From Survivor to Thriver

Send us a text

What if you could change your life by embracing trauma therapy? 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Karen Robinson to delve into trauma recovery and resilience.  We explore the complexities of dissociation, grounding techniques, and the power of validation.

Karen also shares her insights on retraining the brain, self-care, and the unexpected benefits of whispering to de-escalate arguments.

Karen Robinson is a service-driven social worker, therapist, and coach with 24 years of clinical experience. Karen received both her BSW and MSW from the University of Maine, where she is originally from. She is a genuine, authentic, compassionate provider. Her specialties are trauma recovery, anxiety, and depression. 

Heal Thrive Dream, her mother-daughter company, that includes a wide range of services and products for women recovering from trauma. 

They offer holistic therapy, coaching, virtual group coaching memberships, community service, courses, planners, journals, books, inspirational products, and workbooks. They are a one-stop shop for women who are ready to fire their boss as we offer touchless e-commerce agencies and a full-service digital agency to assist with websites, logos, social media management, SEO, etc.

Lastly, they teach survivors how to explore relationships and affiliate marketing as several streams of revenue will set them up for the best chance of success in every aspect of their lives.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• The reason Karen decided to work with trauma survivors 
• Karen’s holistic approach to teaching and practicing resiliency
• The right time for trauma therapy 
• The connection between substance abuse and trauma
• The different things that can cause trauma in your life 
• What dissociation is and grounding techniques that help 
• What a self-care kit is and what can be put in it
• Why the word “relax” is so triggering and de-escalating words to use instead

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Karen! If you want to learn more from her, make sure to check out the Heal Thrive Dream website and check out the podcast.

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Visit the Heal Thrive Dream website 

Follow Karen on Instagram

Follow Karen on LinkedIn 

Check out the Heal Thrive Dream podcast

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“I want to help others find that support, that compassion, and that community so that they also can heal and thrive.” -Karen

“What could be a small trauma for one person could be a large trauma for another person.” -Erik

“If you’re looking for something and you haven’t found something that works yet, it doesn’t mean that nothing will. There are so many ways to unpack these things and heal.” -Marc

Send us a text

For people grappling with mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, there may be a belief that offering support to others who are facing similar struggles is not possible until they have completely overcome these issues themselves. 

However, in this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we had a conversation with Sue Bowles, who revealed why this perception is flawed. As a matter of fact, it only takes being one step ahead of someone to assist and encourage them in navigating their mental health journeys. 

You don’t need to be fully cured to make a significant positive impact in someone else’s life. 

Sue Bowles is a survivor turned thriver as an author, speaker, and Master Certified Life Coach. Having done the hard work of healing from a childhood rape, an eating disorder, other sexual assaults, and considering suicide, Sue now defines the effect the life-altering events have on her. 

The events no longer define Sue; she defines them. “You only have to be a step ahead to help the person behind you” is the bedrock to the value Sue brings. She founded My Step Ahead and is the “Chief Instigator” behind the new Dare to Believe Movement, whose purpose is to nurture others to ‘dare to believe that you matter,’ knowing that nothing changes until that bedrock belief is solidified. 

Whether speaking on a podcast, a stage, or one-on-one, Sue's enthusiasm is contagious, shining the light of hope wherever the listener needs. 

In today’s episode we cover: 

• The first step to breaking the stigma around mental health struggles 
• How helping others keeps you encouraged
• The healing power of owning your story
• The coping mechanisms Sue used to cope with trauma
• What to do when you’re having a dark day
• How Sue’s faith helped her through her mental health struggles
• The impact therapy can have on your mental health
• The importance of honoring yourself 
• The difference between ownership and stewardship 

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Sue! If you want to learn more from her, make sure to grab a copy of her book. You can also check out her website and check out the Dare To Believe Movement website. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Get a copy of Sue’s book 

Visit Sue’s website

Visit the Dare To Believe Movement website

Follow Sue on Instagram

Connect with Sue on LinkedIn

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“If we were strong enough to fight it on our own, we would not be fighting it.” -Sue 

“If your coping mechanism isn’t something you’re willing to share with someone who cares about you, it’s not helping.” -Marc

“Asking for help may be the most difficult part, but it’s also the biggest

Send us a text

Your mindset can change everything. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Joseph Kajy. He battled drug addiction, depression, suicidal thoughts, and prison before he learned about the power of a positive mindset which changed his life for the better. 

When Joseph Kajy took opioids for the first time at the age of 15, he thought he had found his life’s calling. From there, his world altered into a grim whirlwind familiar to many a drug addict. 

He woke up every morning with either one of two questions on his mind: How will I get money for drugs? When will I do drugs? Behind him, he left a trail of destruction that included 37 felonies, two prison sentences, cut family ties, and a rock bottom where suicide seemed like the final solution. 

Today, Joseph has over 5 years of sobriety under his belt. He is a husband, father, and Founder of Top Fence, a residential and commercial fencing contractor which currently generates over 4 million dollars in sales. 

He is now on a life mission to share his story as a way to give hope and inspiration to anyone who feels they have demons in their closet and monsters still under the bed.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• The power of journaling
• The pain of changing vs. the pain of staying the same
• The book that changed his life 
• Why you can’t ignore your pain 
• How positivity became Joseph's new drug 
• Fear as motivation and inspiration 
• The importance of vulnerability 
• What to do if you know someone struggling with drug addiction

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Joseph! If you want to learn more from him, make sure to follow him on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. You can tune into his podcast Let’s Get Real here. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Tune in to Joseph’s podcast Let’s Get Real

Follow Joseph on LinkedIn 

Follow Joseph on Instagram

Follow Joseph on Facebook 

Check out  7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“I had pain I was still carrying, but I knew it wasn’t the end of my story.” -Joseph

“The pain of staying the same has to be more than the pain of changing because we know that there’s pain in change. It’s hard to do.” -Marc

“There is fear that leads to moti

Send us a text

When it comes to mental health struggles, sometimes journaling can be just what you need to start to heal. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we had the privilege of sitting down with Atis Spuris to talk about his mental health journey, his incarceration, and how he has found healing with journaling. Atis took his own experiences and struggles and used it to support other people who are struggling and help them find out what works for them when it comes to their path to healing. 

Atis Spuris is a Peer Support Specialist for the Pitkin Area Co-Responder Teams known as PACT, a collaborative community program between law enforcement and mental health professionals here in the Roaring Fork Valley.  

At an early age Atis was diagnosed with clinical depression, then seasonal affective disorder, and eventually bi-polar disorder, along with a spontaneous sense of humor. He is now living what he feels is a well-balanced life, being symptom-free for over five years. 

Atis feels very grateful for the opportunities his path has provided; the hope to inspire more communities to increase awareness around the importance of mental health and resiliency while encouraging individuals to share their own stories. 

In today’s episode we cover: 

• How Atis supports people on their mental health journeys 
• When he realized he was a highly sensitive person
• The connection between mental health issues and spiritual imbalances
• The impact of incarceration on your mental health
• The power of having a tribe that lifts you up 
• The labels that exacerbate the mental health crisis
• What Atis does now to live his best life
• Viewing your emotions as a check engine light
• How we can use language to empower ourselves
• How writing has helped Atis on his mental health journey

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Atis! If you want to learn more from him, make sure to connect with him on Facebook here.

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Connect with Atis on Facebook

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

Quotes: 

“My job is supporting people and helping them figure out what works for them.” -Atis

“A mental health issue is really a spiritual health issue.” -Atis 

“If you’re a sinner, you have a future. But that also means you have choices. And if you’re a saint, you have a past but you made different choices to get to where you are.” -Marc

“The pain is temporary, and the view from the top is stunning.” -Erik

Send us a text

As the philosopher Seneca said, we suffer more in our imagination than in reality.

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Jamie Ryder to talk about his struggles with social anxiety and depression and how he has used philosophy to reframe mental health conversations and find more inner peace. 

Jamie Ryder is a copywriter who uses philosophy in his work to help brands forge their philosophy and connect to customers. He's the founder of Stoic Athenaeum, a platform for making ancient ideas new again and reframing mental health conversations. 

He also runs Sexy Philosophy, a newsletter, and community for business owners who want to embrace their own version of authenticity.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Jamie’s mental health journey
• How philosophy helped Jamie feel more resilient and capable
• How social anxiety presents itself
• Why our imagination makes things worse than they actually are
• The power of being your authentic self 
• How Jamie prepares for situations that will cause him anxiety 
• The TV show that helps Jamie when he is struggling with his mental health
• The four stoic principles and how they relate to mental health
• The difference between knowledge and wisdom

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Jamie! If you want to learn more from him, make sure to check out his website here. You can also get the Sexy Philosophy newsletter here. If you’re interested in learning more about the show mentioned by Jamie, BoJack Horseman, make sure to check it out on Netflix. Check out the links below to learn more about the books mentioned in the episode as well! 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Visit Jamie’s Website

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Subscribe to the Sexy Philosophy newsletter

Follow Jamie on Instagram 

Check out Donald Robertson’s books

Check out Breakfast with Seneca by David Fideler

Check out How to Live: A Life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

Quotes: 

“Philosophy for me is a deeper level which has really helped me on a personal level when it comes to my mental health.” -Jamie 

“Knowledge is something you’re always seeking and acquiring, wisdom is actually putting it into practice.” -Jamie 

“As humans, we blow things out of proportion in comparison to the reality of what we’re actually going through.” -Erik

“Breaking down stigmas externally takes a huge amount of work internally.” -Marc

Send us a text

As humans, we all want to belong. But we have to feel like we are in a safe space to be ourselves to thrive. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Lori Sweetman to talk about their journey from not feeling like they fit in and having mental health struggles to now, where they help members of the LGBTQ+ community to feel more empowered when it comes to their gender and sexuality so they can be their authentic selves. 

Lori Sweetman, a lifelong educator in a public elementary school and, as a non-binary sexually fluid human who bore witness to the impact of minority stress on queer identity development, strives to create affirming and positive environments for LGBTQ+ populations. 

With a particular interest in how this impacts the community’s youth, Lori is currently researching LGBTQ+ identity formation and internalized biases, and how art appreciation, education, and environmental changes can positively influence identity development. Through exploring what creates internalized biases toward the queer community, Lori unpacks environmental and unconscious influences. 

Today, as director of Include LGBTQ Empowered Life Coaching and Consulting, Lori devotes their life to helping people feel empowered in their gender and sexuality, and thereby confident in living as their authentic self, freely and openly. 

Lori is married to their wife, Dana, and has two children, two puppies, and three guinea pigs in Great Meadows, NJ.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• What internalized bias is 
• Creating a safe space for people to be themselves
• Lori’s journey growing up feeling like they didn’t belong
• When they realized they were attracted to women and the impact it had on their marriage
• The anxiety and depression that Lori experienced during their relationship
• The benefits of having language and labels to describe yourself 
• Going with the flow when it comes to your children
• The secret to having a positive impact on your child
• Why you don’t have to fit into an “absolute role” 
• How Lori helps kids feel safe

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Lori. If you want to learn more from them, make sure to check out their website here. You can also follow them on Instagram here. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Visit Lori’s website

Connect with Lori on LinkedIn

Follow Lori on Instagram

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

Quotes: 

“Experimenting can be great, but it can also be bad when you don’t feel safe.” -Lori

“I wanted to have language to say that I came out of this with something and I know who I am.” -Lori

“There’s comfort in fitting into a box, but we need to find our box.” -Marc

“I don’t think anyone fits into what we would call these ‘absolute roles’”. -Erik

Send us a text

What does healthy masculinity look like to you? 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Dylan Roos to talk about all things masculinity and mental health. Through his own mental health journey and experiences, Dylan found his passion in helping young men embrace their masculinity, do hard things, and find fulfillment and happiness in their lives. 

Dylan Roos is a master NLP practitioner, accredited health coach, and masculinity coach who mentors young men through his flagship program "Prince to King."  

After being diagnosed with depression and anxiety in his early 20’s, he wanted to change the landscape for men and the mental health conversation as a whole. 

Dylan has worked extensively in the men's space for 4 years now and is passionate about reshaping masculinity for the modern man.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• How Dylan works to change the conversation around masculinity
• The connection between masculinity and the mental health of men
• Dylan’s experience with depression and anxiety
• Approaching depression and anxiety as a problem to fix
• Not letting yourself be defined by your mental health struggles
• Why men need more “self-respect” instead of “self-love”
• Why taking on challenges can improve your mental health 
• The importance of doing hard things
• Why people fail to find their purpose
• How journaling and meditation have helped Dylan
• The importance of self-awareness and confidence

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Dylan. If you want to learn more from him, make sure to check out his website here. You can also follow him on Instagram here. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Visit Dylan’s website 

Follow Dylan on Instagram 

Connect with Dylan on LinkedIn

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“You can fix whatever situation you’re in.” -Dylan

“Go and do hard things. You’re going to live a much happier life doing hard things.” -Dylan

“Depression doesn’t look like sadness. It often doesn’t look that way at all. There’s a lack of feeling.” -Marc

“There isn’t a single business person out there who hasn’t had self-doubt or imposter syndrome creep in.” -Erik

Send us a text

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Johnny Sirpilla to talk about his journey with anxiety and how an enormous tragedy changed his perspective on life and gratitude. This led to him helping others in similar situations develop resilience in the face of anxiety, grief, and hardships so that they can grow and thrive.

Johnny Sirpilla is the founder of Encourage, LLC., an entrepreneur, a passionate leader, a committed family man and the author of Life Is Hard but I’ll Be OK: The Power of Hope, Emerging through Pain and Learning to Live with Gratitude.  

A legend in the RV Industry, Johnny endured personal tragedies that led him to repurpose himself in his early 50’s focused on driving meaningful change in the workplace allowing employees to return home empowered. This passion inspired the creation of Encourage, LLC., a self-funded small family office with four divisions; Encourage Healthy Living, Encourage Leadership, Encourage Investment, and Encourage Adoption.  

Johnny is an active public speaker and promoter of reshaping thoughts through difficult times to accept, grow and eventually thrive. He retired in 2017 as Chief Business Development Offer and past President of Camping World and Good Sam after a successful IPO.  

Johnny has been married to his college sweetheart, Susan, for over 30 years and has three grown children, Beau, Bella, and Stone ... one of which is adopted but he can’t remember which one.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Overlooked signs of anxiety
• Why you can’t believe everything that you think
• Why we can’t thrive all the time
• How Johnny’s anxiety has impacted his leadership
• How he embraces being countercultural 
• The power of a “why not me” mindset
• Why your biggest emotions are not necessarily a bad thing
• The importance of perspective and resilience
• Johnny’s infertility journey with his wife
• Being cautious in our words of comfort

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Johnny. If you want to learn more from him, make sure to check out his website here and check out his book. You can also follow him on Instagram here. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Visit Johnny’s website

Check out Johnny’s book

Connect with Johnny on LinkedIn

Follow Johnny on Instagram

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“It’s important to take a negative thought and reframe it for good.” -Johnny

“We had to learn that resilience and gratitude often go hand in hand because many of the things we were grateful for were ultimately sad.” -Johnny

“We all want to thrive, but we can’t thrive all the time. Shit happens. It’s important to have people in our lives and therapy to help us.” -Marc

“Feeling the extremes of joy and the extremes of grief is important because it also

Send us a text

Many people believe that having more money will solve their problems and bring them the happiness they have always searched for. In actuality,  more financial success can actually make mental health issues worse. 

You have to realize that the key isn’t in the fancy cars or houses, it’s within you and you may have to do some self-reflection and self-work to feel truly fulfilled. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Keven Palmieri from the Next Level University podcast to talk about his mental health journey and how getting to his lowest point mentally changed everything. 

Kevin Palmieri is the CFO, Founder & Co-Host of Next Level University, a Global Top 100 Self-Improvement Podcast with more than 1,000 episodes and 600K+ listens in over 125 countries.  

Some people find rock bottom, he found out that rock bottom had a basement. In his mid 20's he had it all…a beautiful girlfriend, a high-paying job, a sports car, dream body, but he still ended up sitting on the edge of a bed debating suicide. 

After his rock bottom moment, he went all in on holistic self-improvement, determined to overcome his anxiety and depression and finally live the life he’d always dreamed of. 

He focused on learning what he didn't know (unlearning a lot too), and his life started to shift. He loves talking about Consistency, Commitment, Habits, Mindset, Confidence, Fear, Relationships, Limiting Beliefs, and everything in between. Kevin believes in a heart-driven but NO BS approach to holistic self-improvement, and looks forward to teaching even more people about what it really takes to get to the next level!  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Kevin’s mental health journey
• When he knew it was time to change his environment
• Why financial success won’t make your mental health issues go away
• The importance of self-reflection and self-awareness for holistic healing
• Burnout and the impact it has on your mental health
• Why small changes matter on your mental health journey
• Understanding who we need to become to achieve our goals
• Why we should be chasing fulfillment instead of happiness

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Kevin. If you want to learn more from him, you can tune in to his podcast, Next Level University here. You can also follow him on Instagram here. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Visit Kevin’s website

Follow Kevin on Instagram

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn

Follow Kevin on YouTube

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“You have to understand that if you change a little bit every day, that is the key to growth.” -Kevin

“It’s not a straight line to wellness.” -Marc

“For a lot of people, it’s not a change that’s needed. It’s small adjustments or shifts.” -Erik

Send us a text

More and more research is coming out about the connection between your gut microbiome and your mental health, but many people still don’t know about it. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Evan Transue to talk about his struggles with anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. He saw firsthand how this can affect the ones you love most and set out on a healing journey where he discovered the power of using holistic care to treat his symptoms. 

By caring for his gut microbiome and changing the way he ate, he was able to improve his mental and physical health. 

As a child, Evan Transue was one of the best-performing students in his elementary school.  At the same time, he was experiencing panic attacks and generalized anxiety, but at this age, he didn’t know how to verbalize what he felt inside.  

About two and a half weeks into his senior year of high school, Evan found himself in a situation he couldn’t have ever imagined; he was arrested, kicked out of his high school, and spent his 18th birthday on house arrest. Mentally, he was at his lowest point and truly thought this was the beginning of the end.  

Today, Evan has found his passion in functional health care and encourages others to combine lifestyle changes with traditional treatments in order to have the best chance at seeing optimal results, both in their physical and mental health. By sharing his story, Evan hopes to spark the “ah-hah” moment for others who are suffering, inspiring them to speak up and ask for help.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• The impact of antibiotics on mental health 
• What panic attacks are and how to spot them in others 
• Evan’s story of substance abuse 
• How mental illness and substance abuse affects those around you
• The group of friends that helped Evan begin his healing journey
• Functional healthcare to treat anxiety, depression, and disease 
• The connection between your gut microbiome and your mental health
• The impact of excess stress on the body 

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Evan. If you want to learn more from him, you can tune in to his podcast, The Health Detective Podcast, here. You can also find out more about getting him as a speaker here. 

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! 

Links: 

Visit the Minding Your Mind website

Listen to The Health Detective Podcast

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“If you are lucky enough to get a moment of clarity, you don’t take that for granted. You act on that immediately.” -Evan

“The most important thing you can do for the people you care about and yourself is to start yourself on some kind of healing journey.” -Marc

“If you start to see changes in someone and they’re acting in a way that you know they aren’t like at their core, ask those open-ended questions. It’s better to have somebody mad at you than somebody who’s no longer with us.” -Erik