Life is both beautiful and brutal. Tranquil and tumultuous. Filled with joy and pain. Susan Dunn, educator and support manager with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has spent the better part of her life trying to make sense of the duality of existence, the complexity of the human spirit. Susan helps people whose lives are impacted by mental illness, both for those with a diagnosis and those who love and support them.

What strikes me most about this conversation is the brutally honest way Susan talks about her own journey, from a little girl looking to books to help her find her way out of the chaos of her own family to the professional she is today, a guide for others to find their own way through. 

Susan Dunn, M.A. has devoted nearly 4 decades to serving vulnerable and traumatized populations through Sonoma County nonprofits.  With a masters degree in depth psychology from Sonoma State University, Susan has focused her career on building resilience within communities and teaching trauma recovery practices.  

NAMI - National Alliance for Mental Illness

NAMI - Sonoma County

Do you know someone who has a story to tell? Someone who is giving back to their community? Working to make our world a better place? Send an email to [email protected]. Nominate them for a future episode of From Sparks to Light.

To learn more about Robert Maggio, the composer of "Where Love is Love," our theme music, please check out his website.

To learn more about Suzanne, visit her website.

To learn more about the inspiration for this podcast, please check out Suzanne's memoir, Estrellas - Moments of Illumination Along El Camino de Santiago

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