Kintsugi Heroes: Uncovering our Hidden Value

The pavers we lay down Nick grew up with every external advantage, loving parents, good school, material security, but turned parental encouragement into internal pressure and guilt. He struggled with bullying and didn't have space to name his struggle without feeling ungrateful. Years later, reflecting on his own childhood and a chance mentoring moment with a student, he realized what he'd needed...

From the woodshed to the pool ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses abuse & exploitation, grief & loss and trauma & healing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au • 1800RESPECT (family, domestic & sexual violence): 1800 737 732 · 1800respect.org.au • Lifeline...

My mom chased me from hell back to earth ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses abuse & exploitation, grief & loss and trauma & healing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au • 1800RESPECT (family, domestic & sexual violence): 1800 737 732 · 18...

How Queer Looks Ruth and Ash met in Year 7 and found each other through shared online interests during the early years of social media and queer community discovery. Ruth came out as attracted to women in their mid-teens in a supportive family environment; Ash came out as queer at age 9 and later came out as non-binary at 13, becoming their school's first openly non-binary student. When they moved...

The kettlebell in the garage ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses trauma & healing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Matthew grew up in domestic violence, found stability in his stepfather, an...

It doesn't help to have a bad attitude ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses abuse, grief, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Bill Stahl's fracture came gradually, through dozens of injuries sustained across a lifetime of pushing his body in sport. Each setback, torn...

The film over the eyes fell away ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses mental health & wellbeing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au David's career began in journalism at the Bankstown Observer, where he worked alongside young Paul Keating. His ADHD, undiagnosed...

What that little child's brain did to survive ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses trauma & healing and mental health & wellbeing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Ezra grew up in a country to...

What recovery has given me ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses trauma & healing, addiction & recovery and abuse & exploitation, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • SMART Recovery A...

The first man who came and talked ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses grief & loss and mental health & wellbeing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • GriefLine: 1300 845 745 · griefline.org.au Steven's son Rory was born via emergency caesarean with an Apgar of 1,...

I had to love myself ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses grief & loss and mental health & wellbeing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • GriefLine: 1300 845 745 · griefline.org.au Si Moore spent his twenties searching for meaning through self-help and education, b...

What happens after we break ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses mental health & wellbeing and trauma & healing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au Michael grew up in a violent household with an...

Color came into my life ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses mental health & wellbeing, trauma & healing and suicide & self-harm prevention, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au Rich joined the Na...

The question that rewrote my story ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide & self-harm prevention and grief & loss, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • GriefLine: 1300 845 745 · griefline.org.au Kim grew up in a small Northern New South Wales beach town, curio...

The chairs that save lives ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Stuart spent years building a successful life as a publican and father, but a message from his wife in Taiwan triggered sudden suicidal ideation that fundamen...

The peace that passes understanding ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Susan grew up in a close-knit Community of Christ family but spent her twenties in silent internal conflict about her sexuality, unable to name or sh...

The peace he was looking for ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses grief & loss and suicide & self-harm prevention, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • GriefLine: 1300 845 745 · griefline.org.au Mia raised Ollie as a single mother after leaving a coercive relationsh...

Both my sons held me up ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide & self-harm prevention and mental health & wellbeing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Lawrence spent his career climbing the corporate ladder, believing hard work and loyalty would secure his fu...

The choice I never had ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Saina grew up in Iran as a trans woman in a society that offered no space for her identity. At six, she was forced into an all-boys school; for 29 years she hid w...

The angel I wished for Vi Do grew up in extreme poverty in rural Vietnam, watching his father sicken and become unable to work. At 14, he left for Hanoi to survive on the streets as a shoeshine boy, hiding money in his clothes and avoiding gangs. A young Australian teacher named Michael found him, offered him food and English lessons, and for the first time, told him he was smart and good. That mo...

The weight I couldn't carry alone ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses addiction & recovery and grief & loss, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • SMART Recovery Australia (addiction): smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au • ReachOut: au.reachout.com • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • GriefLine: 13...

I knew I was going away ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses addiction & recovery and trauma & healing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • SMART Recovery Australia (addiction): smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au • ReachOut: au.reachout.com • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au • Lifeline...

Coming out cost me a job ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide, abuse, addiction, grief, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au Christine spent her early career hiding her sexuality while building a life as a mental health clinician, nursing in hospitals and comm...

The castle with 1000 rooms Sarah Rowan grew up in South Carolina's Bible Belt in a loving but restrictive Christian environment. She was told she could be anything except gay. For decades, she buried her identity under achievement, perfectionism, and faith, eventually developing debilitating rheumatoid arthritis by age 30 from the inflammation of unprocessed trauma. At 38, she could no longer hide...

The birds are still tweeting ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses addiction & recovery, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone — help is available: • SMART Recovery Australia (addiction): smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au • ReachOut: au.reachout.com Luis grew up as a Jehovah's Witness in a household marked by his mother's severe mental health challe...