From Survivor to Thriver

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In the United States, 1 in 7 women in an abusive relationship will not make it out alive. 

This is a scary statistic and it’s incredibly important for these women to share their stories and say enough is enough. In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Christine Malek to discuss how women of abuse can find their voice again.

Join us as we talk about Christine’s story of nearly losing her life to domestic violence and how she now works with women in similar situations to help them begin to focus on the women they want to be and look to the future. 

Christine Malek is the founder and creator of SASSI® (Strong, Assertive, Smart, Sexy, Independent) Coach, a motivational speaker, and an International Advocate for Women Against Abuse & Domestic Violence based in Knoxville, TN. Her unique approach brings out the strength and the light that shines in each woman, especially those that have survived abuse. She believes once you are out of that situation there is an obstacle for that woman; to face an even bigger challenge – what do I do now and who am I? 

Her SASSI® Program is designed to help you find those answers with a new beginning to get you to your goals and objectives of where you want to go and who you want to be. Being a survivor and victor herself, she has made it her life’s mission to help every woman to Be, Do, Have SASSI®, encouraging women to “Ruffle Some Feathers & Blow Some Minds!”  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• The importance of not thinking of yourself as a victim
• Christine's story and how she got to where she is now
• The grieving process after getting out of an abusive relationship
• The guilt and shame that women in abusive relationships feel 
• The effects of surviving an abusive relationship
• What to do if you suspect someone that you know is going through abuse
• The hard work of finding your voice 
• The power of sharing your story 

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Christine. If you want to learn more from her, you can book a Gifted SASSI Session with her here. You can also join her private Facebook Group for Survivors and share your story 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: 

Follow Christine on Facebook

Visit Christine’s website

Join her private Facebook Group for Survivors

Follow us on Facebook

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Get in touch: [email protected]

Quotes: 

“My mission is to let every woman know, you have a voice. Find it. And if you can’t find it, someone that can help you. We have to say enough is enough.” -Christine 

“It needs to be at the right place at the right time with the right person, but when people are ready to discuss the abuse, the floodgates will open.” -Erik

“If it’s you or a loved one that is going through abuse, they will not be able to get through this by themselves.” -Marc 

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If you struggle with anxiety or depression, it can be hard to find any hope. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Scott Prendergast to talk about his struggles with the feeling of hopelessness and numbness while battling depression and anxiety and how he learned to overcome them by using what he calls Emergency Joys and positive self-talk. 

During his healing journey, Scott discovered three things that he could do when he was starting to feel down that would help him overcome the harmful thoughts and focus on the positive aspects of his life.  

As a teenager entering high school, Scott Prendergast knew his life was going to change – everyone goes through changes in high school, right? What he did not expect was that the change would come in the form of depression. 

After being cut from his high school basketball team, he began to feel worthless and spent his days mentally abusing himself. It was also around this time that he developed severe acne that made him extremely self-conscious about his image. Throughout college, Scott struggled to pull himself out of the self-hatred and negativity that filled his mind, but the issues only grew. 

Scott was able to turn his world around by incorporating positivity into his life. By harnessing the power of positive self-talk, he realized that thoughts are just as important as actions. 

Today, Scott has a passion for helping others; his goal is to help people overcome the everyday mental obstacles that hold them back in life. Scott works to inspire others to climb out of the darkness and find the light in their lives.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• The effects of hitting rock bottom
• Scott’s mental health journey
• When he started to feel hope again
• Why there isn’t a one size fits all way to treat anxiety and depression
• What “Emergency Joys” are and how they help you heal
• How focusing on the good aspects of his life changed everything
• The three things to do when facing a mental health challenge
• The feeling of hope 
• The importance of being self-aware
• “Changing the filter” in your life when you’re struggling 
• Tips for reaching out to someone when you need help 
• When Scott decided to help others in the same situation

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Scott. If you want to learn more from him, make sure to visit his website. You can also check out his show 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 Scott’s website

Check out his Youtube Channel

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

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Get in touch: [email protected]

Quotes: 

“Emergency Joys bring us a little bit of hope and a little bit of something to hold on to when we feel like we don’t have any.” -Scott 

“Hope is the beginning of thinking that joy is possible.” -Marc 

“You’re not the only one. You’re not alone.” -Erik 

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In the transgender community, the suicide rates are alarmingly high, and there is a huge need for mental health support among those who have or are currently, transitioning. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Scottie Jeanette Madden to talk about her journey from girl to boy to woman, and how she now helps others in the transition process through her book and documentary. 

Scottie Jeanette Madden, born Scott James, didn’t make it easy on herself. Like many late-stage trans women, Scottie had made one hell of a guy; husband of 26 years, the only son, the big brother, and legendary adventurer uncle. 

Everything in her life screamed "Alpha Male." With over 30 years in the television production trenches, no one would guess that Scottie, a top survival showrunner who had led über-male productions into the world’s most dangerous jungles, glaciers, and deserts, while engaged in a lifelong battle for her soul.

 All anyone knew was that Scottie, who rose through the technical ranks as a camera operator and editor brought a front-line experience to her work as a writer, director, and showrunner.  

And… she put ALL this, plus a marriage of 26 years on the line when she wrote “Getting Back to Me” from girl to boy to woman in just fifty years, and left behind “white male privilege” to embrace truth, grace, and womanhood. Her gut-wrenching journey of love, acceptance, and honesty became the ultimate survival show. 

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Scottie’s story
• The coping mechanisms she developed in her life
• The stigmas in the LGBTQ+ community
• What gender dysphoria really is 
• Fear, shame, and discrimination
• What dignity means 
• How Scottie worked with her wife during the transition process
• Your chosen family 

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Scottie. If you want to learn more from her, make sure to visit her website where you can find her and Marcy’s books and information on her documentary, and follow her on Instagram. 

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 Scottie on LinkedIn

Visit the Zuzubean website

Check out Scottie’s YouTube channel

Check out The Screening Room

Watch “What Would My Father Say” 

Follow Scottie on Instagram

Follow us on Facebook

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Get in touch: [email protected]

“Gender dysphoria is actually visceral, emotional, intellectual, and physical, and it comes from trying to deny your gender identity.” -Scottie 

“Use this story of hope and optimism and be that. Be that change and be that advocate.” -Marc

“A lot of what drives discrimination is fear and shame within the non-trans community.” -Erik

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Are you comfortable feeling your emotions? 

For many, our natural reaction to negative emotions is to push them away and avoid them, but in order to heal those emotions, we have to feel them. In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with David Szczecinski to talk about feeling our emotions to heal them, complex trauma, attachment styles, being in the present moment, vulnerability, and so much more.

David Szczecinski informs listeners about the art and science of interpersonal dynamics, while offering useful insights into power and control. He helps to empower our inner world as we learn to navigate the terrain of personal and professional relationships. 

Having worked for 20 years as a trainer and clinician in both government and private practice, David has the skills to equip each person with more confidence in their relationship journey. He has seen thousands of people in their darkest hours while also having the privilege of walking alongside many people on their journey of empowerment, relationship development, self-awareness, communication, boundary setting, and, all the while, building their personal resilience. 

He is the Author of the Self-Awareness Method (SAM™) and ‘Safe/Unsafe: Understanding Modern Relationships - Field Guide’.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Where power and control come from
• The ancestral experience we carry 
• The types of resources we strive to gain for survival
• The difference between attention-seeking and connection-seeking
• The truth about narcissism and complex trauma 
• What it takes to feel safe 
• The behaviors we use to protect our vulnerability 
• How our attachments are created
• How anxiety is a threat response
• Absorbing yourself into the feeling of being present 
• The importance of noticing your neutral state 
• What confidence actually is 
• How we can move forward from the trauma of the past

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with David. If you want to learn more from him, make sure to visit his website and follow him on Facebook. 

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 David’s website

Connect with him on LinkedIn

Follow him on Facebook

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“Power and control is something that comes from within. It’s not an external thing.” -David 

“You have to feel it to heal it.” -David 

“In the mental health world, it’s often finding our power or taking it back. Not because  someone took it, but because we gave it away.” -Marc 

“We often forget that we are people. And we are living with something, but that something doesn’t define who we are.” -Erik 

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In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Jakia Lindley to talk about her experience in the military and how the way she was treated and abused by the men she was surrounded with led to a major mental health crisis. 

In her book, Jakia channeled her experiences into a resource she hopes will help people in similar situations; normalizing coming together as survivors to offer support and encouragement to each other as they come forward and share their stories.

From an early age, Jakia Lindley dreamed of being a judge, an attorney, or somehow being a part of something bigger than herself. She joined the military in 2010 and is currently a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. Lindley studied criminal justice and psychology at the American Military University before switching her focus to business management.

 In her newly released book War at Home, she relived several painful personal experiences in the hopes of breaking the silence, destroying the stigma, and ending the cycle that is too common for those in toxic, abusive relationships. Jakia believes that by working together, we can forge a stronger, more positive culture, one that makes the world safer for us as well as future generations. 

Aside from writing, her passions in life are uplifting others, teaching as a Certified Master Resiliency Trainer and as a Certified Department of Defense Sexual Assault Advocate, fine food and wine, art, music, and last, but certainly not least, binge-watching her favorite shows. 

In today’s episode we cover: 

• The sexual harassment and abuse Jakia experienced in the military
• What motivated Jakia in her darkest hours
• Suicidal thoughts and what pulls you out of it
• Why she realized she had to stay in the military
• The mental health crisis that resulted from her experience
• The steps Jakia took toward mental health healing 
• What led Jakia to write her book 

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

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 Jakia’s website

Check out Jakia’s book

Follow her on Instagram

Connect with her on LinkedIn

Follow her on Facebook

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

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Get in touch: [email protected]

“People come to me all the time and ask if I will be there for them. And I’m there. Without a doubt, without a question.” -Jakia 

“Sometimes your strongest friends are the ones suffering the most.” -Jakia 

“It’s important to find your own path. No one's path has the same steps in it towards better wellness.” -Marc

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Do you struggle with anxiety or anger? 

These are important mental health issues and different forms of therapy work for different people. In this episode of From Survivor To Thriver, we sat down with Tony Hardman to talk about his journey struggling with anxiety and anger issues and how he found healing through ACT therapy and by sharing his story through his blog and podcast. 

Tony Hardman is the founder of Not Quite Zen, a blog and podcast focused on providing mental health support from the perspective of a survivor. Tony has struggled with severe depression, anxiety, and anger since he was a child. 

Cursed with a family history of mental health issues, and early childhood trauma, finding a path to calm was a journey 35 years in the making. While he’s still anxious and has bad days, the real truth is he’ll never be fully done growing. These days he shares his experience through Not Quite Zen in hopes that he can help others learn how to get better faster.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• How to conquer anxiety 
• Working through a mental health crisis
• Tony’s mental health journey 
• Acceptance and commitment therapy 
• What anger and anxiety can look like 
• Why you sometimes need to hit rock bottom 
• Breaking the stigma around mental health 
• Cognitive defusion 
• The differences between CBT and ACT therapy 
• The Association for Contextual Behavior Science 
• Connecting with the present moment
• The small steps that make a big difference 

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Tony. If you want to learn more from him, make sure to visit his website and follow him on Instagram. You can also listen to his podcast here. To learn more about the Association for Contextual Behavior Science, visit their website 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: 

Check out Not Quite Zen

Follow Tony on Instagram

Listen to Tony’s podcast

Learn more about ACBS

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“Don’t give up. Be a huge advocate for yourself. If something is not working, you’ve got to do something about it.” -Tony

“There is really important work that happens when you’re in crisis.” -Marc 

“Before something, like talking about mental health,  can become the norm, it's going to make a lot of people uncomfortable at first.” Erik

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In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver,  we sat down with Keri Blakinger who struggled with mental health issues, chronic suicidal ideation, and drug addiction for years before it landed her in prison for two years. 

Keri shares her story of how she emerged from the depths of depression and addiction and found healing with journalism and community. 

Keri Blakinger is a Texas-based journalist and the author of Corrections in Ink, a memoir which details her path from aspiring professional figure skater, to her two years spent in prison after she was arrested in 2010 during her final semester of her senior year at Cornell University with six ounces of heroin, to prison and, finally, to life as an investigative reporter covering mass incarceration. 

Today she is a staff writer at The Marshall Project, whose work focuses on prisons and where she is the organization's first formerly incarcerated reporter. She previously covered criminal justice for the Houston Chronicle, and her work has appeared in the Washington Post Magazine, VICE, the New York Daily News, and The New York Times.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Surrounding yourself with people who understand your experience
• Keri’s mental health struggles and why she turned to heroin
• Drugs as an escape mechanism 
• Chronic suicidal ideation
• What happened after Keri attempted to take her own life
• Why prison isn’t a way to enforce sobriety 
• How journalism helped Keri find a community
• Self-care

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Keri. Make sure to visit her website and follow her on Instagram. You can check out her book, Corrections in Ink: A Memoir 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 Keri’s website

Get Keri’s book

Follow her on Instagram

Follow her on TikTok

Learn more about The Marshall Project

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“There’s nothing I can say that is going to make depression easier to live through, but people do live through it.” -Keri
“Sometimes when you’re learning something new and there’s a compound failure where you’re beating your head against the wall, that leaves a mark.” -Marc
“Mental health issues

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For some people that suffer from depression and anxiety, medication is not enough. Despite their best efforts to get better, it just doesn’t help. If this sounds like what you’ve experienced, you aren’t alone. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Dannie De Novo to talk about her journey through severe depression and suicidal thoughts. After trying multiple medications and even electro-shock therapy, she found that her body just didn’t respond to any of them. Even her doctors were at a loss for how to help her.  

In this episode, Dannie shares how, after becoming a mother and gaining a new perspective, she decided to be brave, take it into her own hands and find her own way back to happiness. 

Dannie De Novo is an award-winning happiness coach, attorney, speaker, single mom, and international bestselling author. After having battled depression and anxiety for most of her early life, Dannie set out on a course to learn what true happiness was for her and for the sake of her baby girl. 

Today, Dannie regularly appears on ABC, Fox, NBC, and CBS TV news and talk shows as an expert on creating happiness, combating loneliness and depression, managing anxiety, and being brave.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• Dannie’s mental health journey
• The side effects of depression medications
• Depression and anxiety among children and parents
• Danni’s experience with electro-shock therapy
• The issues with mental health treatment
• How motherhood changed her perspective
• Her experience studying happiness
• How she became a happiness coach
• Being in alignment with the things that you want
• The impact of social media on our mental health

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Dannie. If you want to learn more from her, make sure to visit her website and follow her on social media. 

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: 

Check out Dannie’s website

Check out Dannie’s books

Connect with Dannie on LinkedIn 

Follow her on Instagram 

Follow her on YouTube

Follow her on Facebook

Follow her on TikTok

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

Quotes: 

“I was studying happiness for my daughter but it was rapidly changing my life.” -Dannie

“I immersed myself into the study of happiness and writing it down and putting it into words that I could one day teach to my daughter.” -Dannie

“We often don’t get better for ourselves. We get better for someone else.” -Marc

“We get so comfortable being who we are and doing what we do that we fear the idea of doing

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Have you ever felt lonely and misunderstood? For many people, these feelings make it even harder to find meaningful connections and friendships. 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Lee Hopkins to dive into the topic of friendship and finding your tribe by searching within. After moving from state to state and struggling to find his people, Lee began therapy and realized that he had to start by taking a look at himself. After that, he found that his ability to form deeper connections and friendships grew significantly. 

Lee Hopkins is a transgender man and coach who helps people create lasting friendships. For several years, he didn’t have supportive people who knew the real him in his life. After struggling with loneliness most of his life, he's tried various ways to resolve it without success. However, on his journey to make friends, he discovered that the more he learned about himself, the better he was able to connect with others. 

These days, he helps others create the fulfilling friendships and relationships that they deserve and during today’s conversation will show us how this is possible for everyone.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• The tools now available for deeper connections
• How Lee found his people in the LGBTQ+ community
• The truth about finding your tribe 
• The impact therapy had on Lee’s life
• How his gender identity impacted his ability to form relationships
• What happens when you hide your true self from others
• Why knowing yourself is so important when forming connections
• Being open and vulnerable with others
• The three things you need to understand to make better connections
• What to do if you’re feeling lonely and misunderstood

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Lee. If you want to hear more from him, make sure to visit his website and follow him on social media. 

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 Lee’s website

Follow Lee on Instagram

Follow Lee on TikTok

Check out Lee’s YouTube channel

Follow Lee on Twitter

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

Quotes: 

“The idea of finding your tribe is true, but it’s not something that is outward. It’s something that you do inside and then you end up being in the right place and meeting the right people.” -Lee

“Not only do you cause yourself harm by hiding, but you lose the opportunity to connect, help, and teach others.” -Marc

“If we focused on the ‘why’ more then people wouldn’t focus so much on the ‘what’. It won’t matter anymore.” -Erik

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In this special episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we had the honor of sitting down with Andrew Velazquez to talk about his journey as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and how he uses his experience as someone who has suffered from trauma and thoughts of suicide to help others in a similar position. 

He recently released his book, “Amore es Arte | Arte es Amore. Love is Art | Art is Love” with a goal to be a source of positivity and light to all. 

Andrew Velazquez is a born and bred Angeleno who always knew he was meant for a life in beauty. He is the founder of Love is Art, Art is Love cosmetics and a finalist on American Beauty Star. In a star-studded career, Andrew has worked as a makeup artist with major celebrities, from Lady Gaga to RuPaul to Demi Levato, along with countless others on major film, TV and music video productions. 

Growing up in Boyle Heights on the eastside of Los Angeles, in the closet and raised in a macho environment, he turned to his faith in God and the support of his mother, who encouraged him to attend the Los Angeles Music and Art School. 

After earning his G.E.D., he attended LA Trade Tech at the age of 16 and graduated with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. Shortly thereafter, he attended cosmetology school at West Valley Occupational Center, graduating with honors and receiving his license. 

While rising through the ranks of MAC and Anastasia Beverly Hills, he built a loyal following in film, TV, music and fashion before being selected for American Beauty Star and launching his own cosmetics line.  

Andrew currently lives with his dogs and husband Johnny Debut in Orlando, Florida.  

In today’s episode we cover: 

• How trauma transformed Andrew 
• Taking control of your own power 
• The impact of our words
• Choosing positivity and light
• How Andrew grounds himself when he is feeling anxiety
• The healing power of animals
• What’s happening now within the LGBTQ+ community
• The importance of vulnerability among men
• The impact of music and the arts
• Mentorship

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Andrew. If you want to hear more from her, make sure to follow him on Instagram and get your hands on a copy of his new book 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: 

Get Andrew’s book

Follow Andrew on Instagram

Check out Andrew’s website

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on TikTok

Get in touch: [email protected]

“Positivity can win. It can always be the light at the end of the dark tunnel.” -Andrew

“Animals are really great healers.” -Erik

“We don’t find our partners often until we are comfortable in our own skin.” -Marc