Jane Fischer on Suzy’s Journey Beyond “Never” and the Power of Advocacy

Jane Fischer shares the story of her daughter Suzy, born with severe brain abnormalities and rare Joubert syndrome, after doctors predicted she would never walk, talk, live independently, or have meaningful relationships. Jane describes how Suzy “gave her a voice,” reshaping her from a quiet “plain Jane” into a leader in special education, and details the early fight for therapy and services in a pre-Google era, including the importance of early intervention and learning “tough love.”

The conversation covers the strain a medically complex child can place on marriage and family, Jane’s regret about sending anxious older daughter Beth to preschool too early, and the support Beth and son Ben provided Suzy. Jane recounts Suzy’s later end-stage kidney failure, two transplants, thyroid cancer, and Suzy’s survivor’s guilt—especially after receiving a kidney from a 23-year-old donor, Jose, whose birthday they now honor yearly.

Jane discusses pushing others to see Suzy as a person, not a report, including advocating for her acceptance to a special needs sleepaway camp and a life-skills program. Suzy’s strong EQ, kindness, and ability to transform others (“the Suzy Effect”) are emphasized, along with the discovery years later of the recessive genetic cause and screening of Beth and Ben.

Jane explains why she wrote her book, If You Knew Suzy: Pushing Past the Boundaries of Never, to preserve Suzy’s legacy and help others facing challenges. Suzy lives in a supervised program, works as a preschool aide, and speaks at author talks, while Jane focuses on maximizing Suzy’s quality of life amid uncertain prognosis.

00:00 Meet Jane Fischer & Suzy’s ‘Never’ Prognosis (Joubert Syndrome)

01:23 Jane’s Early Life

05:12 The Day Everything Changed

09:09 No Google, Just Grit

13:02 Where the Strength Comes From

16:01 Marriage Under Pressure

21:14 A Mother’s Regret

25:26 Caregiver Burnout

30:10 Transplant Truths

39:34 Seen as a Person, Not a Report

45:10 Letting Go (A Little)

46:41 Leaving Suzy at the program

48:29 Suzy thrives on her own

53:54 Siblings Ben & Beth

01:01:51 What Suzy teaches

01:05:33 Rare genetic diagnosis

01:08:41 Writing the book

01:16:05 Advice to parents

01:21:27 Suzy’s reaction to the book + looking ahead with hope

01:27:18 Closing reflections

https://www.janemfischer.com/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/If-You-Knew-Suzy-Boundaries/dp/1722507101

Dr. Debra Kissen on Teen Anxiety, Technology, and Letting Go of Control

Clinical psychologist Dr. Debra Kissen, CEO and founder of Light on Anxiety, discusses her background and how a panic attack in college helped shape her focus on evidence-based treatment for anxiety, panic, OCD, and intrusive thoughts. She describes her earlier perfectionism and people-pleasing, her preference for practical approaches over open-ended psychodynamic therapy, and how working closely with anxious clients has left her inspired by human resilience and transformation. The conversation explores how smartphones, social media, and constant stimulation wire teen brains toward immediacy and reduce tolerance for uncertainty.

Dr. Kissen explains how CBT—especially exposure-based therapy—targets core fears and reduces compulsions and safety behaviors (e.g., repeated checking, monitoring children’s locations), including the use of imaginal exposures to help people drop the “illusion of control.” They also discuss teens’ exposure to pornography, the normalization of extreme content, dopamine-seeking tendencies, and the reality of behavioral addictions.

For parents, Dr. Kissen emphasizes assessing observable functioning (school, relationships, health, substance use) rather than reacting to feelings, notes the importance of teen intrinsic motivation, and highlights the modern challenges and power struggles around screen time, including parent coaching and reducing accommodation. The episode touches on concerns about mistakes becoming permanently visible online, the mixed promise and risks of AI as a “pseudo therapist” that tends to please users, and the broader loneliness epidemic despite constant connectivity.

Dr. Kissen suggests deliberately practicing real-world connection through small interactions and shared experiences. She closes by saying she focuses on continuing with “the next right thing” aligned with her values.

00:00 Meet Dr. Deborah Kisen: Anxiety Expert & CBT Founder

00:29 Parenting Teens + College Transition: Setting the Stage

01:01 Formative Years: Perfectionism, People-Pleasing & Early Anxiety Clues

03:08 A Panic Attack That Changed Everything (and Why CBT Felt Different)

05:12 What Anxiety Work Teaches About Being Human: Resilience & Transformation

07:11 Teens, Tech & the Always-On Brain: How Phones Rewire Expectations

11:38 Immediacy, Uncertainty & the Hamster Wheel of Reassurance

13:39 How CBT Helps You Let Go: Core Fears, Safety Behaviors & Exposure Therapy

18:12 Catastrophizing in Real Time: The Brain’s Ancient Alarm System

21:52 Teens, Porn & Shame-Free Education: Dopamine, Addiction & Healthy Intimacy

27:43 When Parents Should Worry: Normal Teen Moodiness vs Red Flags

28:20 Is It Just Teen Behavior? A Practical Checklist for Parents

30:03 When Teens Won’t Engage: Intrinsic Motivation & Getting Help Early

31:13 Letting Parents Off the Hook: Genetics, Guilt, and the ‘Teenager’ Diagnosis

32:52 Parent Coaching in the Phone Era: Screen-Time Battles & ‘Dropping the Rope’

35:21 The Illusion of Control: Tracking Kids, Allowing Mistakes, Building Resilience

39:48 Modern Risks: Social Media Makes Every Mistake Public

41:45 AI and Mental Health: Productivity Promises vs. ‘Always Pleasing’ Pseudo-Therapy

44:43 The Loneliness Epidemic: Relearning Real-World Connection in Small Moments

48:00 Closing Reflections: Doing the Next Right Thing

https://lightonanxiety.com/staff/dr-debra-kissen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-kissen-phd-mhsa-8787066a/

Misty Nesbitt on Surviving Abuse, Child Marriage at 14, and Breaking the Silence in The Girl Who Kept Breathing

This episode features author Misty Nesbitt discussing her memoir, The Girl Who Kept Breathing, and her life story of surviving severe childhood abuse, being married off at age 14, and learning to live with ongoing trauma.

Misty describes growing up in Texas with an abusive, alcoholic and drug-addicted stepfather and a mother she believes was narcissistic, including physical, mental, and sexual abuse, cruel punishments, and being taught to lie about bruises. She explains that from ages 10 to 14 she lived in a state home that was safer than her home life, then was brought back and quickly married in a “sham” wedding arranged by her mother.

Misty recounts abuse and control in her first marriage, losing access to her daughter for over 10 years, repeated jail stays while fighting for custody, and later being supported by her current husband of 17 years while she worked through insecurity and trauma.

She explains writing began as a way to “fix what’s broken,” became a reframing of survival rather than guilt, and describes healing as a daily choice, including anxiety and nervous system effects. She contrasts “victim” versus “survivor,” details her career success as a business owner and real estate investor, and discusses her lack of spirituality due to religious abuse and exorcisms in childhood.

The conversation also addresses child marriage laws in the U.S., noting it remains legal in many places and can be used as a trafficking loophole, and Misty’s goal to build a platform to advocate for legal change. She outlines plans to finish a second book by the end of summer covering later years, and closes with the book’s message: as long as you keep breathing, there is still hope and “our path is not our destination.”

00:00 Meet Misty Nesbitt & the Memoir That Breaks the Silence

01:08 Childhood in Chaos: Abuse, Addiction, and a Mother Who Looked Away

02:01 A State Home Felt Safer Than Home

02:44 Married Off at 14: A “Sham” Wedding in Three Weeks

03:10 What Happened to Her Sister: Survival, Racism, and Cruel Punishments

05:09 Manipulation & Shame: Being Pitted Against Siblings and Blamed for Her Looks

06:22 Betrayed by Her Biological Father: Traded for Drugs at 17

07:35 Writing to Heal: Turning Secrets Into a Story

09:57 The First Marriage: Abuse, Custody Battles, and Losing Her Daughter

11:49 Is Healing Real? Living With Trauma as a Daily Choice

13:54 Breaking the Cycle: Parenting After Abuse and the Need for Control

15:03 No Justice, But More Stories: Publishing, Backlash, and Her Sister’s Healing

19:19 Why Didn’t Anyone Intervene? Learning to Lie and Only Showing Anger

21:08 Learning Love Again: Trust, Self-Worth, and a Healthy Relationship

23:19 Survivor vs. Victim: Turning Pain Into Purpose and Success

24:52 Religion as a Weapon: Growing Up Told You’re ‘Possessed’

25:55 Faith Today & Protecting Her Kids From Religious Trauma

26:42 Writing the Book: What Her Children and Community Think

28:58 The Child Marriage Loophole in America (and Why It’s Trafficking)

32:08 Why It Stays Quiet: Religion, Politics, and Public Blind Spots

36:57 The Next Book: Guilt, ‘Choices,’ and the Aftermath of Survival

40:13 Writing as Catharsis: The Ocean, Memory Gaps, and Getting ‘Unstuck’

42:36 State Home Years: The First Time She Felt Love and Stability

45:26 Healing Now: Telling the Story, Self-Worth, and ‘Keep Breathing’ (Conclusion)

https://www.authormistynesbitt.com/