Leaving A Cult At 18: How Queer Support Services Saved My Life
Growing up in a controlling religious cult, our hero was told who to be and how to feel. At 18, after their family’s reaction to their non-binary identity escalated from verbal abuse to physical threats, they left home with almost nothing. In this episode of Pride in Stories, they share the concrete steps that kept […]
The mantra that rewired my life
Mindi Kessler survived a childhood in a volatile Kansas family. When chronic pain became debilitating 12 years ago, a single phrase shifted everything: what if this is happening for you, not to you? Her trauma healing journey reveals how mindset, somatic work, and inner child healing can rewire what trauma built into the body. ⚠️ […]
When withdrawal of support is the only honest gift
Social support in addiction recovery is not about doing more for someone-it’s about knowing when to step back. In this episode of Grit Diaries, Melanie Marshall shares how she became her partner’s reality partner, wrote three letters that changed everything, and learned the hardest lesson: you cannot care for somebody more than they care for […]
Her father saw the danger and chose to leave everything | Kintsugi Heroes Shorts
Alyssa Chhim-Michelle’s father made an impossible choice. he abandoned his family’s land and dreams to protect them from what was coming. Alyssa Chhim-Michelle’s father faced a moment of clarity during a time of rising conflict. Despite speaking only Cambodian and Thai, he made the decision to leave behind generations of family wealth and land. His […]
A drama series became a mirror to her family | Alyssa Chhim-Michelle | Kintsugi Heroes Shorts
Alyssa Chhim-Michelle watched a young character struggle with illness on screen, then months later discovered her own father carried the same diagnosis. Alyssa Chhim-Michelle was moved to tears by a drama series depicting a young woman facing a genetic illness. The emotional weight of that story stayed with her. Months later, she learned that the […]
Her mum chose to live in the present | Alyssa Chhim-Michelle | Kintsugi Heroes Shorts
Alyssa Chhim-Michelle’s mother deliberately focused on what was in front of her, a deliberate choice to stay present rather than dwell on what she couldn’t change. Alyssa Chhim-Michelle observed how her mother approached life after trauma. Rather than revisiting the past or spiralling into worry, her mum made a conscious choice to embrace the present […]
My sister’s disability changed everything I thought I wanted
Alyssa Chhim-Michelle grew up in a Cambodian Australian family shaped by her parents’ escape from genocide. When she learned her father carried a rare genetic condition, she faced an impossible choice about her own future. Now as her sister’s caregiver, she confronts the gap between family duty and the life she wants to build. Alyssa […]
From Shame to Storytelling: The Unexpected Power of Simply Being There
Mental health awareness looks different when it’s your own child in crisis. Sarah Rosse spent her career helping others navigate mental health emergencies, until October 2023, when her 16-year-old son attempted to take his life. In this episode of Kintsugi Heroes, Sarah shares how the gap between her professional knowledge and her lived reality as […]
One Look in an Elephant’s Eyes Redirected Her Entire Life
At 16, Saengduean witnessed an elephant being brutally beaten in the logging industry. That moment redirected her entire life toward animal welfare advocacy. Now she runs a sanctuary that has rescued hundreds of elephants and other animals across Thailand and Asia. ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses trauma & healing, which some listeners may find […]
Trauma Doesn’t Always Announce Itself
Dissociation and trauma can persist silently for decades without dramatic incidents. Karl Germann spent 20 years numb and disconnected, unaware he was experiencing complex trauma rooted in emotional distance from his family. Only in the last two years, after leaving corporate work and reclaiming his authenticity, did he begin to understand what had been broken […]