Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling

I recently read Duncan’s book “Get Over Indulgence” and was really looking forward to interviewing him.  His writing is funny, honest and very accessible to everyone and I sat down and read it in one go.

Duncan has done his fair share of overindulgence, strictly speaking he’s drunk more than his fair share of wine and eaten more than his fair share of cake.  

Along the way he found himself in some interesting places like on stage with S-Club, a stint as Mayor of his hometown and Morris dancing in Westminster Abbey. 

After 20 years of over-doing it, he cleaned up his act and trained with the Easyway clinic, the world’s most successful stop smoking service. Now he spends his time helping people push over-indulgence out of their life. 

He lives in Abingdon with one wife, one daughter and two bonsai trees

Some key points from our interview:

·        How Unbroken to him feels a bit like two songs. The lyrics from Amazing Grace resonated “I once was lost but know I’m found, I once was blind but now I see” and also feels like he spent 20 years in the House of The Rising Sun

·        How he feels he lived with shame, alcohol, junk food and fear for many years 

·        How he realises that he had to question his inner dialogue that constantly spoke to him and encouraged him to drink and eat unhealthily

·        How he was able to stop drinking to be a father stop eating junk to be a better parent 

·        He started to ask himself “How’s that going to help?” every time he wanted a drink or junk food and slowly there was steady improvement

·        How he believes that we can start living when we take away our addictions and have a better more mindful life

·        How he now helps others to have freedom from over indulgence as he believes it can change your life and is passionate about sharing his message

“Inside of you is everything you need”

"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

I recently read Duncan’s book “Get Over Indulgence” and was really looking forward to interviewing him.  His writing is funny, honest and very accessible to everyone and I sat down and read it in one go.

Duncan has done his fair share of overindulgence, strictly speaking he’s drunk more than his fair share of wine and eaten more than his fair share of cake.  

Along the way he found himself in some interesting places like on stage with S-Club, a stint as Mayor of his hometown and Morris dancing in Westminster Abbey. 

After 20 years of over-doing it, he cleaned up his act and trained with the Easyway clinic, the world’s most successful stop smoking service. Now he spends his time helping people push over-indulgence out of their life. 

He lives in Abingdon with one wife, one daughter and two bonsai trees

Some key points from our interview:

·        How Unbroken to him feels a bit like two songs. The lyrics from Amazing Grace resonated “I once was lost but know I’m found, I once was blind but now I see” and also feels like he spent 20 years in the House of The Rising Sun

·        How he feels he lived with shame, alcohol, junk food and fear for many years 

·        How he realises that he had to question his inner dialogue that constantly spoke to him and encouraged him to drink and eat unhealthily

·        How he was able to stop drinking to be a father stop eating junk to be a better parent 

·        He started to ask himself “How’s that going to help?” every time he wanted a drink or junk food and slowly there was steady improvement

·        How he believes that we can start living when we take away our addictions and have a better more mindful life

·        How he now helps others to have freedom from over indulgence as he believes it can change your life and is passionate about sharing his message

“Inside of you is everything you need”

"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

I met Gloria Masters through social media and although our stories are different, there are so many similarities too.  At times when I was interviewing her it felt like my words were coming from her mouth!

 She is an author, advocate and activist for all things child sexual abuse (CSA) She speaks from sixteen years of lived experience and has managed to turn the final corner of healing into giving back

 She does this through highlighting the issue of #csa to help other survivors. She is currently writing her second book, Flightpath to Healing, which is a guide for survivors

 A mother herself, her career includes teaching, therapy and business consulting. She regularly blogs on Gloriamasters.com. and has created the podcast Handing the Shame Back, which is a safe space for other survivors to share their stories

 Her focus is on hope, love and joy and she follows her Angels wherever they lead her

Some key points from our interview:

·        How she feels as if she has become an oak tree with its roots firmly planted in the ground, which may bend but never breaks

·        How she was trained at a very young age in the art of seduction as her father used her as a sex slave and sold her to paedophile rings in New Zealand 

·        How she had no safe adult around her and learnt to go within for her own support

·        How her angels showed up when the abuse started and allowed her to focus on the good and light and have stayed with her

·        How the number 16 (1+6) is a special number for her and finds it everywhere

·        How she recognises that she had to end her relationship with her mother and siblings, because they refused to hear her truth

·        How she is a beacon of hope by showing others that you can come through the worst of times and live a wonderful life full of love

 https://www.gloriamasters.com/#/

 
"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

I met Gloria Masters through social media and although our stories are different, there are so many similarities too.  At times when I was interviewing her it felt like my words were coming from her mouth!

 She is an author, advocate and activist for all things child sexual abuse (CSA) She speaks from sixteen years of lived experience and has managed to turn the final corner of healing into giving back

 She does this through highlighting the issue of #csa to help other survivors. She is currently writing her second book, Flightpath to Healing, which is a guide for survivors

 A mother herself, her career includes teaching, therapy and business consulting. She regularly blogs on Gloriamasters.com. and has created the podcast Handing the Shame Back, which is a safe space for other survivors to share their stories

 Her focus is on hope, love and joy and she follows her Angels wherever they lead her

Some key points from our interview:

·        How she feels as if she has become an oak tree with its roots firmly planted in the ground, which may bend but never breaks

·        How she was trained at a very young age in the art of seduction as her father used her as a sex slave and sold her to paedophile rings in New Zealand 

·        How she had no safe adult around her and learnt to go within for her own support

·        How her angels showed up when the abuse started and allowed her to focus on the good and light and have stayed with her

·        How the number 16 (1+6) is a special number for her and finds it everywhere

·        How she recognises that she had to end her relationship with her mother and siblings, because they refused to hear her truth

·        How she is a beacon of hope by showing others that you can come through the worst of times and live a wonderful life full of love

 https://www.gloriamasters.com/#/

 
"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

I met Amy at my Karate club and have witnessed her personal growth and achievements over the years and always been inspired by her grit and determination.  I think you will be too!

 She earned her first Scottish National Team cap at 14 and has been following her passion with the sport around the world since. She started an online business at 18 to allow her to pursue her passion and build an income alongside travelling and competing as a self-funded Karate athlete. 

 In 2015, she suffered a career threatening injury, with doctors saying she would not be able to compete again. Through two years of rehabilitation and persistence, she returned to competition going on to win British titles and a European medal. She uses this experience to help people going through tough times in their life and find the joy in every day. 

 Most recently, she represented Team GB in contention for the Tokyo Olympics for 2020. Wearing the tracksuit and representing Great Britain, was something she could have only dreamed of as a little girl.

 Some key points from our interview:

·        How she believes that even the negative experiences in her life have been an opportunity for her to learn and grow from

·        How she’s always striving to be a better athlete and person through fitness and personal development

·        How she recognises the importance of surrounding herself with positive people when she was injured and focusing on working on her mindset

·        How she had to allow herself time to be heartbroken when her hopes of competing in the Olympics didn’t happen

·        How the discipline of being an athlete helped her to train both her body and her mind and feels she’s much stronger now than before she was injured

·        How she hopes her story inspires others that despite experiencing hard times, there is a way out

·        How her practice of gratitude and looking for joy every day, helps her to remain positive

"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

I met Amy at my Karate club and have witnessed her personal growth and achievements over the years and always been inspired by her grit and determination.  I think you will be too!

 She earned her first Scottish National Team cap at 14 and has been following her passion with the sport around the world since. She started an online business at 18 to allow her to pursue her passion and build an income alongside travelling and competing as a self-funded Karate athlete. 

 In 2015, she suffered a career threatening injury, with doctors saying she would not be able to compete again. Through two years of rehabilitation and persistence, she returned to competition going on to win British titles and a European medal. She uses this experience to help people going through tough times in their life and find the joy in every day. 

 Most recently, she represented Team GB in contention for the Tokyo Olympics for 2020. Wearing the tracksuit and representing Great Britain, was something she could have only dreamed of as a little girl.

 Some key points from our interview:

·        How she believes that even the negative experiences in her life have been an opportunity for her to learn and grow from

·        How she’s always striving to be a better athlete and person through fitness and personal development

·        How she recognises the importance of surrounding herself with positive people when she was injured and focusing on working on her mindset

·        How she had to allow herself time to be heartbroken when her hopes of competing in the Olympics didn’t happen

·        How the discipline of being an athlete helped her to train both her body and her mind and feels she’s much stronger now than before she was injured

·        How she hopes her story inspires others that despite experiencing hard times, there is a way out

·        How her practice of gratitude and looking for joy every day, helps her to remain positive

"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features  individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Sometimes we meet people in life for the first time that we feel like we’ve known for years.  That was exactly what it felt like when I met my guest, Lou Lebentz, a few years ago through the PSA (Professional Speaking Association)

She is a well-known UK psychotherapist, EMDR specialist, trauma clinician and Founder of “Trauma Thrivers” a hugely popular trauma informed Facebook community for those in recovery from trauma and addiction.  

Previously, Lou worked in rehab at the Priory Hospital Roehampton, and before that, in both the Rag Trade and the Radio Industry.  The change in career choice made possible because of her own struggles with mental health and desperately seeking suitable treatment and wellness

Lou’s current mission now she recognizes trauma sits underneath most mental health conditions is to move beyond individual work so she can educate and trauma-inform groups.  

Lou says, “If I could help enlighten as many people as possible on how to recognise and rectify trauma within themselves and others.  Not only would that help us all do the personal work required but we could also stop repeating the mass re-traumatisation within our society, our species and ultimately our world.

Some key points from our interview:

• How she believes that human beings are unbreakable despite feeling broken at times
• How she recognises she had one trauma after another from a young age, but also feels affected by her mother’s generational trauma 
• How she was abused by a female babysitter at just aged four, but couldn’t speak about it for many years
• How she experienced sexual violence at 19 when she was raped 
• How her avoidance of all the hurt and trauma led her to numbing out by using alcohol and believed that happiness was found in money and material things 
• How she’s grateful that her drink was spiked with LSD as it led her to psychosis, rehabilitation and weeks in a psychiatric hospital, but it was also a turning point for her and woke her up to her trauma
• How she retrained as a trauma therapist to help others trauma survivors to shine again

Websites

https://traumathrivers.com/

Socials 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/traumathrivers/

https://www.instagram.com/traumathrivers_loulebentz/

https://www.facebook.com/loulebentztraumathrivers

https://www.linkedin.com/in/loulebentz/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9oIwwwD_ZDlleY_WOpH9Xw

Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-trauma-thrivers-podcast/id1561794822

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Sometimes we meet people in life for the first time that we feel like we’ve known for years.  That was exactly what it felt like when I met my guest, Lou Lebentz, a few years ago through the PSA (Professional Speaking Association)

She is a well-known UK psychotherapist, EMDR specialist, trauma clinician and Founder of “Trauma Thrivers” a hugely popular trauma informed Facebook community for those in recovery from trauma and addiction.  

Previously, Lou worked in rehab at the Priory Hospital Roehampton, and before that, in both the Rag Trade and the Radio Industry.  The change in career choice made possible because of her own struggles with mental health and desperately seeking suitable treatment and wellness

Lou’s current mission now she recognizes trauma sits underneath most mental health conditions is to move beyond individual work so she can educate and trauma-inform groups.  

Lou says, “If I could help enlighten as many people as possible on how to recognise and rectify trauma within themselves and others.  Not only would that help us all do the personal work required but we could also stop repeating the mass re-traumatisation within our society, our species and ultimately our world.

Some key points from our interview:

• How she believes that human beings are unbreakable despite feeling broken at times
• How she recognises she had one trauma after another from a young age, but also feels affected by her mother’s generational trauma 
• How she was abused by a female babysitter at just aged four, but couldn’t speak about it for many years
• How she experienced sexual violence at 19 when she was raped 
• How her avoidance of all the hurt and trauma led her to numbing out by using alcohol and believed that happiness was found in money and material things 
• How she’s grateful that her drink was spiked with LSD as it led her to psychosis, rehabilitation and weeks in a psychiatric hospital, but it was also a turning point for her and woke her up to her trauma
• How she retrained as a trauma therapist to help others trauma survivors to shine again

Websites

https://traumathrivers.com/

Socials 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/traumathrivers/

https://www.instagram.com/traumathrivers_loulebentz/

https://www.facebook.com/loulebentztraumathrivers

https://www.linkedin.com/in/loulebentz/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9oIwwwD_ZDlleY_WOpH9Xw

Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-trauma-thrivers-podcast/id1561794822

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Anna Dravland reached out to me via social media when she heard about the show as she loved the idea of it and when she shared her story with me, I knew I had to interview her!  

She has been through so much both physically and mentally but what I love about her is her honesty and her refusal to be defined by her experiences.  She has a daily routine of staying grounded, practising gratitude and sharing goodness

She is a disabled stroke survivor, among many challenges she has endured, and Founder of Spread Goodness Day, a non-profit event started in 2017 dedicated to empowering world change through goodness and “making the future so bright, we all need shades!”  The event celebrated its fifth anniversary on March 11th 2022, and has spread hundreds of thousands of acts of goodness throughout the world through her spread goodness challenge

A 2014 graduate of Northern Michigan University, Anna’s commitment to world change was lit during college as she dove into the works of volunteering and non-profits. Those passion-fuelled volunteer activities led to her career in marketing, event promotion and community relations.  She loves the benefits of volunteering and the impact it can have for others

Prior to her injury, she worked for Travel Marquette, enticing visitors to share the beauty of her hometown. Her passion now is inspiring people to survive with goodness, bringing the powerful, healing energy of kindness to their lives.

Some key points from our interview:

• How even though she feels she has broken many times she’s able to piece herself back together and is a more beautiful version of herself 
• How after her rare stroke at just 34 she had to learn to walk and talk again and her life was never the same again
• How she wants to show people that there is life after a stroke
• How during her stroke recovery she had to accept the loss of all the things her stroke took away from her
• How the kindness and love she received by her community and friends helped to heal her and she now wants to use kindness to heal not just herself but the global community too
• How she still gets days when she struggles and is angry but is still about to remain positive and can find the light and goodness all around her and in others too

www.spreadgoodnessday.com

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE

Anna Dravland reached out to me via social media when she heard about the show as she loved the idea of it and when she shared her story with me, I knew I had to interview her!  

She has been through so much both physically and mentally but what I love about her is her honesty and her refusal to be defined by her experiences.  She has a daily routine of staying grounded, practising gratitude and sharing goodness

She is a disabled stroke survivor, among many challenges she has endured, and Founder of Spread Goodness Day, a non-profit event started in 2017 dedicated to empowering world change through goodness and “making the future so bright, we all need shades!”  The event celebrated its fifth anniversary on March 11th 2022, and has spread hundreds of thousands of acts of goodness throughout the world through her spread goodness challenge

A 2014 graduate of Northern Michigan University, Anna’s commitment to world change was lit during college as she dove into the works of volunteering and non-profits. Those passion-fuelled volunteer activities led to her career in marketing, event promotion and community relations.  She loves the benefits of volunteering and the impact it can have for others

Prior to her injury, she worked for Travel Marquette, enticing visitors to share the beauty of her hometown. Her passion now is inspiring people to survive with goodness, bringing the powerful, healing energy of kindness to their lives.

Some key points from our interview:

• How even though she feels she has broken many times she’s able to piece herself back together and is a more beautiful version of herself 
• How after her rare stroke at just 34 she had to learn to walk and talk again and her life was never the same again
• How she wants to show people that there is life after a stroke
• How during her stroke recovery she had to accept the loss of all the things her stroke took away from her
• How the kindness and love she received by her community and friends helped to heal her and she now wants to use kindness to heal not just herself but the global community too
• How she still gets days when she struggles and is angry but is still about to remain positive and can find the light and goodness all around her and in others too

www.spreadgoodnessday.com

Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.

She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.

You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken,  from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/

Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken

Short of time but want to tune in?

Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE