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  • S2E20 "I Wanted to Help Him...Jump Out The Window" A Therapist Meets Her Shadow with Carol Smaldino

    S2E20 "I Wanted to Help Him...Jump Out The Window" A Therapist Meets Her Shadow with Carol Smaldino
    Jan 23 2026
    Ever met the part of yourself you swore didn't exist? Carol Smaldino—78-year-old therapist and shadow work veteran—tells the story of the moment she realized she had rage she didn't know existed. A scary kid. A fourth-floor window. And the thought: "I could help him jump."

    That's where the real work began. This is shadow work—Carl Jung's concept of owning the parts of yourself you're terrified to acknowledge. The anger. The cruelty. The selfishness. The darkness you shove down because "good people" don't feel that way. Except they do.

    And when you ignore your shadow? It doesn't disappear. It organizes. Carol's been doing this work for decades as a therapist, a recovering "nice girl," and the creator of Dr. Ethel—her irreverent, orange-clad alter ego. She's worked with abused kids, multi-problem families, and her own psyche. And she's learned that vulnerability without protection is just exposure. That humor can be holy. And that sometimes the most radical thing you can do is admit: "You're better at being mean than me."

    💥IN THIS EPISODE:
    • The scary kid who pushed Carol to her breaking point
    • Why "understanding" trauma isn't enough
    • How people-pleasing abandons the self
    • The birth of Dr. Ethel (English accent, zero filter)
    • Vulnerability as courage vs. performance
    • Why kids should be in charge
    TIMESTAMPS:
    0:00 – Intro: The Nice Girl & The Shadow
    1:30 – Carol's Story: Playing Psychologist at 11
    8:45 – The Scary Kid Who Changed Everything
    15:20 – "You're Better at This Than Me": The Breakthrough
    22:10 – What Shadow Work Actually Means
    30:15 – Dr. Ethel is Born (Orange Coat & All)
    38:40 – Vulnerability Needs Protection
    45:30 – Why Kids Should Run the World
    52:15 – Carol's Books & Where to Find Her
    55:00 – Closing Thoughts: The Shadow Doesn't Disappear

    ℹ️ABOUT CAROL: Carol is a licensed clinical social worker, author of "The Human Climate: Facing the Divisions Inside Us and Between Us" and "Vulnerability Protected: Visions of a Dancing Mind"

    Find her at www.thehumanclimate.com and follow Dr. Ethel on Instagram.

    📚GET CAROL'S BOOKS: Available on Amazon


    This is Passion From Pain—where we mine the mess.

    If this stirred something, good. That's the shadow knocking.

    💥Get You FREE Guide:

    👉"FROM CONFUSION TO CLARITY: 10 Signs of a Manipulative & Menatlly Abusive Relationship"
    https://get.passionfrompain.com/from-confusion-to-clarity

    Get your free roadmap to rebuilding after abuse: www.passionfrompain.com

    CONNECT:
    Subscribe, comment, like, download!
    IG: @amy.pease.rox
    TikTok: @og.passionfrompain

    Copyright 2026. All Rights Reserved

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/passion-from-pain--6594412/support.
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    58 Min.
  • S2E19 Empathy without Boundaries: Healing the Healers with Dr. Carmy Aristor

    S2E19 Empathy without Boundaries: Healing the Healers with Dr. Carmy Aristor
    Jan 14 2026
    Therapist burnout. Compassion fatigue. Emotional exhaustion. These aren't buzzwords—they're the reality for mental health professionals, coaches, and helpers drowning quietly while everyone assumes they're fine.

    Dr. Carmy Aristor, PhD, LCPC, LMHC, LPC—licensed psychotherapist, trauma-informed clinician, founder of Destined Horizons multi-state group practice, and creator of Helping the Healers—is here to tell the truth most helping professionals never say out loud: You can save lives, hold space, show up for everyone else, and still collapse under the weight of your own trauma.

    Dr. Carmy learned this as a single mom running ten sessions a day, building her practice from scratch with no networks. Burnout became her "best friend." She crashed after every workday while two young kids needed her. She rebuilt everything and now leads Destined Horizons serving clients across Georgia, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. She supervises clinical teams, trains future clinicians, and teaches the Helping Healers Burnout Recovery Framework.

    In this conversation:
    ✅ Why empathy without boundaries is self-destruction
    ✅ The burnout crisis grad school doesn't teach
    ✅ How unresolved trauma shows up in sessions
    ✅ The 4 A's: Awareness, Acknowledgement, Alignment, Action
    ✅ Energy audits: What drains vs. sustains you
    ✅ Creating a wellness plan you'll follow
    ✅ Why being "the strong one" is a trauma response

    This is for therapists, counselors, coaches, social workers, caregivers—anyone who's been the emotional first responder and forgot their own oxygen mask.

    RESOURCES:
    - Helping the Healers online course - practical tools for recognizing emotional fatigue, establishing boundaries, restoring balance
    - Healing the Healer ebook - guidance for helpers reconnecting with themselves while caring for others

    CONNECT:
    Website: https://www.drcarmy.com
    Destined Horizons: https://www.destined-horizons.com
    Email: info@drcarmy.com
    Instagram: @carmyaristor
    TikTok: @drcarmy
    LinkedIn: carmyaristor

    SUBSCRIBE to Passion From Pain for raw conversations about trauma, recovery, and rebuilding.

    Get Your FREE Guide from Passion From Pain:

    “From Confusion to Clarity: 10 SIgns of a Manipulative & Mentally Abusive Relationship”:
    https://get.passionfrompain.com/from-confusion-to-clarity

    Get Crystal Clear Answers to the Questions Circling In Your Head About Your Situation or Relationship!

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/passion-from-pain--6594412/support.
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    58 Min.
  • S2E18 Controlling Your Anger: How to Harness Rage and Turn It Into Power with Amy Pease

    S2E18 Controlling Your Anger: How to Harness Rage and Turn It Into Power with Amy Pease
    Jan 13 2026
    CONTROLLING YOUR ANGER: How to Harness Rage and Turn It Into Power

    You feel that flash of rage—the clenched jaw, the balled fists, the overwhelming urge to unleash. But you can't. Not without consequences. So you swallow it, shove it down, and smile through gritted teeth. But that anger doesn't disappear. It sits in your chest like a grenade with the pin half-pulled, waiting for the next trigger. What if your anger isn't the enemy? What if the problem isn't that you feel rage—it's that nobody ever taught you how to control it in the moment and weaponize it later? In this episode, I'm breaking down the neuroscience of rage, ancient warrior wisdom, and a practical framework for turning your anger from a liability into unstoppable power.

    Because anger controlled is fuel. Anger uncontrolled burns everything to the ground—including you.

    WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
    • Why you explode (and why it costs you everything)
    • The neuroscience of the amygdala hijack—what's actually happening in your brain when you're enraged
    • Ancient warrior strategies & Carl Jung's shadow work on integrating rage
    • The Framework: Control in the moment, channel it later
    • 4 practical tools to survive the first 20 minutes without destroying relationships
    • How to turn rage into boundaries, creativity, and power
    • My personal tool: Heavy metal as anger alchemy
    THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF:

    ✓ You've been called "too emotional" or "too angry" by toxic people
    ✓ You explode and regret it later—or you implode and destroy yourself from the inside
    ✓ You're tired of giving manipulators ammunition by losing control
    ✓ You want to stop swallowing your rage and start using it strategically
    ✓ You're ready to turn your anger into fuel for transformation


    FOLLOW PASSION FROM PAIN:
    Website: www.passionfrompain.com
    Instagram: @amy.pease.rox
    TikTok: @og.passionfrompain
    Email: amy@passionfrompain.com

    ABOUT THE HOST:
    Amy Pease is a 15-year survivor of manipulation and mental abuse who walked away from her toxic adopted family at 24 as a single mother. After nearly two decades researching dark psychology, ancient warfare strategies, neuroscience, and human behavior, she now helps survivors reclaim their power and transform pain into purpose. No fluff. No toxic positivity. Just raw truth and real strategies. PASSION FROM PAIN is for rebels ready to break free from toxic cycles, rebuild confidence, and own their power. If you're done with the BS and ready to do the work, this is your podcast.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/passion-from-pain--6594412/support.
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    45 Min.
  • S2E17 Evolution is a Lifelong Sport: Octogenarian's Perspective on Reinvention, Staying Curious & Refusing to Sleep Walk w/ Calvin Schwartz

    S2E17 Evolution is a Lifelong Sport: Octogenarian's Perspective on Reinvention, Staying Curious & Refusing to Sleep Walk w/ Calvin Schwartz
    Jan 9 2026
    Evolution is a lifelong sport—and at 82, Calvin Schwartz is proof. In this raw conversation, we dive into longevity hacks, spiritual protection, curiosity as survival, and refusing to age traditionally. Calvin is a journalist, novelist, broadcaster, and host of Conversations with Calvin and We the Species.

    He's practiced longevity techniques since 1969, survived what should have killed him multiple times, and has zero arterial plaque at 82. This isn't "aging gracefully" content—this is about staying awake, asking hard questions, and making your own rules. If you're questioning what comes next, been told you're "too old" to reinvent, or want real talk about transformation—this episode is for you. Calvin proves growth doesn't stop at 40, 60, or 80. Your story isn't done.

    IN THIS EPISODE:
    ✅ 60 supplements daily for 55 years
    ✅ Flexitarian since 1975 (zero arterial plaque at 82)
    ✅ Fell 11 steps at 78, walked away untouched
    ✅ Near-death experiences & spiritual protection
    ✅ Curiosity as medicine
    ✅ Writing novels at 80+
    ✅ Evolution as a lifelong sport

    CALVIN'S BOOKS:
    📖 There's a Tortoise in My Hair - https://amzn.to/46CveE9
    📖 10 Things I Learned from the Billionaire - https://amzn.to/3JUzCrf

    FIND CALVIN:
    🌐 calvinschwartz.com
    📧 calvinbarryschwartz@gmail.com
    💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvin-schwartz-866a805/
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cal.schwartz.5/

    ABOUT PASSION FROM PAIN: No fluff. No toxic positivity. Just raw truth and actionable strategies for survivors rebuilding their lives.

    👉 Subscribe for bold conversations that honor messy, brutal, necessary healing.
    🌐 www.passionfrompain.com

    📖“From Confusion to Clarity: 10 SIgns of a Manipulative & Mentally Abusive Relationship”:https://get.passionfrompain.com/from-confusion-to-clarity



    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/passion-from-pain--6594412/support.
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    1 Std. und 1 Min.
  • S2E16 Why Are You Manifesting Chaos Instead of Success? A CEO Reveals the Trauma You're Ignoring with Stanley Doucette

    S2E16 Why Are You Manifesting Chaos Instead of Success? A CEO Reveals the Trauma You're Ignoring with Stanley Doucette
    Dec 31 2025
    Why are you manifesting chaos instead of success?If you're doing affirmations, vision boards, and "the work" but your life still feels like a dumpster fire—this episode will explain why. Dr. Stanley Doucette went from surviving childhood rape at age 6 to becoming President of One Voice Worldwide Family of Business. But his journey wasn't just about building success—it was about healing the unresolved trauma that was sabotaging everything he manifested.In this raw conversation, Stanley reveals:✅ Why unresolved childhood trauma blocks manifestation (even when you're "doing the work")✅ The difference between religious routine and spiritual power when pain hits✅ How he went from "living poor" as a detective to leading a global business empire✅ The Olive Oil Crushing Principle: Your deepest pain produces your greatest power✅ Why you can't pour success into a broken foundationKEY MOMENTS:🔥 The "Living Poor" Reality - Serving as a police officer while checking if his electricity was still on 🔥 Childhood Rape at Age 6 - The unresolved trauma that manifested as adult sabotage🔥 The Manifestation Paradox - Building business success while creating personal destruction🔥 The Autopsy Moment - Discovering the root causes of anger, triggers, and self-sabotage🔥 Faith vs Religion - The game-changing difference when life crushes you🔥 The Olive Oil Principle - Your first crushing produces your most powerful oil🔥 True Power = Responsibility - Not control, but stewardshipPOWERFUL QUOTES:💬 "In order to have pain, you have to have something inside of you to create it. Only those with purpose experience pain."💬 "I was manifesting things on the positive side, but also manifesting negative things on the other side. God was blessing, but the devil was destroying."💬 "When you're going through pain, I look at it as crushing. That first level of anointing is going to come out whether you want it to or not."💬 "Every vision will be tested for its authenticity."ABOUT DR. STANLEY DOUCETTE: Originally from New Orleans, Stanley began as a police officer and detective before stepping into entrepreneurship in 2005. Today, as President of One Voice Worldwide Family of Business, he leads with integrity, service, and soul—teaching that success without healing isn't power, it's performance.CONNECT WITH DR. STANLEY DOUCETTE:1voiceworldwide.com/stanleydoucetteletstalkwithstanleydoucette.comhttps://pod.co/lets-talk-with-stanley-doucette/elite-mindsetABOUT PASSION FROM PAIN: Raw truth, actionable strategies, and real conversations about healing from manipulation, abuse, and toxic relationships. Hosted by Amy Pease. No toxic positivity. No fluff. Just survival tactics.CONNECT:🌐 www.passionfrompain.com 🎥 www.youtube.com/@PassionFromPain📲 Facebook: Passion From Pain📷Instagram@amy.pease.rox🤩TikTok: @og.passionfrompain0:00 - Cold Open Clip: "Why You're Manifesting Chaos"0:48 - Full Episode Begins (After 48-second intro)0:48 - Amy's Introduction of Dr. Stanley Doucette3:15 - Stanley's Humble Response & Setup4:20 - "Passion From Pain Moments" - Stanley's Multiple Stories5:45 - The Philosophy: "Only Those With Purpose Experience Pain"7:10 - The "Living Poor" Detective Reality8:35 - Checking the Utility Box: Green Tag vs Red Tag10:20 - "I Like First Class" - The Vision for More12:15 - Partner's Invitation: "Come to This Meeting About Making Money"13:40 - July 1, 2007: The Day Stanley Left His Last Job Forever15:25 - THE REVELATION: Childhood Rape at Age 616:50 - Unresolved Issues Manifesting in Adulthood18:15 - The Manifestation Paradox: "God Blessing, Devil Destroying"20:05 - The Autopsy Moment: Discovering Root Causes22:30 - Removing the Root, Pouring in Positivity24:45 - Amy: "This Is What People Miss When Manifesting"26:20 - Stanley: Working on Past Trauma to Achieve Goals28:40 - The Spiritual vs Religious Distinction30:15 - "When the Door Hits and the Flood Comes"32:10 - "Find Your Higher Power"34:25 - The Olive Oil Crushing Metaphor BEGINS36:40 - First Level of Oil = Your Truth/Anointing38:20 - Passion Becomes Attraction and Repellent40:15 - "Every Vision Will Be Tested for Its Authenticity"42:10 - Quick Fire Round: Leadership, Faith, Power43:50 - Where to Find Dr. Stanley Doucette44:35 - Amy's Closing Thoughts: "Your Past Prepares You"45:18 - End Credits Begin (30-second outro)45:48 - TOTAL EPISODE LENGTHBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/passion-from-pain--6594412/support.
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    55 Min.
  • S2E15 Your First Holiday Season Alone After Cutting Off Toxic Family

    S2E15 Your First Holiday Season Alone After Cutting Off Toxic Family
    Dec 23 2025
    Your phone is silent. No gifts are arriving. Everyone else is posting perfect family photos while you're sitting alone wondering if you made a mistake.

    If you've cut off toxic family and this is your first Christmas alone, this episode is for you. I'm Amy Pease, and twenty years ago I spent my first Christmas alone after walking away from my manipulative, mentally abusive adopted family.

    Today, I have a chosen family that feels like actual family. Drama-free holidays. Real love. Peace. In this 30-minute episode, I share the raw, honest truth about what "standing alone" during Christmas really looks like, and the tactical survival plan for getting through December 25th without falling apart.

    What You'll Learn:
    • Why the silence during Christmas hits differently (and what it means)
    • How to survive Christmas Day hour-by-hour
    • Emergency crisis plan for when grief or guilt hits
    • Scripts for handling intrusive questions
    • How to start building your chosen family from scratch
    • Why being alone proves your strength, not your failure
    Resources Mentioned:
    • FREE Holiday Survival Guide: https://www.passionfrompain.com/christmas-survival-guide
    • December 23rd 2025 4pm pst 7pm est LIVE Event Chosen Family Gathering for survivors (free) LIVE on Facebook, Istagram and YouTube

    • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
    • Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741
    This isn't toxic positivity. This is real survival tactics for the next two weeks and the long-term strategy for designing a Christmas that feels like freedom. You're not alone. You're not broken. You made the right choice.

    Connect with Amy:
    Instagram: @amy_pease TikTok: @og.passionfrompain

    About the Show: Passion From Pain is a no-BS podcast for people over 30 rebuilding after manipulation, emotional abuse, and toxic relationships.

    Hosted by Amy Pease, a 15-year survivor, this is where we turn pain into power and build the lives we deserve. No fluff, just raw truth and real strategies.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/passion-from-pain--6594412/support.
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    49 Min.
  • S2E14 You Can't Control the Storm: One Woman vs 100 Court Custody Battles with Tami Forster

    S2E14 You Can't Control the Storm: One Woman vs 100 Court Custody Battles with Tami Forster
    Dec 12 2025
    YOU CAN'T CONTROL THE STORM, BUT YOU CAN MASTER IT: SURVIVING 100+ FAMILY COURT HEARINGS with Tami Forster

    Over 100 family court hearings. 10 years of custody battles. A legal system designed to break her. Tami Forster survived it all—and now she's helping others do the same.

    If you're navigating family court, fighting a custody battle, co-parenting with a narcissist, or trapped in the legal system, this episode is your survival guide. Tami shares raw truth about surviving high-conflict custody battles, rebuilding after domestic violence, and protecting your peace when the system tries to destroy it.

    IN THIS EPISODE:
    → How to survive family court when you're stuck in endless hearings
    → Co-parenting strategies when dealing with narcissistic abuse and manipulation
    → The financial devastation of custody battles and how to rebuild
    → Why attorneys perpetuate the cycle and how to protect yourself
    → Navigating the legal system without losing your sanity or your kids
    → Building resilience when everything is working against you

    "You can't always control the storm, but you can master your response and rebuild stronger than before." - Tami Forster

    TIMESTAMPS
    ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
    0:00 - Introduction: Tami Forster's Story
    2:15 - How 100+ Court Hearings Started
    5:30 - The Sperm Donor Situation
    8:45 - When the Legal System Becomes a Weapon
    12:20 - How Attorneys Perpetuate Endless Battles
    15:40 - Co-Parenting with a Narcissist
    18:55 - Three-Parent Custody Battle
    22:10 - Financial Devastation of Family Court
    26:35 - Surviving Without an Attorney
    30:15 - Domestic Violence Incident
    34:20 - Losing Her Home Twice
    38:45 - How Faith Became Her Foundation
    42:30 - Becoming the Legal System Warrior
    46:15 - Building Financial Freedom After Loss
    50:10 - Dance in the Rain: Finding Resilience
    54:25 - Advice for Those in the Thick of It
    57:40 - The Legacy: What Really Matters
    1:00:15 - Where to Find Tami & Resources

    CONNECT WITH TAMI FORSTER
    ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
    🆓FREE Legal System Warrior Checklist: https://freegiftsfromthelegalsystemwarrior.com
    📆Book FREE Session: https://calendly.com/tammyforster87
    📩Email: tammyforster@yahoo.com

    ABOUT TAMI FORSTER
    ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
    Tami Forster is a motivational speaker, transformational coach, and Legal System Warrior. After surviving 100+ family court hearings and a decade-long custody battle, Tami helps parents protect their peace, finances, and futures while navigating high-conflict legal situations.

    ABOUT PASSION FROM PAIN
    ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
    Passion From Pain is for survivors of manipulation, narcissistic abuse, toxic relationships, and trauma who are rebuilding their lives. Hosted by Amy Pease. No fluff. No toxic positivity. Just raw truth and real healing.

    🏅Leave a Review!
    ⬇️Download this episode!
    🔁Come back for New Episode Drops 3X a Week!

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    1 Std. und 4 Min.
  • S2E13 Red Flags are the Green Light to Leave with Romilly Golding

    S2E13 Red Flags are the Green Light to Leave with Romilly Golding
    Dec 10 2025
    🔥When something feels off in your relationship but you can't name it—that's not paranoia, that's your intuition screaming!🔥

    🩵UK relationship recovery coach and author, Romilly Golding, joins Passion From Pain to expose the 21 subtle red flags that most people miss until it's too late. This isn't about dramatic abuse or obvious narcissism—this is about the covert manipulation that keeps intelligent, successful people trapped for years.

    ❤️‍🔥Romilly survived multiple toxic relationships and spent five years documenting patterns to create "21 Red Flags: Spotting the Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship"—the practical guide she desperately needed but couldn't find.

    📖We discuss Dr. Gottman's Four Horsemen (criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling), why trauma bonding keeps you hooked, and the somatic practices that regulate your nervous system when you're stuck in fight-flight-freeze. Romilly shares her unique healing approach through ecstatic dance—releasing trauma stored in the body when talk therapy isn't enough.

    🔥This is for the person who's been told they're "too sensitive," who keeps making excuses for behavior that doesn't sit right, who wonders if they're the problem. You're not crazy. You're not overreacting.

    ==================== TIMESTAMPS ====================
    0:48 - Introduction: Romilly Golding & 21 Red Flags
    3:12 - What Is Ecstatic Dance & Somatic Healing?
    6:45 - Writing the Book That Didn't Exist
    9:28 - The Subtle Red Flags You're Missing
    12:40 - Trusting Your Gut When You Can't Name It
    15:55 - Why Smart Women Stay
    19:20 - Using Your Relationship as a Case Study
    22:35 - The Four Horsemen: Gottman's Framework
    27:10 - Stonewalling & Silent Treatment as Abuse
    30:45 - Why Contempt Kills Relationships
    33:20 - The Cycle: Why Good Times Keep You Hooked
    36:50 - Leaving Before You're "Ready"
    39:15 - Nervous System Regulation Techniques
    42:40 - Recognizing Your Trauma Responses
    45:25 - Journaling Safely: Documenting Patterns
    48:05 - Where to Find Romilly & Special Offer

    CONNECT WITH ROMILLY
    ====================
    🌐WEBSITE: www.romilygolding.com
    🎁Special Offer: www.romilygolding.com/offer
    📖Book: "21 Red Flags: Spotting the Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship"
    📲Instagram: @rekationship_recovery_coach

    Subscribe to Passion From Pain for weekly episodes on trauma recovery, relationship abuse, and reclaiming your power. www.passionfrompain.com

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/passion-from-pain--6594412/support.
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    50 Min.