Strong Enough

What does the badge really cost? Police officers train for danger. They expect difficult calls. But nothing truly prepares them for the emotional weight of losing a fellow officer, witnessing unimaginable tragedy, or carrying years of cumulative trauma. In this episode of Strong Enough , host Claudia King, a former police officer, certified domestic violence expert, and legal analyst, is joined by...

When unimaginable tragedy strikes, some people choose to turn their pain into purpose. In this powerful episode of Strong Enough: Survivor Stories , host Claudia King sits down with Kristi Gonçalves, mother of murdered University of Idaho student Kaylee Gonçalves, and Tracie Brocco, Executive Director of the Kaylee Gonçalves Foundation dba Murder Has a Name. Kristi and Steve Gonçalves, alongside T...

What happens when leaving an abusive marriage means risking the loss of your family, your faith community, and the people you thought would stand by you? In this powerful episode of Strong Enough: Survivor Stories , I sit down with private investigator and domestic violence survivor Loren Vellucci to discuss her journey through an abusive marriage, the challenges of navigating deeply held religiou...

Nicole Arbour joins Strong Enough: Survivor Stories for a powerful and unfiltered conversation about the trauma and abuse she endured at the hands of other celebrities that she barely even knew. From public lies and a relentless smear campaign designed to silence and destroy her reputation, to the hush money deal sent to her after years of pressure, Nicole shares how she refused to stay quiet and...

When is your relationship truly a problem, and what can you do to fix it or realize it's time to walk away? In this episode of Strong Enough, author and licensed professional therapist Kate King discusses all things toxic relationship: from when to know if your relationship really is toxic, or if you're simply using yet another "buzz word" to describe something that has room to heal. Kate and I al...

When it comes to intimacy, have you ever felt like you aren't normal? Maybe you've experienced trauma, and that's left you with shame, embarrassment, and fear. Now, it feels easier to just go through the motions, forgetting about any enjoyment for yourself, because you don't think you're worth it, or you're too embarrassed to discuss the topic with your partner. Leah Carey is a Relationship and In...

Have you ever had what you thought was a fantastic idea, but you let fear and insecurity convince you it wasn't so fantastic? One day, Christina Collura decided to create what she thought was a simple educational toy for her autistic son. It was a huge hit, and she thought maybe she should let others have access to her new creation. But then, fear crept in and convinced her that no one else would...

Have you ever felt like life has thrown so many curve balls your way, you just don't want to keep dodging them? Amy Thurman felt that way. She dealt with a broken neck, sheared brainstem and TBI for over ten years (that went undetected for over six months!). Amy was bedridden, a shell of her former self. It would have been so easy for Amy to give up; Instead she decided to turn her pain into purpo...

Have you ever felt stuck in your job or career and weren't happy, but you felt like it was too late to change? Dr. Theresa Skaar is here to talk about how, at the age of 41, she decided to take a chance on pursuing the career about which she was truly passionate. She and her family moved to a new state so she could go back to school, and now, Theresa is in her mid-50's, and her work makes her happ...

If you're a devoted true crime fan, then you've heard about the Delphi case involving Abigail Williams and Liberty German. The case went unsolved for several years, and in 2024, Richard Allen was convicted of their brutal murders. While many journalists and podcasters covered the crime and the trial, no two individuals were more dedicated than Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee of The Murder Sheet podca...

Shame...hopelessness...guilt...helplessness...when we experience these, it can turn our worlds upside down. We feel alone, sometimes afraid to ask for help or seek community. We isolate ourselves and fall deeper and deeper into a place that consumes us. Can you ever escape? Or will you become a statistic? Dr. Carter Check believes that moral injury is a wound that we can't see, and it's one that c...

Do you ever feel like your life has no purpose? Have you ever been in such a deep, dark despair that made you feel like if you just disappeared, no one would even notice? Today's guest, Angie Hawkins, felt exactly this. She felt so disconnected from everyone and everything that she did the unthinkable. And then she realized, she had so much more to do in this world, and her purpose became crystal...

Have you ever wondered why it feels like therapy isn't working for you? Do you fear that you just can't be fixed? Today's guest, Joan Peters, felt exactly the same way. Instead of giving up, she decided to dig even deeper, and she tried something unconventional: psychoanalysis. The results she experienced were so impactful that Joan decided to write a book: Untangling: A Memoir of Psychoanalysis....

Dr. Natalie (Nat) Green is a trauma therapist, coach, podcast host, and author. She is known for her expertise in trauma healing and her personally-created and innovative Accelerated Breakthrough Strategies (ABS) Method® . Dr. Nat has authored books including " Key to Freedom: The 7-Step Model to Triumph Over Trauma " and " Break Your Trauma Cycle: The 7 Archetypes of Transformation ". She is also...

Bronwyn Schweigerdt knows a thing or two about shame. She is a licensed psychotherapist and anger expert, and she helps her clients and podcast listeners come back to life by integrating with their inner child, dislodging shame, and healing their relationship with anger. She has found that when people allow shame and anger to run their lives, they experience both emotional and physical setbacks th...

Cheryl Salto is an award-winning chocolatier and counselor who believes that traumatic times require relying on her faith. As life has taken her through challenges, she looks towards her faith to find solutions. She believes so strongly in this that she started counseling other women who have been through trauma.  Working through trauma also helped her find her own creative passions, and she now f...

Following a life-altering diagnosis, Risa made it her mission to draw attention to rare Pituitary diseases by sharing her own personal journey. Little did she know, this diagnosis would teach her to live. Along with her mission, she continues to explore ways of experiencing life more fully by challenging her limiting beliefs and refocusing her perspective. This has further led her to guide others...

Danyelly Mendez is a bright and beautiful woman with a successful career. In a time when people often say we can't talk about politics and religion, Dany courageously and unapologetically shares that she is a child of God meant for great things. On this Strong Enough, Dany shares her story of growing from a wild child to a believer, and she lets us in on a little secret: Believing in God doesn't m...

Welcome to another powerful episode of Strong Enough ! 🌟 Join us as we dive deep into a topic that's often shrouded in silence: sexual intimacy . With over 40 years of experience, Ingrid Harm-Ernandes is a leading expert in women’s health and pelvic therapy. Having transformed countless lives at Duke University Health System, she understands the crucial link between our bodies and our intimate ex...

Join us as we dive into an inspiring journey of resilience and healing with Michelle. Growing up in a family grappling with mental health issues, violence, and substance abuse, Michelle always dreamed of finding true happiness. Despite achieving career success, financial stability, and a loving support system, she found herself overwhelmed and stressed, struggling to keep up with the life she buil...

Legally blind from a young age, David is a passionate leader and advocate for people with disabilities and underserved populations. In a world where it would be easy to be a victim, David has lived life with a positive attitude and a keen ability to keep smiling. In this Strong Enough, David shares how he's able to stay positive and why it never suited him to play the victim card. He also discusse...

Sean Bridges is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl award-winning screenwriter and author. He’s a Stephen King Dollar Baby with his festival winning audio production of One for the Road. His new novel Gunbarrel Highway is now available as a paperback, e-book and audio book. In this Strong Enough episode, Sean is going to open up about more than just his writing. For the first ti...

Brittni Cosgrove has a story that sounds like a lot of us: Her whole life, she had been told how much potential she had, how ambitious she was, how she was going to do great things... and yet she found herself learning the brutal lesson of what happens with all that powerful energy when it doesn't know where to go. From the age of five, Brittni felt like she was wearing a mask in front of the worl...

Jenn Rishel is making her first appearance on Strong Enough as a newlywed! You know her as Jenn DeBeers, the hard-working, sassy survivor who lives with Crohn's. Today, Jenn and I are diving into narcissism, particularly in the workplace. We're going to explain what narcissism is, define gaslighting, and give you some examples of what might be narcissism and what might just be a not-so-great perso...

Christina Flach is a world-renowned celebrity hair and makeup artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. After starting her career in 1995, she founded her own makeup line, Pretty Girl Makeup, and has acquired many notable clientele. In this episode, Christina opens up about some of the life experiences that made her realize how important it is to give back to others.  In addition to the importan...