In this episode, Donna sits down with Jacqueline Williams to explore the realities of healing, resilience, and the emotional journey that comes with navigating addiction and its ripple effects.

Jacqueline shares her personal story with vulnerability and strength, offering listeners insight into what it truly means to face pain, process trauma, and choose healing, even when it’s uncomfortable.

This conversation is a reminder that healing is not linear, not easy, and not always pretty—but it is possible.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

💠The emotional toll addiction takes on individuals and families

💠Why healing requires honesty, courage, and deep inner work

💠The role of trauma in shaping behaviors and coping mechanisms

💠Letting go of shame and reclaiming your story

💠The importance of self-awareness and emotional healing

💠How pain can become a pathway to purpose

💠Breaking cycles and creating a new legacy

About the Guest:

Jacqueline Williams is a passionate advocate for women and children affected by childhood trauma. Jacqueline shares her personal journey of surviving childhood abuse and the long path toward healing. Her story is not shared to relive pain, but to offer understanding, hope, and practical guidance to others who are walking a similar road.

Resources and Links:

Website: https://somethingabouthisgrace.com/

Book (By His Grace): https://www.amazon.com/His-Grace-surviving-childhood-domestice/

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

What happens when a mental health expert has lived the very pain they now help others overcome?

In this deeply honest episode of Sharing Without Shame, Donna Marston sits down with Jamie Hughes—author, trauma specialist, and mental health advocate—who shares his powerful journey through childhood trauma, depression, and a suicide attempt at 18. Jamie opens up about what it really feels like to live with depression, the stigma men face when asking for help, and why healing is never a straight line.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward—this conversation will meet you where you are.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

💠Why healing from trauma is messy, nonlinear, and often feels like failure

💠 The real reason behind suicidal thoughts (it’s not what you think)

💠 How childhood trauma shapes emotional suppression—especially in men

💠 The connection between ADHD, dopamine, and addictive behaviors

💠Why “just get help” isn’t practical advice—and what actually works

💠The role of compassion, listening, and trust in healing

💠Simple, practical steps to start improving mental health today

💠How journaling can become one of the most powerful healing tools

💠What it means to “become a student of yourself”

About the Guest:

Jamie Hughes is an author and passionate advocate for mental well-being, with a master’s degree in psychology specializing in trauma and resilience. Blending academic expertise with real-life experience in victim advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and forensic psychology, Jamie provides compassionate, evidence-based strategies to help individuals heal and grow.

Resources & Links

🌐 Website: managingmentalhealth.net

📚 Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@managingmentalhealth-net

He is the creator of the Managing Mental Health book series, covering Depression, Anxiety, PTSD and Adult ADHD. Along with a guided journal designed for deep self-reflection and personal growth.

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

In this episode of Sharing Without Shame, Donna dives into the raw realities families face when addiction enters the home. This conversation explores the emotional toll, the misconceptions that keep families stuck, and the critical shift from waiting for “rock bottom” to recognizing when enough is enough.

Through honest storytelling and lived experience, this episode challenges stigma, breaks down denial, and offers hope for parents who feel overwhelmed, angry, afraid, or exhausted.

If you’ve ever felt helpless watching someone you love struggle, this conversation will remind you that addiction has no boundaries — and neither does healing.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

- Why addiction does not discriminate based on status, income, or background

- The danger of waiting for “rock bottom”

- Why “functioning alcoholic” can be a harmful myth

- The emotional shift from anger to humility

- The difference between hitting bottom and reaching “enough”

- How denial and stigma keep families stuck

- Why family healing must happen alongside individual recovery

About the Guest:

Bambi Lynn is an author, speaker, and proud mother of six with thirteen grandchildren. After years of embracing her story, she now shares it with courage and purpose. With two published books and more on the way, Bambi is passionate about listening to people’s stories and offering hope through her own. She believes storms don’t last, purpose changes everything, and when you find yours, you run with it. Through her words and conversations, she hopes to change lives one heart and one door at a time.

Learn more about Bambi Lynn here: https://healingthroughstories.com/

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries⁠

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

In this powerful and heartfelt conversation, Donna sits down with Kerry Norton, co-founder and Executive Director of Hope on Haven Hill, a recovery residence program serving pregnant and parenting women.

Kerry shares her personal journey as a mother navigating her son’s heroin addiction, the heartbreak of trying to access treatment, and the hard lessons learned about boundaries, family unity, and hope. What began as a mother fighting for her child’s life became a mission to ensure other women and babies would not be left without support.

Together, Donna and Kerry talk about recovery, generational healing, healthcare barriers, and the power of community.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

- The “punch in the stomach” moment of discovering a child’s heroin addiction

- The struggle to access treatment—even with insurance and resources

- Why families must get on the same page when setting boundaries

- The importance of support systems for parents (Al-Anon, therapy, community)

- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and breaking stigma

- How trauma impacts women in addiction

- The founding and growth of Hope on Haven Hill

- Why safe housing is critical for long-term recovery

- Celebrating milestones and honoring recovery journeys

- Holding onto hope—even when it feels impossible

About the Guest: Kerry Norton

Kerry Norton is a maternal-child nurse and the passionate co-founder and Executive Director of Hope on Haven Hill in Rochester, NH. After navigating her own sons’ journeys through addiction and recovery, Kerry turned her pain into purpose by creating a recovery residence dedicated to pregnant and parenting women.

Today, Hope on Haven Hill offers residential treatment, recovery housing, outpatient services, MAT, childcare, healthcare, and affordable housing—supporting over 1,000 women on their path to healing.

Learn more:

Website 🌐: www.hopeonhavenhill.org

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

Shame, guilt, and addiction don’t have to define your story.

In this episode, Donna Marston welcomes Dr. Tom Horvath, a board-certified clinical psychologist, co-founder of SMART Recovery, and pioneer in science-based addiction support. Together, they explore the role of shame and guilt, why recovery is not one-size-fits-all, and how families can support a loved one without losing themselves in the process.

Dr. Horvath shares decades of insight on self-empowered recovery, alternatives to the traditional “rock bottom” narrative, and practical tools families can use to create healthier dynamics. This conversation offers hope, clarity, and reassurance for anyone navigating addiction, whether personally or through someone they love.

Topics Covered:

- The difference between shame and guilt and how each impacts recovery

- Why there are many valid pathways to recovery

- SMART Recovery vs. 12-step programs

- The importance of choice and self-empowerment in healing

- How families can support recovery without controlling it

- Common myths about addiction and “rock bottom”

- Practical ways to communicate with a loved one in treatment

- Building a meaningful life beyond addiction

About the Guest

Dr. Tom Horvath is a board-certified clinical psychologist, Navy veteran, and internationally recognized expert in addiction recovery. He is the co-founder and former president of SMART Recovery, a science-based, self-empowering recovery network, and the founder of Practical Recovery in San Diego. Dr. Horvath is also the author of Sex, Drugs, Gambling, and Chocolate, a practical workbook for overcoming addictive behaviors.

Quotes:

“A little guilt can help us change, but too much shame keeps us stuck.”

“Recovery works best when people have a choice.”

“There isn’t one right way to recover, only the way that works for you.”

🔗 Guest Resources:

Website: https://smartrecovery.org/

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

In this episode of Sharing Without Shame, Donna Marston sits down with Anne Peshka to explore how trauma, shame, addiction, and grief can be transformed into healing, purpose, and gratitude.

Anne shares her powerful life story, including childhood trauma, addiction, recovery, motherhood, grief, and the moment she realized she was worth fighting for. Together, Donna and Anne have a compassionate, real conversation about letting go of labels, releasing shame, and learning how to truly hold space for ourselves and the people we love.

✨ Topics Covered:

- How childhood trauma fuels shame and addiction

- Why substances are a Band-Aid—and healing starts with the “why”

- Releasing labels like “addict,” “victim,” and “survivor”

- Grieving the living and loving without control

- The importance of boundaries vs. unhealthy helping

- What it really means to “hit your enough”

- Turning pain into purpose and trauma into wisdom

- Learning to believe you are worthy of a good life

💛 Key Takeaway:

Healing begins when shame is brought into the light—and when you start believing you are worth the fight.

🔗 Guest Resources:

Book: Trauma, Recycled (available in print and audiobook) https://annepeshka.com/book/

Website: https://annepeshka.com/

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

In this episode of Sharing Without Shame, Donna Marston welcomes Darlene Lancer, licensed marriage and family therapist, author, and internationally recognized expert on codependency, shame, and emotional healing.

With over 30 years of clinical experience, Darlene shares how shame often sits at the core of addiction, codependency, anxiety, depression, and unhealthy family dynamics—and why healing symptoms alone isn’t enough.

Together, Donna and Darlene explore how childhood experiences shape adult relationships, how families unintentionally pass down shame, and why setting boundaries is essential for both recovery and peace.

In this episode, we discuss:

- The difference between shame and guilt and why it matters

- How childhood emotional suppression fuels codependency

- Why addiction is often a form of self-soothing, not rebellion

- The connection between shame, anxiety, and perfectionism

- How families absorb and carry shame around addiction

- Why enabling feels like love but often causes harm

- Detachment, boundaries, and letting others experience consequences

- Gaslighting, loss of self-trust, and emotional survival in addiction

- Why healing must address the emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical self

Darlene also shares practical insights on recognizing inner criticism, rebuilding self-esteem, and beginning the process of releasing long-held shame.

About the Guest:

Darlene Lancer, JD, MFT is the author of Codependency For Dummies, Conquering Shame and Codependency, Dating, Loving, and Leaving a Narcissist, and several workbooks and healing resources.

Connect with Darlene:

Darlene Lancer: https://darlenelancer.com/

What is Codependency: https://whatiscodependency.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/codependencyrecovery/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenelancerlmft/

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

In this episode of Sharing Without Shame, Donna sits down with Karrie Mitten, CEO and founder of Uplevel Your Life Consulting, a transformational life-mastery consultant, speaker, and empowerment coach.

Karrie opens up about growing up in an addicted household, becoming a perfectionistic “fixer,” and facing her son’s addiction—only to discover that the real healing had to begin within herself.

Together, Donna and Karrie explore:

- Breaking generational cycles and perfectionism

- How addiction affects the whole family

- The journey from enabling to empowering

- Creating a vision when your loved one can’t see one

- Setting boundaries rooted in love

- What it means to “walk through” instead of staying stuck

- How to come home to yourself spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically

- The choices that turn struggle into strength

Karrie shares how her own unraveling became the doorway to her purpose, and why taking responsibility for our own healing changes everything—our families, our future, and generations to come.

Connect with Karrie Mitten:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uplevelyourlifeconsulting/

Podcast: https://uplevelyourlifeconsulting.com/Podcast

Website: https://uplevelyourlifeconsulting.com/

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

In this heartfelt episode of Sharing Without Shame, Donna sits down with Dion Miller, counselor, recovery advocate, and host of Trudging Together. Dion opens up about his journey from addiction and absentee fatherhood to healing and rebuilding trust with his children. Together, Donna and Dion dive into the family side of addiction, the importance of taking responsibility, and what it truly means to break the cycle of shame.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Rebuilding trust after addiction

Why labels like “addict” and “alcoholic” cause harm

Understanding triggers and taking ownership of healing

How trauma shapes behavior and recovery

Breaking family patterns and embracing truth

Why recovery is about more than abstinence—it’s about transformation

“There are no more excuses left. All that’s left now is the truth and the solution.”

Connect with Dion Miller:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trudging_together/

Podcast: https://trudgingtogether.podbean.com/

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.

In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Lauren Sisler, an ESPN sports broadcaster, motivational speaker, and author of the memoir "Shatterproof." Lauren's work focuses on breaking the stigma around addiction and mental health, particularly within communities of athletes, the military, and faith groups.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The Power of Truth and Vulnerability – Lauren’s story reminds us that healing begins when we stop hiding our pain and start speaking honestly about it.

Grief and Shame Are Intertwined – Understanding how shame can deepen grief helps us approach both with compassion and self-awareness.

Addiction Has No Boundaries – From athletes to military members, Lauren sheds light on how addiction can affect anyone, regardless of background or success.

Healing Is a Continuous Journey – Recovery isn’t about hitting “rock bottom” but about reaching a point of “enough” and choosing hope and progress each day.

Turning Pain into Purpose – Through her memoir Shatterproof and motivational speaking, Lauren shows how embracing your story can transform deep wounds into a message of strength and freedom.

Lauren's story is a powerful reminder that healing begins the moment we choose to stop hiding and start sharing without shame. Her journey from grief and denial to acceptance and advocacy is an inspiration to anyone dealing with the impact of addiction and loss.

Connect with Lauren Sisler

Website: ⁠laurensisler.com⁠⁠

Book "Shatterproof" available on her website and major retailers: https://www.laurensisler.com/my-book-shatterproof-lauren-sisler

👉 Learn more about Donna’s work and resources at ⁠sharingwithoutshame.com⁠

Grab my free "5 Boundaries and Breakthrough" Guide here: ⁠ https://swos.sharingwithoutshame.com/5-boundaries

Sponsors:

Experience Inner Peace with Calming Therapy Bracelets

Website: ⁠⁠https://snappbandz.com/⁠

Use SWOS or SharingWithoutShame code

Learn more: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Sharingwithoutshame⁠⁠

Thank you for tuning in! May your faith and strength heal your heart.