Some conversations change the world.. 

And sometimes, the voices once silenced are the ones demanding change.

This episode of Hang In There is a direct appeal to the systems that decide the safety and futures of abuse survivors and children. Across the country, protective parents are losing custody, children are being sent back into unsafe homes, and survivors are punished for telling the truth or showing trauma.

This is a call to judges, lawmakers, attorneys, and institutions to confront the reality of abuse, coercive control, and post-separation harm. It challenges the use of rigid rules that prioritize procedure over protection and asks a question survivors have been asking for decades:

Are you listening?

This is not a story. It is lived reality for millions.

Disclaimer:
The statements in this episode describe personal experience and widely documented systemic issues in family courts. They are not directed at any specific judge, attorney, or individual, and no reference is made to any identifiable person or case. Any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental and unintentional.

The content of this episode is opinion-based, experience-based, and advocacy-driven.
It should not be treated as legal advice, nor as a factual claim about any public official. Its purpose is to push for safer systems, accountability, and a future where survivors and children are truly heard.

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.

If you live with PTSD, you may know how a song, a sound, or a familiar voice can instantly pull you back into memories your body never forgot. This episode is for anyone who has experienced that sudden shift, when the present disappears and the past takes over.

In this episode of Hang In There, you are invited into a conversation about triggers, the nervous system, and what it means to stop running from what once felt unbearable. Through an honest discussion of exposure therapy, this episode explores how healing can happen slowly, intentionally, and on your own terms.

This is not about a band or a public figure. It is about how trauma attaches itself to sensory experiences, and how those connections can be gently untangled over time. It is about reclaiming choice, identity, and the right to engage with the world without fear leading the way.

Listener discretion advised. This episode includes discussion of PTSD, trauma responses, and exposure therapy. Please listen in a way that feels safest for you.

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.

The holidays are often portrayed as magical, but for many survivors of abuse, this season brings fear, pressure, and painful memories. In this deeply honest episode, Melissa shares the story of a mother trying to hold herself together in the smallest moments of peace, only to be met with scrutiny, control, and emotional harm.

Through this holiday experience, we explore the hidden reality so many survivors face: performing, pretending, and protecting others at the cost of their own well-being. Melissa also speaks to the quiet weight carried by survivors navigating harmful family dynamics, reminding listeners that abuse does not only come from partners, but often from the very people meant to protect and love us.

This episode offers grounding, clarity, and hope. Melissa gently guides listeners through the emotional and physical responses that trauma brings, reminding each person that they are not alone. You deserve love that does not hurt. You are allowed to choose safety.  And you are allowed to protect your peace.

Protect Your Peace
Now streaming on Hang In There.

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.

In this episode of Hang In There, we welcome Tara Floersch, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in trauma, domestic and sexual violence, and women's empowerment.

Tara shares her journey from an intern at Alexandra House to her current role at Conscious Healing Counseling, where she partners with Alexandra House to provide therapy services for survivors. Together, we explore the importance of trauma-informed therapy, how trauma impacts the brain and body, and why finding the right therapeutic fit matters so deeply.

Tara also reflects on the power of the therapeutic relationship and how understanding, empathy, and education can help survivors rebuild self-worth and regain a sense of control in their healing journey.  

We talk about what it means to advocate for yourself in the healing process and how self-awareness and support can guide that journey. 

This conversation offers compassion, insight, and hope. Whether you are a survivor or supporting someone through healing, Tara’s wisdom is a reminder that recovery is possible and no one has to walk that path alone.

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.

In this episode of Hang In There, we sit down with Shweta Nema, a corporate professional and survivor of narcissistic abuse, for a conversation that transcends borders. Shweta shares her story of breaking free, finding her voice, and dedicating her life to raising awareness about narcissistic abuse.

Together, we explore how abuse knows no boundaries, it exists across cultures, workplaces, families, and communities. Shweta helps uncover the often unseen forms of narcissistic abuse and the deep emotional impact it leaves behind. She also shares how survivors can begin to recognize patterns, understand trauma bonds, and rebuild a sense of trust and self-worth.

This episode is a powerful reminder that abuse is a global issue. One that connects us through shared experiences of pain and resilience. By bringing these stories to light, we move closer to collective understanding, compassion, and healing.

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.

In this episode, Christine, the owner and coach of Leto Advisors and Advocates, an international divorce and co-parenting group, shares her compelling journey from a challenging international custody battle to becoming a fierce advocate for children's rights. 

With credentials as a certified divorce and co-parenting coach, clinical trauma-informed coercive control and domestic violence counselor, and expert witness, Christine's personal experience in the family court system has fueled her mission to support others facing similar struggles. Her story is one of resilience, having transformed her own life from desperation to empowerment, and she now dedicates herself to guiding others through high-conflict divorces. 

Together, Melissa and Christine talk about what it means to be believed, the courage it takes to ask for help, and how advocacy can empower survivors to rebuild their lives. This conversation is both raw and hopeful, reminding us that healing begins when someone truly listens. 

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.

For too many survivors, safety isn’t found behind closed doors. It’s found in community, support, and housing that protects instead of harms.

In this episode of Hang In There, we sit down with Jenny Green, Director of Housing & Supportive Services at Alexandra House, to talk about why safe housing is survival. Jenny shares the life-saving work Alexandra House provides - 24/7 emergency shelter, housing support, advocacy, and resources for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and why stable housing is a cornerstone of healing.

This conversation sheds light on the critical role domestic violence shelters play in both safety and recovery, and how allies can better support the organizations doing this essential work.

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.

This episode takes a powerful turn as we welcome our very first guest—award-winning artist, comedian, singer, songwriter, and playwright Maryann Maisano. Known for her ability to take life’s heaviest truths and transform them into something relatable, heartfelt, and even funny, 

Beyond her creative achievements, Maryann also shares a deeply personal story—that of her sister Angie, whose life was tragically marked by abuse. Angie’s story is one of loss but also of legacy, and it continues to shape Maryann’s art and her voice.

In this episode, we talk about Maryann’s personal and creative journey, the “unspoken rules” she grew up with, and how silence around abuse often allows it to continue. Through it all, she shows how humor, honesty, and storytelling can break cycles of pain and create space for healing.

This episode is more than a conversation—it’s a remembrance of Angie, a call for awareness, and a reminder that speaking out can bring peace where silence never could.

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.

Not all abuse leaves bruises.
Sometimes, the most damaging forms of control are carried out in silence.

In this episode of Hang In There, we uncover the deeply painful and often overlooked reality of coercive control—a form of abuse that operates through manipulation, isolation, fear, and unspoken rules. You’ll hear how survivors are left questioning their reality, their worth, and even their sanity—all without a single punch being thrown.

No Words Needed explores:

• What coercive control actually looks like
• Why it’s so hard to explain—and so easy to miss
• The emotional and psychological toll it takes
• Why this invisible abuse must be named, understood, and recognized by law

Whether you're a survivor, supporter, or someone seeking answers—you deserve clarity, validation, and hope.

You are not imagining it.
You are not to blame.
And you are not alone.

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.

Reclaiming voices. Redefining power. Rising together.

This podcast is for every woman who’s ever been silenced, overlooked, or made to feel small. We explore what it means to reclaim our rights, our identities, and our worth — diving into the powerful connections between women’s rights, cultural expectations, and the often-hidden impact of abuse.

We’ll talk about the deep confusion that happens when an abuser imposes his beliefs on you, and how a survivor may adjust — even agreeing outwardly just to stay safe — while her true self lies buried underneath. Together, we’ll unpack the ways we learn to survive by shrinking, silencing our own values, and questioning who we really are.

You’ll hear raw truths, honest questions, and hopeful reminders that healing is possible.

Most of all, Turn the Tables is about building a future where women uplift each other, demand respect, and change the trajectory for ourselves and the generations that follow.

Take a breath. Hang in there. And join us as we turn the tables — for good.

Send us a text

The personal experiences shared in this podcast are the opinions of the individuals sharing them and are not intended to serve as professional advice or constitute accusations about any other person, organization, or group. We encourage you to seek professional support and assistance.

The topics discussed in this podcast may be distressing and triggering for some listeners and could impact your mental health.

The content of this podcast is intended for educational and awareness purposes only.

For more information and resources, please visit hanginthere.net.