Scars to Stars™ Podcast

In this deeply moving episode, Rachel Powell shares her journey through devastating loss after her husband died by suicide, leaving her widowed with four children. Rachel opens up about grief, surviving her own suicide attempts, rebuilding her life through faith, and ultimately creating a powerful community for Christian widows. Her story is one of resilience, redemption, healing, and hope for any...

In this emotional and honest episode, Deana sits down with author coach, entrepreneur, and Scars to Stars™ Volume 5 contributor Christopher di Armani. Christopher shares the deeply personal story behind his chapter... supporting his wife through a life-threatening stage 3C breast cancer diagnosis while struggling to hold himself together emotionally. He opens up about fear, faith, caregiving, emot...

In this deeply moving episode, Laurie Lang from British Columbia shares her journey through childhood bullying, emotional abuse, sexual assault, a controlling marriage, suicidal thoughts, and the loss of her faith — and how she ultimately found healing, freedom, and restoration through her relationship with Jesus Christ. Her story is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, hope and h...

In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Dr. Peggy Christian shares her journey through hidden depression, alcohol addiction, suicidal ideation, and the lifelong struggle of feeling disconnected while appearing successful on the outside. From growing up as an empath in a large family to becoming a dentist, researcher, coach, and women’s empowerment leader, Peggy opens up about how community, so...

In this powerful episode, Deana welcomes Jessica “Jessy” Hollister from Midland, Michigan, a silent counseling practitioner and Scars to Stars™ Volume 5 author. Jessie shares her deeply personal journey from surviving lifelong abuse, trauma, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation to discovering healing through therapy, somatic release, silent counseling, energy work, and self-discovery tools like Hu...

In this heartfelt episode, Katie Miller shares her journey of rebuilding her identity after a 24-year marriage and divorce. She opens up about healing from emotional trauma, rediscovering herself, shifting limiting beliefs, and learning that growth, self-care, and community are essential parts of healing. Katie’s story is a powerful reminder that quiet healing is still healing. #MentalHealthAwaren...

In this heartfelt episode, Deana welcomes Debra D’Ambrosio , a Scars to Stars™ Volume 5 author from Bakersfield, California. Debra shares how the suicide loss of her grandfather deeply impacted her life, how she later faced her own suicidal thoughts, and how her faith, family, grandchildren, prayer, and purpose helped her choose life. She also opens up about her love of boxing and how it became a...

In this powerful episode of Scars to Stars , Deana Brown Mitchell sits down with motivational speaker, advocate, entrepreneur, and author Victoria Burmeister , whose life changed forever after a car accident at age 19 left her paralyzed. Defying medical expectations, Victoria shares how resilience, faith, and mindset transformed what could have been a life-ending tragedy into a life of purpose, im...

In this Scars to Stars episode, Deana sits down with Grace Sophia—speaker, transformational coach, spiritual teacher, and “medicine woman”—to talk about healing, suicide prevention, and reclaiming inner authority. Grace shares her journey from immigrating from Siberia to New York City at age six, to dedicating her early life to helping her family and community through psychology. She studied educa...

In this Scars to Stars episode, Dr. Rachael Degurse opens up about what happens when the career you dreamed of your whole life starts costing you your mental health. Raised in Colorado, Rachael poured everything into becoming a physician—medical school, residency, years of relentless dedication—believing that once she “made it,” life would finally feel steady and fulfilling. But after her physicia...

In this Scars to Stars episode, Leandra shares the real behind-the-scenes journey of becoming who you are —not just what you do. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she followed the “get the degree and the job will come” promise… and instead found burnout, long commutes, imposter syndrome, and the quiet pressure of trying to keep up. From public health and nonprofit work to serving pregnant and postpa...

In this Scars to Stars episode, I sit down with Irina Baker—founder of the Radiant Connections Network—for a powerful conversation about what happens when you “change everything” on the outside… and still feel broken on the inside. Irina shares her journey from the former Soviet Union to America, and the unexpected truth she discovered: location doesn’t heal pain—inner work does. We talk about hop...

This episode of Scars to Stars is one of those conversations that reminds you people can completely rewrite their story. Vishrant shares how he went from an “uncontrollable” kid and gang leader—armored, angry, and disconnected—to a life devoted to healing, purpose, and love. A pivotal encounter cracked his defenses, but it was a near-death experience at sea that opened his heart in a way he couldn...

In this episode of Scars to Stars , I sit down with Bibi, a former nurse who’s passionate about brain health and whole-body wellness. She shares why omega-3 and omega-6 balance matters so much for inflammation, mood, and cognitive function—and what makes her approach unique: at-home dry blood testing that shows your baseline and tracks progress over time. We talk about how most people are unknowin...

In this Scars to Stars™ episode, Rachel shares how she went from a place of unimaginable grief and isolation... losing her husband to suicide, facing spiritual abuse, and becoming suicidal herself, to rebuilding a life rooted in deep healing and bold hope. She speaks honestly about widowhood, trauma, and the dangerous “mental space” where suicide can start to feel like an option, while offering a...

In this Scars to Stars™ episode, John K. Bates opens up about surviving not just one, but multiple life-threatening health crises; first nearly dying from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, and years later enduring a severe post-surgery infection that spiraled into clinical depression, anxiety, and akathisia. He shares candidly what it’s like to lose hope, to quietly consider ending it all, and to feel lik...

Heather was a Registered Nurse that became a caregiver for her dad. After marrying, she was questioning her faith and lived with an eating disorder and suicidal thoughts. Her marriage (after kids) ended in divorce which she attributes to “Narcissistic Religion.” #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge...

What happens when a routine mammogram flips your whole life upside down? In this episode, USA Today bestselling romance author Cara Lockwood shares how an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis collided with raising five kids, money stress, and a daughter battling depression, along with how humor, F-bombs, and radical honesty became her lifelines. We talk early detection, why you must get that mammogr...

Anne and I discuss her daughters suicide attempts along with her experience with domestic violence and divorce. She also shares about how she got through it all through art and painting. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #ki...

Dr. Patricia Timerman Barbosa da Silva shares how immigrating to the U.S. as a teen and “losing her voice” shaped her life’s work in mental health. Drawing on suicide hotline, prevention/intervention, and postvention experience, she explains why isolation fuels despair, how connection and clear communication reduce risk, and offers practical tools—like code words and her Intention-Action-Perceptio...

Chip and I take you through a journey of his RV trips, his time with Vistage, his nonprofit in Tampa, FL and how our country is so divided and what we can do about it all the way to survival of our supply chain, threat of war, and how technology and AI are changing the landscape of the world. Chip Webster is a seasoned leader, entrepreneur, and advocate for civic engagement. As the former presiden...

Dr. Fred Moss is a mental health advocate/psychiatrist serving in many capacities: keynote speaker, psychiatry expert witness, podcaster, mental health coach, and teacher. A desire to help people be real and heard has been the driving force leading him to multiple settings and roles as a psychiatrist over the years and compelling him to continually look for better, more effective ways to provide t...

Speaker * Author * Coach * Executive Director of Hurt to Hope * Minister Steve shares about his struggles as a child with an absent father and how that shaped him as a father, and later a minister. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealth...

Avy shares with us some things she has never talked about publicly… she is vulnerable, intentional and real with her words. She has dealt with eating disorders, ADHD, depression, anxiety and of course feeling ‘not enough’. She has built a business and raised 2 children with the help of her husband and now she helps other business owners organize their lives! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #menta...

Camden shares about how a Rugby injury changed the course of his life. He became a coach because he could no longer play. The irony is that he found his true calling in leadership due to the set back! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhea...