Bounce Back Stronger with Donna Ferris

Just a few Thanksgiving thoughts.

Hope they are helpful.

Wishing you peace, love, and joy tomorrow.

Love,

Donna

“It is really important to be honest with kids about difficult situations. And one way you can do that is to let their questions be your guide. There's a rule of thumb, if a kid is old enough to ask a question, they're old enough to get an honest answer.”

This week Bounce Back Stronger, host Donna Ferris sits down with Jenny Lisk, founder of the Widowed Parent Institute and author of Future Widow and Widowed Parents Unite.

Jenny shares her personal journey through loss, how she found her purpose in helping other widowed parents, and the invaluable lessons she’s learned along the way. From memoir writing as an act of service (which involved wearing a shirt that said “Nevertheless, She Persisted”) to supporting children through grief, Jenny’s insights serve as a beacon for anyone navigating life after loss. She also lists concrete actions you can take to help grieving families.  Whether navigating your own loss or supporting someone who is, this episode is filled with practical tips, wisdom, and hope.

If you want to learn more about Jenny’s books, podcast, and The Widowed Parent Institute, visit widowedparentinstitute.com

If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to listen to Episode 36 “Resilience in Full Color with Judith Bigham” or Episode #13 – “Find Happiness After Loss with Maria Sirois.” Also, please consider subscribing to this podcast, leaving a review, and sharing this episode with others. Thank you.

Donna’s latest book, Bounce Back Stronger—Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens, can be purchased here. To learn about Donna’s coaching services and events, visit donnayferris.com.

Follow Donna on Instagram, YouTube, and Bluesky @donnayferris and Facebook @donnayatesferris

And if you’re looking for mental health resources, please click here or reach out to your insurance provider. If you are in crisis, please dial 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or dial 988 for the suicide hotline (US only).

 #Podcast #GriefSupport #ParentingThroughLoss #Resilience #FutureWidow #JennyLisk #BounceBackStronger

"When I was a kid, my parents read me a book called The Contented Little Pussycat. It was about a kitten on a farm who stayed happy no matter what nonsense the barnyard animals threw at her. Whether chasing her tail or sipping a cool bowl of milk, she found her joy. That book—good, bad, or indifferent—has shaped a lot of my life.

I took on the persona of “the happy one.” First, as a kid, it helped me avoid being yelled at or worse. Later, it became my go-to survival tool for relationships—trying to turn trauma into triumph by being so nice, so competent, so deserving that someone would notice and save me. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work.

Now, I’ve realized I was outsourcing my happiness, leaving it in the hands of others. Which, fun fact, feels pretty awful when life isn’t fair. Whether it’s mean people winning, betrayal by someone you trusted, or just plain bad luck, it’s a gut punch. That sense of betrayal cuts deep, especially when it clashes with our beliefs about how life should work. The knot in your stomach says, “This isn’t right,” and suddenly even breathing feels hard.

When this happens, I like to research Buddhist philosophy to see if it provides guidance and relief. Here are seven ways to rethink things when life feels unfair..."

If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to listen to Episode 27, “Coming Home to Ourselves with Stephen Cope, or Episode #13 – “Find Happiness After Loss with Maria Sirois.” Also, please consider subscribing to this podcast, leaving a review, and sharing this episode with others. Thank you.

Donna’s latest book, Bounce Back Stronger—Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens, can be purchased here. To learn about Donna’s coaching services and events, visit donnayferris.com.

Follow Donna on Instagram and YouTube @donnayferris or Facebook @donnayatesferris.

And if you’re looking for mental health resources, please click here or reach out to your insurance provider. If you are in crisis, please dial 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or dial 988 for the suicide hotline (US only).

#Podcast #NewEpisode #Resilience #Mindfulness #Creativity #ArtAsHealing #Gratitude #Photography #BounceBackStronger #OBX

“But I promise you you've gone nose blind. You've gone nose blind to the joys around you, still.” 

In this episode of Bounce Back Stronger, host Donna Ferris talks with award-winning photographer Eve Turek as she shares her journey of finding gratitude even in life’s most challenging moments. From her famous photograph of a fog-covered tree line that earned her a gold medal at the World Photographic Cup to the chapter she penned for “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” Eve’s work is a testament to her mission of seeing, listening, and expressing gratitude. She also reveals how her approach to photography — one that welcomes connection over "capture" — transforms her work into powerful meditations on appreciation and peace.

To learn more about Eve and her photography, speaking services, and beautiful shop, visit evetureknaturephotography.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to listen to Episode 27, “Coming Home to Ourselves with Stephen Cope, or Episode #13 – “Find Happiness After Loss with Maria Sirois.” Also, please consider subscribing to this podcast, leaving a review, and sharing this episode with others. Thank you.

Donna’s latest book, Bounce Back Stronger—Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens, can be purchased here. To learn about Donna’s coaching services and events, visit donnayferris.com.

Follow Donna on Instagram and YouTube @donnayferris or Facebook @donnayatesferris.

And if you’re looking for mental health resources, please click here or reach out to your insurance provider. If you are in crisis, please dial 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or dial 988 for the suicide hotline (US only).

#Podcast #NewEpisode #Resilience #Mindfulness #Creativity #ArtAsHealing #Gratitude #Photography #BounceBackStronger #OBX

I started writing this a week ago standing in a voting line in West Chester , Pennsylvania. I still had a little bit of optimism that I might not have to record it the day after the election.

But here we are.

I have experience accepting seemingly unacceptable outcomes, including:

• Finding out my husband of twenty years cheated.

And every time, those early days and weeks are rocky.

In the beginning of a big hit, loss, or change, you don’t want to follow any cute “New Age” healing steps.

You just want to survive the shipwreck that has hit your life.

Normal self-care, like a massage or night out, is impossible in the early days. For one thing, you probably don’t feel like leaving your house, and the idea of small talk with others is impossible. The loss and pain are so acute you can’t imagine anything will help. And you may even feel guilty desiring any sort of relief

You just want to breathe normally again.

When facing a difficult outcome, it’s natural to experience frustration, anger, and disappointment. And to go through the stages of death, including:

• Denial,

If you are having these feelings, try to be curious about what they are trying to teach you. And talk with your therapist about them. If any of them lead to thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out to your nearest emergency room or dial 988.

Understandably, as part of the stages above, you may question the part others play in your misery. If possible, please try to remember that no one took their actions to hurt you. They didn’t die to hurt you, they didn’t vote to harm you, they didn’t even make decisions to lay you off to hurt you. They are acting out of their own needs and path and possibly suffering.

You are hurt, but rethinking the instinct to blame - or the belief that something was done to you - might alleviate some of that pain.

Even in my rawest, most tender states, I want to travel through the uglier parts of my being and get to the peaceful person as soon as possible. To do this, I find it helpful to lean on yoga and Buddhist philosophy so I can navigate these moments with some semblance of grace.

Here are six ways I have found helpful...

“The horse I fell in love with, Claret, was very, very spooky, and he had a trauma history of his own. And it didn’t matter; I loved him. I just loved him. And I would see him, so afraid. And in helping him face his fears, it knocked me out of my own. Teaching him to be brave taught me to be brave."

In this week’s episode, we explore the subject of panic attacks and the journey to finding calm with Rita Zoey Chin, the award-winning author of Let the Tornado Come. Zoey shares her insights on how her childhood experiences as a runaway shaped her, what she’s learned from panic attacks, and how she’s embraced healing through a horse named Claret, EMDR therapy, and self-compassion.

Whether you’ve experienced panic and anxiety or need a dose of inspiration, this episode is a must-listen.

For more information about Rita Zoey Chin's books and events visit ritazoeychin.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to listen to Episode #33 – “Feeling Stuck & Frustrated? This Walking Meditation’s For You,” or Episode #13 – “Find Happiness After Loss with Maria Sirois.” Also, please consider subscribing to this podcast, leaving a review, and sharing this episode with others. Thank you.

Donna’s latest book, Bounce Back Stronger—Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens, can be purchased here. To learn about Donna’s coaching services and events, visit donnayferris.com.

Follow Donna on Instagram and YouTube @donnayferris or Facebook @donnayatesferris.

And if you’re looking for mental health resources, please click here or reach out to your insurance provider. If you are in crisis, please dial 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or dial 988 for the suicide hotline (US only).

#BounceBackStronger #Podcast #DonnaFerris #RitaZoeyChin #PodcastEpisode #HealingJourney #MentalHealthAwareness #PanicAttacks #HorseLover #HorseTherapy #ChildAbuse #HealingTrauma #SelfCompassion

“The lack of communication about and around mental illness in general and depression specifically is really quite striking in this day and age.”

In this episode of Bounce Back Stronger, host Donna Ferris speaks with Garry Cosnett, author of Everything Slows Down, a book chronicling his lifelong battle with depression and his eventual journey to peace. Garry offers a raw and candid look into how depression has shaped his life, the vital role his relationships have played in his recovery, and how his experiences have become part of the curriculum for Johns Hopkins psychiatry students.

Garry also discusses the unique ways he diagnoses his mental state, including his “Abbey Road test,” and shares the three practices that have helped him break free from the grip of depression. Whether you or a loved one are battling mental health challenges, Garry’s story will inspire hope and show that recovery is possible, even after decades of struggle.

To learn more about Garry and his book, visit garrycosnett.com.

If you found this episode helpful, listen to Episode 50 – “Why Talking About Mental Health Builds Stronger Kids” with Sandra Lau, or Episode 29 – “Moms, Memoirs and Mental Health” with Mira Bartok. Also, please consider subscribing to this podcast, leaving a review, and sharing it with others. Thank you.

Donna’s latest book, Bounce Back Stronger—Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens, can be purchased here. To learn about Donna’s coaching services and events, visit donnayferris.com. You can follow Donna on Instagram and YouTube: @donnayferris or Facebook @donnayatesferris.

And if you’re looking for mental health resources, please click here or reach out to your insurance provider. If you are in crisis, please dial 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or dial 988 for the suicide hotline (US only).

#BounceBackStronger #MentalHealthAwareness #DepressionRecovery #GarryKosnett #Resilience #MentalHealth #Podcast #abbeyroad #johnshopkins #psychiatry

In this episode, host Donna Ferris leads a short mindfulness meditation to engage the five senses. This practice aims to bring calm and help memoir and fiction writers create vivid and powerful scenes.

So grab a pen and paper, get comfortable, and allow this meditation to inspire deeper awareness, self-expression, and storytelling.

This meditation is one of a dozen that accompany Donna Y. Ferris' book Bounce Back Stronger—Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens (available here). To access these free meditations, click here. You can also find them on Insight Timer.

We hope this episode is helpful to you. If it is, please subscribe to this podcast, leave a review, and share it with others. Thank you.

To learn about Donna’s coaching services and events, visit donnayferris.com. Follow Donna on Instagram and YouTube @donnayferris or Facebook @donnayatesferris.

And if you’re looking for mental health resources, please click here or reach out to your insurance provider. If you are in crisis, please dial 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or dial 988 for the suicide hotline (US only).

The music for this meditation is Salutation by Outside the Sky.

#WritingMeditation #CreativeWriting #HealingThroughWriting #BounceBackStronger #Mindfulness #feelittohealit

"We need more resources for families, not just the patients. The whole family is affected when mental illness strikes."

This is a must-listen for anyone affected by a loved one’s mental illness.

In this episode of Bounce Back Stronger, host Donna Ferris interviews Sandra Lau, founder of the YouTube channel and Facebook page I Hear You, which is dedicated to supporting children of parents with mental health challenges.

Sandra tells her personal story of growing up with a schizophrenic mother and details the isolation and trauma she experienced. She shares how open conversations about her mother’s condition and readily available support would have made her journey easier. Sandra also speaks candidly about her path to healing and how she now helps others facing similar challenges. Finally, we discuss how music, writing, and little daily breaks (like trips to Target or HomeGoods) can lighten our healing journey.

To learn more about Sandra Lau visit @SandraLau27 or @ihearyou-sandralau on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to listen to Episode 29 – “Moms, Memoirs and Mental Health” with Mira Bartok and Episode 5 – “Leave Guilt Behind” with Erin Byron. Also, please consider subscribing to this podcast, leaving a review, and sharing this episode with others. Thank you.

Donna's latest book called Bounce Back Stronger – Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens can be purchased here. To learn about Donna's coaching services and events, please visit donnayferris.com.

Follow Donna on Instagram and YouTube @donnayferris or Facebook @donnayatesferris.

And if you’re looking for mental health resources, please click here or reach out to your insurance provider. If you are in crisis, please dial 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or dial 988 for the suicide hotline (US only).

#MentalHealth #BounceBackStronger #Schizophrenia #TraumaRecovery #worldmentalhealthday #depression #mentalhealth #Resilience #SupportSystem #ChildhoodTrauma #HealingThroughArt #Podcast #target #homegoods #artistsway

“Dipa Ma was the most loving person I ever met.” ~Sharon Salzberg

“A modern Buddhist saint.” ~Jack Kornfield

“Her impact on Buddhism in America has been profound.” ~Joseph Goldstein

In this episode of Bounce Back Stronger, host Donna Ferris sits down with Amita Schmidt, a renowned meditation teacher and author of Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master. Amita shares the story of Dipa Ma, who broke through the male-dominated world of Buddhism and became one of its most beloved masters.

Her teachings have deeply influenced mindfulness leaders like Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Kornfield.

Discover how Dipa Ma’s simple yet profound practice of mindfulness and love empowered countless people, especially women, to find inner strength and peace. Learn the practices she inspired, including:

• Five-minute meditation miracles

To learn more about Dipa Ma and Amita’s books, events, and services, please visit amitaschmidt.com.  

If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to listen to Episode 11 – “Finding Your Way to Peace and Happiness” with Sharon Salzberg, or Episode 43 – “Mindful Living: Finding Balance in a Chaotic World” with Coach Aruni. Also, please consider subscribing to this podcast, leaving a review, and sharing this episode with others. Thank you.

My latest book called Bounce Back Stronger – Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens can be purchased here. To learn more about my coaching services, books, and events, please visit donnayferris.com.

Follow me on Instagram and YouTube @donnayferris or Facebook @donnayatesferris.

And if you’re looking for mental health resources, please click here or reach out to your insurance provider. If you are in crisis, please dial 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or dial 988 for the suicide hotline (US only).

#BounceBackStronger #DipaMa #Mindfulness #Meditation #AmitaSchmidt #empowerwomen #BuddhistWisdom #SelfCare #Podcast #breakingbarriers