A Contagious Smile Podcast

Send us Fan Mail The weight of trauma is perhaps best explained through a powerful metaphor: imagine holding a paper coffee cup. For a minute, it's nothing—lightweight, manageable. After an hour, it feels heavier. After days without putting it down, your muscles lock in place, exhausted from carrying something that initially seemed insignificant. This is precisely how trauma, fear, and resent...

Send us Fan Mail https://acontagioussmile.mn.co/ Breaking free from the chains of domestic violence takes more than courage—it requires strategy, support, and hope. This raw, powerful episode features survivors sharing the methods they used to escape abusive relationships while living under the constant surveillance of their abusers. From creative financial independence strategies to secret docume...

Send us Fan Mail We're back after a three-week hiatus, and there's a good reason for our absence. Victoria has undergone two additional surgeries, including a spinal implant for her Complex Regional Pain Syndrome that has miraculously reduced her pain by over 80%. As she puts it with characteristic humor, "I really should get free HBO at this point with all these things I have to pl...

Send us Fan Mail The overwhelming response to our podcast has shown us just how many people are silently struggling with the aftermath of narcissistic family dynamics. This episode dives deep into what it truly means to be the "black sheep" in a narcissistic family – not a flaw, but a superpower of truth-seeing that threatens those who rely on facades and manipulation. We share a particu...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the people who should love you most become your greatest source of pain? In this raw and unfiltered Q&A episode, Dana and Victoria tackle the toughest questions about narcissistic family relationships sent in by listeners desperately seeking answers. The conversation dives deep into the psychological warfare experienced within toxic family systems—from feelin...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine a world where every special needs child feels like a superhero rather than someone who's different. That's exactly what we're creating with the Stucco Squad – our passion project unveiled in this heartfelt episode. After celebrating my husband's first colonoscopy (yes, really – and men, this is your sign to schedule yours!), we dive into the exciting de...

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Send us Fan Mail When a narcissist targets you for abuse, they reserve a special kind of cruelty that no one else sees. This powerful episode pulls back the curtain on narcissistic abuse through raw, firsthand accounts that validate what countless survivors experience behind closed doors. Dana and her co-host courageously share their personal journeys through narcissistic relationships, revealing...

Send us Fan Mail The unexpected viral success of our podcast has revealed a disturbing truth: millions of people recognize the nightmare of narcissistic abuse. While gratified to reach so many, we're heartbroken that our stories resonate with such a vast audience. This episode takes a dark turn as we explore the shocking reality of narcissistic retaliation. Dana shares a chilling recent incid...

Send us Fan Mail The unfiltered wisdom of teens takes center stage in this refreshingly honest conversation about youth mental health. When our teenage guests Kinsley and Faith join the podcast, they waste no time delivering hard truths about what young people actually need from the adults in their lives. "Maybe not hound them so much about a couple of things on the floor of their room,"...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to heal after narcissistic abuse? In this raw, unfiltered Q&A episode, Dana and Victoria tackle the questions that keep survivors up at night—from handling others' judgment to finding self-worth when everyone around you has tried to strip it away. "I don't have to prove anything to anybody," Victoria asserts when addressing how to handle o...

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Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Mark Wright's story redefines what's possible after traumatic injury. As the first amputee motorcycle officer in United States history, Mark demonstrates that our physical limitations are often far less restrictive than our mental ones. When Mark crashed his motorcycle after a late-night shift, hitting a disabled vehicle with no lights, his world changed forever. Multipl...

Send us Fan Mail The pollen count is high and so are the emotions in this raw, unfiltered conversation between Victoria and Michael. Between sneezes and watery eyes, they dive into the grueling realities of advocacy work—the sleepless nights, endless paperwork, and emotional toll that comes with fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. Victoria opens up about a new family she's wor...

Send us Fan Mail Take a deep breath with us as we explore the transformation that awaits beyond toxic relationships. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, we step away from the heaviness of narcissistic abuse to focus on something equally important. This beautiful life exists on the other side of healing. One host shares her harrowing health journey, describing how narcissistic abuse physically ma...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered what happens when you throw together a redhead, a redneck, and a family dynamic that thrives on elaborate pranks? This raw, unfiltered episode takes you straight into the chaotic heart of family relationships where shoes get thrown in restaurant parking lots and trucks become canvases for bird droppings and marshmallows. But beneath the laughter lies something deeper...

Send us Fan Mail Taking a deep breath becomes an act of revolution after escaping narcissistic abuse. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Faith and Dana step away from their usual format to share profound insights about life after abuse—and why that journey is worth every difficult step. Faith arrives emotionally drained from six days of intense advocacy work, including a harrowing six-hour stan...

Send us Fan Mail Every survivor deserves a voice—regardless of gender. When Michael witnessed his wife Victoria's domestic violence advocacy work up close for the first time, it sparked a raw, necessary conversation about who abuse affects and how cycles can be broken. Victoria pulls back the curtain on her nearly two decades as an advocate, showing how she bridges the gap between survivors,...

Send us Fan Mail Heartfelt celebrations and serious conversations collide in this candid episode where we start by toasting Michael's first colonoscopy (yes, really!) and the clean bill of health that followed. It's a perfect reminder that sometimes the most uncomfortable moments become our greatest gifts to those we love - as Michael puts it, "I want to live longer for my family.&q...

Send us Fan Mail https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Things-Never-Kunken-Story/dp/1946074411/ref=sr_1_1?crid=I0A7ECUBICVQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vAMrAnYnj9uBVExYnQAqxQ.TbIaGSb-nuHCxGomqQSS7iGt-mmIv_mqDBOLqKob1oM&dib_tag=se&keywords=ken+kunken+story&qid=1742781695&sprefix=ken+ku%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-1 The moment Ken Kunkin made that fateful tackle during a Cornell University football game in...

Send us Fan Mail Financial abuse remains one of the most powerful yet least understood tactics used by abusers to maintain control. In this raw, emotional conversation, two survivors share their hard-earned strategies for financially preparing to escape dangerous relationships. The hosts reveal detailed methods that helped them break free—from getting cash back at checkout and removing that portio...

Send us Fan Mail When Malcolm Goodwin reached out to thank Victoria for saving his friend's life, it reinforced exactly why the Contagious Smile podcast exists. "I'm not looking for praise or notoriety," Victoria shares with raw honesty. "When I went through this and was laying on the floor bleeding, not wanting to get up, I wished someone could say 'I've got you...