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This man talked 200+ people back from the edge—and he never once said he "saved" them.

Kevin Briggs isn't your typical hero. The "Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge" spent 23 years as a California Highway Patrol sergeant kneeling beside strangers who'd lost all hope, no formal training at first—just raw humanity and a philosophy that changed everything: Listen to understand, not to fix.

His record? 99%+ success rate. FBI-trained crisis negotiator. TED Talk speaker. Author. Global mental health advocate. 

This conversation will rewire how you think about suicide, mental health, and what it actually takes to save a life.

Alison sits down with Kevin after losing her own husband to suicide. Two people who've lived the devastation and refuse to let it win.

Together they pull back the curtain on:

-Kevin's battlefield resume: Survived testicular cancer at 20 (37 of 45 lymph nodes cancerous), childhood sexual abuse, three heart surgeries, motorcycle crashes, PTSD nightmares, and family lost to suicide. 

-The suicide stats that'll gut you

-What actually works on the bridge

-Kevin Berthia's story:
22-year-old adopted man. Mental illness. Baby born premature with $250K hospital bill. Lost both jobs. Felt like a total failure. Jumped over the rail before Kevin could stop him but Kevin YELLED and Kevin grabbed the rail mid-air, landed on a tiny pipe 220 feet up.

-Jason Garber's story:
Highly intelligent. Well-versed in religion, philosophy, sports. No substance abuse. Despite Kevin's best efforts, Jason jumped.

-The false peace that kills

-Therapy truth bombs:
Kevin went to therapy with his son who had suicidal thoughts. The therapist WASN'T TRAINED in suicide assessment. Not all mental health professionals are qualified.

-Why intelligent minds break harder:
Alison and Kevin unpack why brilliant people are at higher suicide risk. 

-Alison's redemption mission:
Lost her husband to suicide. Transformed that soul-crushing loss into a lifeline for others.

-Post-traumatic GROWTH


-Faith that heals

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🎧 Watch now. This will save lives 👆
💬 What's your hidden storm? Share below
📤 Send this to someone who needs to hear it #GuardianOfHope #ListenToUnderstand #SuicideIsPreventable

CONNECT WITH KEVIN BRIGGS:
Website: https://www.pivotal-points.com
Book: Guardian of the Golden Gate (2015)
TED Talk: "The Bridge Between Suicide and Life" (2014)
LinkedIn: Kevin Briggs - Pivotal Points

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org

Send us a text

Ever doubt your spot in high-roller rooms after outworking everyone, heart whispering "fraud" while you fake the grin? Or watch your kid erupt in fury, choking back "stop it" knowing shutdown just fuels the fire? We've all toted those hidden hauls: Christmas delayed by empty pockets, faith-fights past suicidal shadows, intense feels society meds away fast.

Alison & Matt's Christmas Eve talk pulls no punches over certainty, billionaire emotional flops, storm-sitting for real toughness, parenting prodigies without the crush.

Pull these direct hits:
-Matt's toughness layers: Champ wrestler frame, study-sharp mind, kid-faith anchor, emo-iron from lows (suicide thoughts beaten—grandpa bailed, dad numbed, he stood)
-Alison's tile therapy: Knees hit floor, cry like clearing sinuses—peace surges when purged, not battled
-Rage redirect: Kid snarls "kill them?"—map consequences (jail? ruin?), empower their call like teacher talk
-Wave-riding wisdom: Breathe easy like grass in the breeze, one foot then the next—God turns squeezes into solid ground

Folks faking confidence through their daily grind, parents hanging on tight during kid meltdowns, hearts weighed down by all that bottled-up hurt. The pain doesn't just stick around—it shapes you tougher and wiser.

🎧 Watch now. Claim your worthy spot 👆
💬 What's your hidden storm? Spill below
📤 Send to someone hurting #HeartGrit #RoughRoadReal

Connect with Matt Berthot:
Website: https://voicebymatt.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voicebymatt/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-berthot-b836a49
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@voicebymatt
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Nz3wo8h0Hxs1WmhfJTGcI

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org

Send us a text

Ever wake up sweating from those old nightmares—racing to lock doors in your childhood home that never felt safe, danger closing in no matter how fast you move? Or slump against a cold coliseum wall after your big win turns to dust, family up in the stands not even checking on you, that heavy "I'm done" settling in your chest? We've all got those body-stored memories from growing up—messy houses full of chaos, highs crashing to burnout, quiet wonders if we even steer our own lives.

Alison & Matt get real about turning pain into power, no movie fluff needed. They share how to spot your quiet impacts and turn despair right around—no fancy stuff, just real talk.

You'll walk away with:
-Angels pleading "We gotta help him" like desperate friends—because your absence leaves a hole no one fills
-Imagine your hurt on a movie screen, step in like a loving parent hugging scared little you, and rewrite that ending
-Track your daily wins: That employee you saved from the edge, pet cuddles, cashier smiles—you touch lives without knowing
-Christmas real talk: Ditch "poor me" vibes; "being alone isn't the tragedy—it's how you think about it."
​
For tired parents beating themselves up, dreamers questioning worth, anyone staring down shadows. It doesn't get easier—it gets meaningful when you own your spot.

🎧 Listen now—feel your ripple
💬 What's one win you overlook?
📤 Share with a friend in pain #RealLifeLessons #TurnPainToPower

Connect with Matt Berthot:
Website: https://voicebymatt.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voicebymatt/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-berthot-b836a49
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@voicebymatt
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Nz3wo8h0Hxs1WmhfJTGcI

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org

Send us a text

Ever feel like you're racing through the day, only to crash at night wondering "What did I even accomplish?" You're not alone. Alison gets it too. She shares her real struggles with feeling "all over the place," visionary overwhelm, and that nagging voice saying you're not enough. But here's the good news: simple end-of-day habits can quiet the chaos and help you own your peace.

In this honest solo episode, Alison wraps 2025 with heart-on-sleeve honesty. She admits her struggles with visionary restlessness and outcome obsession, then lists practical end-of-day rituals like writing wins, gratitude, and speaking to your body.

You’ll discover:
- Write down your daily wins. See what you really accomplished, even on chaotic days.
- Turn regrets around: Ask "What would I do differently tomorrow?" instead of beating yourself up.
- Start gratitude with "this moment," and appreciate fully: "What we do not appreciate does not exist."
- Thank your body, talk to your cells, organs, legs—to end self-bullying and ease pains.
- Skip the crowd: "Don't do what everybody else is doing" to beat mediocrity.
- Morning habit: Write 1/3/5/10-year goals, affirmations, and cherish your breath.

🎧 Subscribe for tools weekly
📤 Share with someone needing no-excuses accountability

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org

Send us a text

Most of us are one decision away from giving up. We're at the breaking point, questioning if we're qualified, if our pain has purpose, if it's even worth continuing. And in that moment—when you're about to quit—everything changes. Or nothing does. It depends on what you choose next.

In this life-altering episode, mental health professional Alison Lager and voice coach Matt Berthot sit down to discuss the exact moment when most people walk away from their calling. They've both been there. Alison survived her husband's suicide, childhood abuse, eating disorders, and a murder trial. Matt inherited generational trauma from his grandfather's suicide and his father's alcoholism. Both were broken. Both were about to quit. Both chose differently.

And they're here to tell you: The moment you're about to quit is exactly when you must keep going.

But they're not just offering motivation. They're offering a framework—one rooted in neuroscience, Scripture, and lived experience—for what to do when the eclipse of despair gets too dark to see through.

You'll discover:

• Why "God qualifies the called" means your inadequacy is the invitation
• How the suicide mind works (and it's not what you think)
• The one skill that prevents emotional collapse: emotional sobriety
• The three-step framework that transforms your worst pain into your life's work
• Why bigger growth always means bigger storms—and how to prepare
• The Hadestown lesson: How to sing your sad song and still find hope
• How to practice resilience in small moments so you have it in big crises
• What happens when you finally say yes to that small, still voice inside you
• Why receiving help is harder than giving it (and why that's destroying you)
• The difference between reaction and response (it's a 10-second pause)

This episode is for anyone standing at the edge. For the burnt-out parent, struggling entrepreneur, the person in crisis. It's for people who've lost people to suicide. It's for people who've thought about it themselves.

Alison and Matt aren't here to tell you it gets easier. They're here to tell you it gets meaningful. And that changes everything.

🎧 Subscribe now—you might need this episode tomorrow
💬 Tell us in the comments: What's one reason you almost quit?
📤 Share this with someone who's at their breaking point

Connect with Matt Berthot:
Website: https://voicebymatt.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voicebymatt/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-berthot-b836a49
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@voiceby

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org

Send us a text

Most of us don't realize how deeply grief can reshape our identity. When someone we love dies by suicide, we often unconsciously believe that staying broken honors them—that abandoning our joy, our hobbies, our future is some kind of loyalty. But here's the hard truth: that's not honoring them. That's joining them in death.

In this raw and unflinching episode, therapist and suicide loss survivor Alison Lager pulls back the curtain on the invisible second death—the one that happens to survivors. Drawing from her own devastating experience losing her husband to suicide, neuroscience, spiritual wisdom, and years of clinical practice, Alison shares the actionable blueprint she used to refuse suicide a second victim.

You'll discover:

• Why "secondary loss" happens—and how your abandoned dreams become collateral damage to grief
• The dangerous comfort of the "victim" identity—and why you have to eventually let it go to survive
• The "boardwalk principle": How to reclaim the places and activities you loved without betraying your loved one
• Why staying in grief is a form of spiritual death—and how to recognize when you're joining the same darkness that took them
• The science of "gaining more than you lost"—the neuroscience behind why this actually works
• How to ride waves of grief instead of drowning in one long emotional response
• The "heavier weights" metaphor: Why your pain can become your greatest strength
• Practical strategies for processing rage, anger, and the emotions grief tries to hide
• Why living fully is the ultimate honor to those we've lost—not a betrayal

This episode is for anyone grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide, anyone supporting a widow or survivor, and anyone who's ever wondered if there's a way out of the darkness. If you've felt like staying sad is loyalty, or believed that you can never be happy again—this conversation will change everything.

Because here's what Alison knows: Suicide didn't just take their life. It's trying to take yours too. And you have the power to say no.

🎧 Subscribe now for life-changing conversations on grief, resilience, and transformation
💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments—what's one thing you're reclaiming?
📤 Send this to someone who needs to hear: You are not a victim. You will survive this.

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org

Send us a text

Most of us aren’t even aware how deeply our own voice and self-judgment shape every part of our lives. The negative thoughts we repeat day after day can convince us we’re worthless, keep us locked in cycles of shame, and even convince us that giving up is doing our loved ones a favor. But it’s all a lie—the truth is, you matter far more than you know.

In this radically honest episode, mental health expert and counselor Alison Lager is joined by voice coach and performer Matt Berthot to expose the hidden power of your internal and spoken voice. Drawing from personal loss, neuroscience, faith, and decades of real-world experience, Alison and Matt share deeply practical strategies for trading self-loathing for self-love, overcoming toxic family patterns, and speaking truth into your own life—even when you don’t believe it yet.

You’ll discover:
- Why the words “I am” can either imprison you or set you free—and how to choose new self-definitions
- The continuum of self-love to self-hatred—and how to measure and shift your own position
- The science of how changing your thoughts literally transforms your brain
- Ways to counteract generational shame and abusive self-talk
- Stories of transformation—from crisis to hope—with simple, actionable mental and spiritual resets
- The importance of serving others from your overflow, not emptiness
- Why authenticity, not perfection, is the key to deep connection and fulfillment

This episode is for anyone who’s ever battled self-doubt, struggled to find their true voice, or supported others through dark seasons. If you’ve ever wondered if lasting change is possible, this conversation will show you—there’s more power and purpose inside you than you think.

🎧 Subscribe now for life-changing conversations every week
💬 Tell us your most powerful “I am” statement in the comments
📤 Share this episode with someone who needs a reminder: You matter.

Connect with Matt Berthot:
Website: https://voicebymatt.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voicebymatt/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-berthot-b836a49
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@voicebymatt
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Nz3wo8h0Hxs1WmhfJTGcI

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org

Send us a text

Typically, people who want to die by suicide don't actually want to die—they want their pain to end. The suicide mind is a total eclipse of rational thinking, making temporary darkness feel permanent.

In this deeply personal episode, mental health professional Alison Lager—who owns counseling centers, has lost her husband to suicide, and has experienced suicidal thoughts herself—shares 7 powerful strategies to disrupt the suicide mind and take back control:

• How 91% of your thoughts are repetitive—and how to break the cycle
• The 16-second rule that disrupts negative thought spirals  
• Why moving past victim mentality is essential (even when victimization is real)
• The power of speaking words opposite to your feelings
• The truth about hope deferred and how to rebuild it
• Why there is ALWAYS a solution (you just haven't found it yet)

This episode is for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, supporting someone in crisis, or working in mental health. Share it with someone who needs hope.

🎧 Subscribe and never miss life-changing conversations
💬 Comment with your biggest takeaway
📤 Share this episode—it could save a life

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org

Send us a text

You're living a life controlled by beliefs you can't see. In this transformational episode, Alison Lager interviews Christine Peine, a subconscious reprogramming expert and health tech founder, about the one thing that will quantum leap your life: rewriting your unconscious programming.

The Problem:
Most personal development fails because it only addresses the 5-7% conscious mind. But 93-95% of your life is being run by subconscious beliefs—many inherited from 7-10 generations of ancestral conditioning. Affirmations don't work. Therapy talks about the problem forever. And willpower exhausts you because you're fighting beliefs you can't see.

What You'll Discover:

• The Sway Test — A body-based tool you can use RIGHT NOW to identify what your subconscious actually believes (not what you think you believe)

• Why Ancestral Patterns Sabotage Success — How your great-grandmother's trauma, your parent's scarcity beliefs, and your family's relationship patterns are blocking YOUR money, visibility, and relationships TODAY

• Why Affirmations Fail — You can hold BOTH the old limiting belief AND the new affirmation simultaneously. The real work is removing the old belief entirely (not just adding a new one)

• Theta Healing: The Spiritual Reprogramming Technique — How Christine connects to divine energy and downloads new beliefs directly into her clients' subconscious, creating instant, lasting transformation

• Christine's Personal Breakthrough — She healed her IBS in 2 weeks, her chronic joint pain overnight, and her severe burnout completely by identifying and reprogramming her root beliefs (perfectionism, self-judgment, unworthiness)

• The Hidden Payoff — Every limiting belief serves a purpose and has benefits. Until you identify those payoffs, you can't release the belief without internal conflict

• Money Blocks, Power Blocks, Sex Blocks — The three most charged topics requiring deep, persistent subconscious work

• How Healing Yourself Creates World Peace — When you embody inner peace, it radiates outward. 25% of humanity embodying peace creates critical mass consciousness shift. Entrepreneurs have the power to accelerate this

This isn't surface-level mindset work. This is accessing the 93% of your mind actually running your life and giving it permission to evolve. Perfect for entrepreneurs, coaches, and anyone ready to break generational patterns and step into their full potential.

About Christine Peine:
Christine is a Theta Healing practitioner, subconscious reprogramming expert, and former founder of Midaia (a health tech startup helping arthri

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org

Send us a text

You've felt it: that moment when someone walks into a room and shifts the entire energy. Or when you catch yourself in the same destructive pattern with different people. Or when you finally spoke a different truth about yourself and things started to change. But did you know there's actual science behind all of it?

In this eye-opening solo episode, Alison Lager breaks down the physics, neuroscience, and quantum mechanics that prove one undeniable truth: your thoughts, words, and beliefs are literally shaping your reality—and they're doing it right now. She goes deep into real, measurable science (not metaphors) to show you exactly how your brain generates electromagnetic waves, how your heart broadcasts a field 5,000 times stronger than your brain, and why the words you use trigger actual biochemical changes in your nervous system.

But this isn't just theory. Alison gives you concrete, actionable practices you can start today to rewire your programming, override the beliefs that have been holding you back, and step into the life you're actually meant to live. This episode is a wake-up call disguised as a science lesson—and she's not holding back about why this information has been kept from us.

Key Highlights

• The scientific truth: thoughts produce measurable electromagnetic waves that broadcast beyond your body
• Your heart's electromagnetic field is 5,000 times stronger than your brain—here's what that means
• Words restructure your nervous system: negative words increase cortisol, positive words increase dopamine and serotonin
• The programming trap: how childhood beliefs continue to run your life (and how to identify yours)
• The cancellation technique: how to override limiting beliefs moment by moment using language
• Quantum physics proves it: observing a thought changes matter (and energy follows intention)
• The water study and what it means for your body (you're 70% water)
• Practical daily practices: setting intentions, reframing negative events, and commanding your reality instead of begging for it
• Why you're not attracting what you want—you're attracting who you are
• The role of gratitude and "yes" statements in rewiring your nervous system
• How pain can be a transformational tool if you choose to use it that way
• Why changing even one thought changes the landscape of your brain

Connect with Alison Lager

Instagram: @alisonanswers |

Connect with Alison:

• Instagram: @alisonanswers | @lagercounseling
• Website: LagerCounseling.com
• YouTube: Alison Answers
• Facebook: Alison Lager Lcsw Casac
• Purchase Alison’s book: “The Wake Up Call”
• Alison Answers Facebook Group: Join HERE
• Women of Excellence FB group: Join HERE

⚠️ Crisis Resources:
Lager Counseling Services
Call: 516-221-2123
Text: (914) 363-0381
Wantagh: 3408 Park Ave. Wantagh, NY 11793

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential)
Call or text 988 | Visit 988lifeline.org