Discovering Our Scars

Steph and Beth bring their five-year podcast journey to an end. They’ve shared a lot of honest conversations over the years and invited you to bring that conversation into your own life. This episode is no exception. Steph and Beth have shared the stories of their scars, but what stories do your scars tell? Questions for Reflection What is the last chapter of your life you turned the page on? Was...

Scars can be beautiful. The injuries that cause them might be terrible, but a scar is beautiful because it is proof of healing and growth. In this episode, Steph and Beth listen to and discuss chapter 15 of Steph’s memoir. The chapter is titled, “Beautiful Scars.” Steph’s journey has not been easy and writing and sharing her story brought its own challenges. In the end, the effort was worth it bec...

They say “love makes the world go ‘round,” but what is love? What does it mean to love someone? Steph and Beth reflect on their experiences and delve into why love is more than something we feel—it’s something we do. Show Notes Steph's day with her foster greyhound video Questions for Reflection Who do you feel love for in your life?  How do you show love for those people? Can  you show love...

More than ten years ago, Steph and her mom were painting a room in Steph’s house when a thought passed through Steph’s mind, “How cool would it be if Home Depot paid us to paint my house?” A few years later, that fleeting thought became a reality. Steph’s DIY hobby converged with her love and talent for video production to become her full-time job. From a college student dealing with life by using...

In this episode, special guest Tracy shares her experience as a Christian who happens to be gay. When Tracy  “came out,” she struggled to reconcile her sexuality with her belief in Christ. Like many, she was raised to believe that homosexuality and Christianity were incompatible and yet, both existed in her very person. Tracy dove into Bible study and she found that when she was honest about who s...

Steph and Beth originally met at work where they did a step study, working through all 12 steps together. In this episode they listen to and discuss chapter 13 of Steph’s memoir, Discovering My Scars, where Steph talks about the revelations of abuse that came from working the fourth step, making a searching and fearless moral inventory.  Use these Questions for Reflection to apply this episode in...

Although we sometimes say that people can’t or don’t change, the truth is, life is all about change. Hopefully, we are always growing and learning so that we can become a better version of ourselves. Beth was recently going through a box of memories and found a bumper sticker declaring her to be a proud member of an organization she would never support in any form these days! She and Steph reflect...

Chances are good that you’ve heard of “The Twelve Steps.” These are often discussed in the context of addiction recovery, but Steph and Beth both learned a lot by walking the steps as part of a step study. Each step helps you address those hurts, habits, and hangups that get in your way. It was a helpful process for them in that season of life. In this episode, Steph and Beth listen to and discuss...

At age 36, Steph discovered something important about herself--she is a lesbian. Steph and Beth have an honest conversation about how heteronormativity, especially in the church, delayed Steph’s full awareness of who she is created to be.  Questions for Reflection: (1) Do you think people are born queer?  (2) How have church and society influenced your understanding of who you are?  (3) Would the...

Steph and Beth continue to listen to the audiobook version of Steph’s memoir, Discovering My Scars , and discuss what is revealed in chapter 11. At the end of the episode, Steph and Beth offer you these Questions for Reflection: (1) Have you had the experience of knowing only the next right step? What was that like? (2) Reflect on the transitions in your life. What is it like when a transition isn...

Steph and Beth continue to listen to the audiobook version of Steph’s memoir, Discovering My Scars , and discuss what is revealed in chapter 10. In this chapter, God reveals to Steph that she was sexually abused  when she was a young child. Steph shares that truth with people she trusts and she finds both common ground and grief. At the end of the episode, Steph and Beth offer you these Questions...

Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads, the kind where you wave off a piece of your life and step into the unknown? That's the heart of our latest episode, where Beth and Steph peel back the layers of emotion that accompany the goodbyes we face throughout life. From the annual farewells to years and birthdays, to those deeply personal ones like leaving a job, or even more profound, copi...

In this episode of the Discovering Our Scars Podcast, hosts Beth Demme and Stephanie Kostopoulos discuss chapter 9 of Steph's memoir, "Discovering My Scars." We unveil the profound power of vulnerability as we navigate the choppy waters of past traumas, workplace mental health, and PTSD. Full transcript and show notes here: https://bit.ly/dospod148 Buy Discovering My Scars Audiobook...

Join us, Steph and Beth, as we embark on a festive journey to explore the emotional roller coaster that is the holiday season. Ever wondered why holidays stir up such complex emotions? We'll be examining the joy, frustration, comfort, and nostalgia that come with holiday traditions and how our past memories and family dynamics shape our perspectives. Full transcript and show notes here: https...

In this episode of the Discovering Our Scars Podcast, hosts Beth Demme and Stephanie Kostopoulos discuss chapter 8 of Steph's memoir, "Discovering My Scars." They discuss Steph's experience working at Apple and her passion for the company. They also delve into her experience of being sexually harassed in the workplace and the lack of appropriate response from HR. The episode en...

In this episode of the Discovering Our Scars podcast, hosts Beth Demme and Stephanie Kostopoulos have an honest conversation with Kristin Barnett about refugees in their community. Kristin, who works with the nonprofit organization Neighborly, shares her experiences working with refugees and the challenges they face in resettlement. At the end of the episode, you’re invited to consider your own ex...

We continue our journey with Steph through her memoir, Discovering My Scars. Steph and Beth listen to Chapter 7 of the audiobook and discuss it. In this chapter, Steph is released from the mental hospital, but then made to jump through hoops to help other people feel secure or reassured. She tries to go one with life like nothing happened, but a sorority initiation makes it all too real. Full tran...

September is Suicide Awareness Month. Veterinary professionals are significantly more likely to die by suicide than people working in other professions. Our special guest, Stephanie B., has been a vet professional for many years. She shares her insights about why individuals in this industry are susceptible to this tragic ending. Show Notes - Not One More Vet: https://www.nomv.org/ - FOGO: Fear of...

We continue our journey with Steph through her memoir, Discovering My Scars. Steph and Beth listen to Chapter 6 of the audiobook and discuss it. In this chapter, Steph remains in the mental hospital, more prisoner than patient. She’s told, again, to play the game and do things that will “add positively” to her case. But she experiences moments of awareness and humanity, too. She begins to wonder w...

We’ve all had someone try to guilt trip us. It’s the one trip no one wants to take! In spite of that, there are times we pick up the bags packed for that trip. The thing is, a guilt trip usually isn’t about you at all; it’s about the person trying to manipulate you. Once you know it’s not about you, you realize those aren’t your bags to carry. Don’t we all have enough emotional baggage already? Fu...

We continue our journey with Steph through her memoir, Discovering My Scars. Steph and Beth listen to Chapter 5 of the audiobook and discuss it. Steph’s coping mechanism, Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI), is misunderstood by a series of professionals and she is transferred to an intensive treatment psychiatric center. Things go from bad to worse. Full transcript and show notes here: https://bit.ly/...

From the beginning, Steph and Beth planned to be intentional about inviting LGBTQ voices into the conversation. Turns out, that was there all along! This is an honest conversation about a personal realization that PRIDE really is personal. Full transcript and show notes here: https://bit.ly/dospod139 Voicemail & text: (850) 270-3308 Stephanie Kostopoulos : https://www.stephaniekostopoulos.com/...

Loss is part of life, but restarting after a major loss can be especially challenging. In this episode, Steph and Beth reflect on recent and long ago losses and how they interrupted life. Whether it’s the loss of a parent, sibling, friend, pet, or job, life invites us to go on. This is an honest conversation about how hard it can be to hear and accept that invitation. Full transcript and show note...

We make plans—the BEST plans—and then life does what it does and our plans are for nothing. Steph and Beth planned to have a great start to 2023, but then Steph’s roof started leaking, Beth got COVID, and Steph had to say goodbye to her dog Mac. This is an honest conversation about grief, intentions, catastrophizing, and why the first month of 2023 might have already ruined the year, or not. Full...

Daniel is the first guest to three-peat on the podcast! This time he’s here to fill Steph and Beth in on how men think. Are men as superficial as we think? Are they simple or complicated? Daniel addresses this and more in this honest conversation. Full transcript and show notes here: https://bit.ly/dospod136 Voicemail & text: (850) 270-3308 Stephanie Kostopoulos : https://www.stephaniekostopou...