, siblings Ed Averette and L Michelle Salvant nearly abandon their entire healing project after a heated phone call exposes the emotional toll of revisiting childhood trauma. They reconvene to address their conflict head-on, introducing the powerful concept of being "first partakers"—the idea that those who guide others through healing must first walk that painful path themselves. Ed opens up about the devastating reality of leaving home at age 10 and feeling abandoned while his family remained in the same city, describing how each visit to their childhood home at 4624 strips away pieces of him. The siblings tackle uncomfortable truths about family silence, challenge the narratives that protect predators with euphemisms, and honor the one family member—Uncle Coby—who consistently spoke up against their father's behavior. L Michelle shares her pattern of being blamed within family dynamics while emphasizing that witnesses to abuse who remain silent become part of the problem. Together, they demonstrate that healing work requires quick reconciliation, honest confrontation of gaslighting, and the courage to name harmful behavior clearly—even when the abuser has passed away. This episode is a masterclass in navigating collaborative healing when trauma survivors must balance their individual stories within a shared family experience, ultimately reaffirming their commitment to do this work right and do it together.

Chapter Timestamps:

(00:00 - 05:00) The Cost of Creative Conflict: When Healing Work Triggers Trauma

(05:00 - 17:00) Abandoned in Plain Sight: The Pain of Being Nobody's Child

(17:00 - 24:00) Breaking the Silence: Why Family Witnesses Must Speak Up

(24:00 - 26:00) Shared Stories, Separate Pain: The Promise to Heal Together

If this conversation resonated with you, take a moment to  answer the poll for this episode on Spotify. Your experience  matters, and your voice helps others realize they’re not alone  on the healing journey.

And if you're listening on Spotify, follow the show so you don’t miss the next episode of 4624: Healing From Here.

What does it take to survive 12 different foster homes across 8 years, and how does someone find the strength to forgive the family system that failed them?

CW: In this profoundly moving continuation of their trauma healing series, siblings L Michelle Salvant and Ed Averette take viewers deep into Ed's harrowing journey through the foster care system. After being removed from his home at age 10, Ed moved through 12 different foster homes spanning two states, never knowing when—or if—he would see his family again. In this raw conversation, Ed reveals the crushing weight of uncertainty that defines foster care, his shocking first meeting with a biological father who would reject him within weeks, and the emotional transformation from sadness to anger to survival mode that shaped his adolescence. L Michelle asks the powerful trauma healing questions that unlock Ed's story: What was the hardest part? The answer reveals a child forced to depend on strangers for pay, never feeling wanted, and eventually viewing his time in care like a prison sentence to be endured. But this isn't just a story of trauma—it's a masterclass in intentional healing. The siblings explore how they chose forgiveness over resentment, acknowledged the complexity of their stepfather who both harmed and helped them, and made the conscious decision to break generational cycles of trauma. Ed's journey from 12 foster homes to 33 years of marriage, military service, and purposeful living demonstrates that healing is possible when you own your story and choose growth over grudges. This episode offers hope, practical wisdom, and a roadmap for anyone working through childhood trauma or supporting others on their healing journey.

Chapter/Timestamps:

(00:00 - 05:00) The Weight of Not Knowing When You'll Go Home

(05:00 - 11:00) From Heartbreak To Anger: The Emotional Survival Strategy

(11:00 - 20:00) Taking Control: Self Advocacy In An Uncontrollable System

(20:00 - 31:00) The Forgiveness Revolution: Choosing Healing Over Hatred

If Ed’s story impacted you, take a moment to answer the poll  and listener question on Spotify. We'd love to hear what part of the journey resonated most with you.

Be sure to follow the show on Spotify so you don’t miss the  next episode of 4624: Healing From Here.

"What if the family rule "what happens in this house stays in this house" has been slowly destroying you from the inside out? When does keeping family secrets stop being loyalty and start becoming a prison sentence for your mental health?"

CW: In the inaugural episode of 4624, siblings Ed Averette and L Michelle Salvant expose the dangerous family code of silence that keeps childhood trauma locked away and festering for decades. Named after their shared childhood address where abuse occurred behind closed doors, they courageously break the unspoken rules that demanded their silence. Ed reveals the crushing guilt he felt at age 10 when he finally spoke up about physical abuse to a friend, believing he had "snitched" on his family and betrayed their code of keeping problems internal. His confession led to immediate removal by authorities and him becoming "property of the state"—a rescue that felt like punishment because he had violated the family's sacred rule of silence. L Michelle explores how cultural and community pressures reinforce this code, teaching children that speaking up equals disloyalty and that enduring pain silently is somehow noble. Together, they dismantle the myth that family secrets protect anyone, revealing instead how silence becomes a survival mechanism that ultimately poisons relationships, perpetuates cycles of abuse, and transforms victims into carriers of unresolved trauma. With raw vulnerability and faith as their foundation, the siblings create a safe space for listeners to question their own family codes and recognize when silence stops being protection and starts being self-destruction.

Chapter/Timestamps:(00:00 - 05:30)Breaking the Silence: From Amusement Parks to Real Talk(05:30 - 12:30) The Default Trap: How Ten-Year-Olds Run Adult Lives(12:30 - 21:00) The Price of Breaking the Code: When Speaking Up Feels Like Betrayal(21:00 - 28:00) Property of the State: When Rescue Feels Like Punishment for Breaking Silence

If this conversation resonated with you, answer the Spotify  poll and listener question for this episode. Your story and perspective matter to this community.

And if you're listening on Spotify, follow the show so you don't miss future conversations on healing, family trauma, and  breaking generational cycles.