In this powerful and heartfelt conversation, Brian R. King sits down with licensed professional counselor, author, and childhood trauma survivor Stacy Schaffer. With over 20 years of clinical experience and lived wisdom, Stacy opens up about her own early life adversity—including abuse, loss, and silence—and how those experiences shaped her path into mental health work.

From the impacts of silence and unmet emotional needs to practical tools for empowerment, this episode blends personal vulnerability with therapeutic insight. Stacy reminds us that healing is possible and that even the darkest nights eventually give way to sunrise.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Stacy’s childhood trauma and lack of emotional support

• How generational trauma affected her family

• Turning personal pain into purpose and profession

• The gap in mental health awareness and why therapy shouldn’t be a luxury

• Tangible tools for self-advocacy and speaking up

• Why there is a life beyond pain

• Compassion & Presence: Core values that guide Stacy’s life and work.

• Untold Trauma Matters: Silence buries pain; talking about it releases it.

• Voice & Advocacy: Learning to articulate needs—even in small ways—builds confidence and resilience.

• Therapy as Normal: Seeing counseling as support, not shame.

• Beyond the Pain: Healing is possible—“even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.”

Stacy is the author of With Love from a Children’s Therapist—a compassionate guide blending clinical insight with lived truth. You can download the first chapter for free on her website.

➡️ Explore Stacy’s work: Visit her site to get the free first chapter of With Love from a Children’s Therapist and learn more about her counseling practice and resources.

If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear that there is a beyond the pain. Then subscribe, rate, and leave a review—because helping one person reach healing can ripple outward.