In this special Christmas episode of The Survivor’s Voice, Dena shares a story of heartbreak, endurance, and unexpected grace during one of the most painful seasons of her life.

What began as a marriage rooted in faith slowly unraveled into a double life marked by betrayal, abandonment, and crushing financial strain. As the holidays approached, Dena found herself navigating pregnancy, illness, and uncertainty—while holding everything together for her children with little support and even less stability.

In the middle of scarcity, shame, and silence, hope arrived in an unexpected way: a quiet act of compassion that preserved her dignity and reminded her she wasn’t forgotten. Dena reflects on the “glimmers” that carried her through—small moments of provision, community, and faith that changed everything.

This episode is a reminder that even when life feels stripped down to survival mode, God sees the details. Especially the ones no one else notices.

Your Host: Angie Sedore Our Guest: Dena Thaut

Trigger Warning This episode includes discussions of marital infidelity, emotional distress, financial hardship, and illness. Listener discretion is advised. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast.

Disclaimer The Survivor’s Voice Podcast provides a platform for survivors to share their personal stories in their own words. The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Survivor’s Voice, its hosts, or production team. This podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are struggling, please seek help from a qualified professional or call your local crisis hotline for immediate support.

What to Expect: · When faith-based marriages quietly fall apart · The emotional toll of living alongside deception · Navigating pregnancy and illness under extreme stress · The power of dignity-preserving help · Finding hope and “glimmers” in dark seasons · Why the smallest acts of kindness can be life-changing

Key Takeaways: · God sees needs before we can name them · Help doesn’t have to come with humiliation · You don’t have to carry everything alone · Hope often arrives quietly · Survival seasons don’t define the rest of your story

Stay Connected www.thesurvivorsvoice.net @TheSurvivorsVoicePodcast on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

If Dena’s story moved you, please share this episode and help us bring awareness to hidden struggles and unseen strength.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Please follow our show, leave us a 5-star rating, and a review.

Do you have a story to share? Contact: booking@thesurvivorsvoice.net

Together, we remind survivors everywhere: Your story matters.

Produced & Edited by Krystina Elder | YouTube: @ElderHouseMedia

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor: Safe Harbor Supporting survivors with compassion and care. https://safeharborforfreedom.com

Special Thanks to Dan Wise | YouTube: @NorthIdahoPodcastProductions Bowman Carter | YouTube: @BowmanCarterMusic | Spotify: Bowman Carter

In part two of Rebecca’s story, the layers deepen—and so does the cost of telling the truth. Rebecca shares how patterns of manipulation and dishonesty from her childhood repeated in adulthood through marriage, motherhood, and systems that were supposed to protect her.

Rebecca walks us through a relationship built on lies, emotional abuse, and control, including infidelity, gaslighting, and boundary violations that escalated over time. As she sought safety for herself and her daughter, those dynamics culminated in an unimaginable betrayal: a coordinated kidnapping involving her ex-husband and her own mother.

This episode exposes how family systems, legal systems, and enmeshment can further traumatize survivors—and how reclaiming your voice sometimes means walking away from everything familiar to protect what matters most.

Your Host: Angie Sedore Our Guest: Rebecca Mora

Trigger Warning This episode includes discussions of marital betrayal, parental kidnapping, international abduction, and emotional trauma. Listener discretion is advised. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast.

What to Expect: · How childhood trauma can influence adult relationships and partner selection · Recognizing patterns of manipulation, dishonesty, and control · The impact of emotional and psychological abuse within marriage · Navigating custody, legal systems, and institutional failure · A mother’s fight to protect her child at all costs · Grieving family while choosing safety and boundaries

Key Takeaways: · Familiar dysfunction often disguises itself as normal · Boundaries are not cruelty—they are protection · Systems can retraumatize survivors when truth is ignored · Believing yourself is sometimes the bravest act · Protecting your child may require losing people you once trusted

Stay Connected www.thesurvivorsvoice.net @TheSurvivorsVoicePodcast on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

If Rebecca’s story moved you, please share this episode and help us bring awareness to hidden struggles and unseen strength.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Please follow our show, leave us a 5-star rating, and a review.

Do you have a story to share? Contact: booking@thesurvivorsvoice.net

Together, we remind survivors everywhere: Your story matters.

Produced & Edited by Krystina Elder | YouTube: @ElderHouseMedia

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor: Safe Harbor Supporting survivors with compassion and care. https://safeharborforfreedom.com

Special Thanks to Dan Wise | YouTube: @NorthIdahoPodcastProductions Bowman Carter | YouTube: @BowmanCarterMusic | Spotify: Bowman Carter

In this conversation, Rebecca courageously opens up about her childhood and the painful reality of being silenced after experiencing assault at just five years old. Raised between two contrasting cultures and faith backgrounds, Rebecca shares how confusion, fear, and denial shaped her early understanding of safety and truth.

Rebecca recounts the moment that shattered her sense of security, the generational silence that followed, and how gaslighting and emotional manipulation from her mother affected her into adulthood. Through her story, Rebecca helps listeners understand how trauma lingers when children are told their truth isn’t real. And how reclaiming your voice can begin with one moment of courage.

Your Host: Angie Sedore Our Guest: Rebecca Mora

Trigger Warning This episode includes discussions of childhood sexual abuse, manipulation, and emotional trauma. Listener discretion is advised. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast.

What to Expect: · Growing up between two cultures and faiths · How early experiences of abuse shaped Rebecca’s understanding of safety · The long-term impact of being disbelieved by a parent · Generational trauma and breaking cycles of silence · What it means to find your voice after years of suppression

Key Takeaways: · Your truth is your truth—no one can take that from you · Validation is healing after years of disbelief · Trauma can repeat through generations unless confronted · Protecting your child means believing them first · Safety begins with awareness and boundaries

Stay Connected www.thesurvivorsvoice.net @TheSurvivorsVoicePodcast on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

If Rebecca’s story moved you, please share this episode and help us bring awareness to hidden struggles and unseen strength.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Please follow our show, leave us a 5-star rating, and a review.

Do you have a story to share? Contact: booking@thesurvivorsvoice.net

Together, we remind survivors everywhere: Your story matters.

Produced & Edited by Krystina Elder | YouTube: @ElderHouseMedia

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor: Safe Harbor Supporting survivors with compassion and care. https://safeharborforfreedom.com

Special Thanks to Dan Wise | YouTube: @NorthIdahoPodcastProductions Bowman Carter | YouTube: @BowmanCarterMusic | Spotify: Bowman Carter

Bretta shares her journey of growing up in a family marked by instability, mental illness, and abuse. Raised by a mother with undiagnosed borderline personality disorder and a father with a history of violence, Bretta’s childhood was filled with uncertainty, emotional neglect, and moments of deep fear. From walking on eggshells at home to being pressured by her father to live with him as a teen, she carried the heavy weight of dysfunctional family dynamics.

Despite the chaos, Bretta found refuge in summers with her grandparents and the stability of boarding school. As an adult, she pursued therapy, built a support system, and learned to set healthy boundaries and skills that helped her navigate her mother’s later struggles with dementia and her father’s attempts at reconciliation before his passing. Through forgiveness, firm boundaries, and faith in her own resilience, Bretta has transformed pain into strength and now shares her story so others know they are not alone.

Her story is candid, emotional, and a reminder that even when family wounds run deep, healing is possible.

Your Host: Angie Sedore Our Guest: Bretta Provost YouTube @Brettaprovost74 | Facebook @Bretta.Provost | Instagram @brettaprovost

Trigger Warning This episode includes discussions of mental illness, suicide threats, childhood neglect, and family abuse. Listener discretion is advised. Disclaimer The Survivor’s Voice Podcast provides a platform for survivors to share their personal stories in their own words. The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Survivor’s Voice, its hosts, or production team. This podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are struggling, please seek help from a qualified professional or call your local crisis hotline for immediate support.

What to Expect: · Growing up with a parent living with borderline personality disorder. · The impact of emotional neglect, instability, and walking on eggshells as a child. · A father’s history of abuse and a strained relationship into adulthood. · Finding stability through grandparents and boarding school. · The challenges of setting boundaries with toxic parents. · Walking through dementia and end-of-life care with her mother. · Choosing forgiveness, healing, and breaking cycles for her own family.

Key Takeaways: · Forgiveness doesn’t excuse abuse. It frees you to move forward. · Boundaries are an act of love for yourself and others. · Therapy and support systems are essential when healing from family trauma. · Sharing your story releases shame and brings connection. · You can break generational cycles and create a new legacy.

Stay Connected www.thesurvivorsvoice.net @TheSurvivorsVoicePodcast on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

If Bretta’s story moved you, please share this episode and help us bring awareness to hidden struggles and unseen strength.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Please follow our show, leave us a 5-star rating, and a review.

Do you have a story to share? Contact: booking@thesurvivorsvoice.net

Together, we remind survivors everywhere: Your story matters.

Produced & Edited by Krystina Elder | YouTube: @ElderHouseMedia

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor: Safe Harbor Supporting survivors with compassion and care. https://safeharborforfreedom.com

Special Thanks to Dan Wise | YouTube: @NorthIdahoPodcastProductions Bowman Carter | YouTube: @BowmanCarterMusic | Spotify: Bowman Carter

Ellie opens up about a part of her past she has rarely spoken aloud: the betrayal, bullying, and violence she endured at the hands of a high school friend in Bulgaria. What began as a seemingly innocent friendship turned into years of harassment, culminating in a brutal attack that left Ellie scarred emotionally long after the physical pain faded.

After moving to the United States in her early 20s, Ellie built a new life. Becoming a mother, earning her CPA license, and recently starting her own accounting business. But beneath the successes, the trauma of her teenage years lingered until she made the courageous choice to pursue therapy. Through counseling, learning boundaries, and trusting her instincts, Ellie has begun to release fear, reclaim her confidence, and step into new opportunities she once thought impossible.

Her story is raw, brave, and an important reminder that bullying and violence can leave lifelong marks. But healing, growth, and freedom are possible.

Your Host: Angie Sedore Our Guest: Ellie Tashkova

Trigger Warning This episode includes discussions of bullying, physical assault, and emotional trauma. Listener discretion is advised. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast.

What to Expect: · Growing up in Bulgaria and moving to the U.S. in her 20s. · Navigating marriage, divorce, and single motherhood. · The devastating impact of a teenage friendship turned abusive. · Years of harassment, bullying, and the night of a violent attack. · Finding courage to enter therapy and break the silence. · Learning boundaries, trusting her gut, and starting fresh with her own business.

Key Takeaways: · Time alone doesn’t heal trauma. Intentional healing does. · Therapy and safe friendships can be life-changing in recovery. · Boundaries are vital for protection and freedom. · Trusting your instincts can protect you from further harm. · Speaking your story releases its power and brings hope.

Stay Connected www.thesurvivorsvoice.net @TheSurvivorsVoicePodcast on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

If Ellie’s story moved you, please share this episode and help us bring awareness to hidden struggles and unseen strength.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Please follow our show, leave us a 5-star rating, and a review.

Do you have a story to share? Contact: booking@thesurvivorsvoice.net

Together, we remind survivors everywhere: Your story matters.

Produced & Edited by Krystina Elder | YouTube: @ElderHouseMedia

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor: Safe Harbor Supporting survivors with compassion and care. https://safeharborforfreedom.com

Special Thanks to Dan Wise | YouTube: @NorthIdahoPodcastProductions Bowman Carter | YouTube: @BowmanCarterMusic | Spotify: Bowman Carter

Join us today as Jessica shares her incredible journey of survival, faith, and rediscovery. From enduring abuse and neglect in childhood, to navigating betrayal and brokenness in her first marriage, Jessica’s path has been marked by pain but also by resilience. Her years of ministry work in Thailand shaped her perspective on faith, culture, and perseverance. Even as she faced isolation, spiritual abuse, and the heavy responsibility of raising children overseas.

After making the courageous decision to leave an unhealthy marriage, Jessica returned to the U.S., determined to create a better future for herself and her children. Through faith, somatic healing, and learning to challenge fear with truth, Jessica has embraced freedom, found her voice, and stepped into her calling as both a healer and a survivor.

Her story is a powerful reminder that God’s heart is for His daughters, healing is possible, and freedom is worth fighting for.

Your Host: Angie Sedore Our Guest: Jessica Atwell

Trigger Warning This episode includes discussions of childhood abuse, marital betrayal, spiritual abuse, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast.

What to Expect: · Growing up in a home marked by abuse, fear, and survival · Discovering faith in Jesus at 21 and entering full-time ministry · Serving eight years in Thailand while raising children in a foreign culture · Facing betrayal, spiritual neglect, and emotional isolation in marriage · Making the courageous choice to leave an abusive situation · Returning home to begin a new chapter of healing, freedom, and self-discovery

Key Takeaways: · Abuse and neglect are never God’s design—He calls His children to freedom · Healing is possible through truth, vulnerability, and intentional practices · Emotional intelligence and faith help break cycles of fear and people-pleasing · Words have the power to shape our healing and future · God can redeem broken stories into testimonies of strength and hope

Stay Connected www.thesurvivorsvoice.net @TheSurvivorsVoicePodcast on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

If Jessica’s story moved you, please share this episode and help us bring awareness to hidden struggles and unseen strength.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Please follow our show, leave us a 5-star rating, and a review.

Do you have a story to share? Contact: booking@thesurvivorsvoice.net

Together, we remind survivors everywhere: Your story matters.

Produced & Edited by Krystina Elder | YouTube: @ElderHouseMedia

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor: Safe Harbor Supporting survivors with compassion and care. https://safeharborforfreedom.com

Special Thanks to Dan Wise | YouTube: @NorthIdahoPodcastProductions Bowman Carter | YouTube: @BowmanCarterMusic | Spotify: Bowman Carter

Join us today as Peggy shares her remarkable story of resilience, faith, and transformation. From losing her father at just six years old and navigating the challenges of growing up with an alcoholic mother, Peggy carried wounds of abandonment, grief, and responsibility from a young age. Later, she endured a painful and abusive marriage before finding healing through counseling, faith, and intentional recovery programs.

Today, Peggy speaks openly about the journey from brokenness to wholeness, the power of forgiveness, and the hope that comes from never giving up. Her story is a reminder that healing is possible, new beginnings are real, and it’s never too late to find love and peace.

Your Host: Angie Sedore Our Guest: Peggy Paullin-Neal

Trigger Warning This episode includes discussions of childhood trauma, alcoholism, suicide attempts, divorce, and abuse. Listener discretion is advised. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast.

What to Expect: · Growing up in the shadow of her father’s death and her mother’s alcoholism · Carrying adult responsibilities as a child and feeling abandoned · Surviving manipulation and abuse within marriage · Finding faith in Jesus during her teenage years · Healing through counseling, forgiveness practices, and programs like Untying the Knots of the Heart · Discovering that it’s never too late for love, joy, and a new chapter

Key Takeaways: · Healing is a lifelong process and happens in layers · Forgiveness releases the power others hold over you · Faith provides hope and strength when life feels unbearable · Community, vulnerability, and trusted friends are vital for recovery · It’s never too late to experience healthy love and new beginnings

Resources Mentioned: · The Complete Guide to Divorce Recovery by Jim Smoke & Carol Smoke https://a.co/d/g7zZMsf · Untying the Knots of the Heart program https://untyingknots.org/

Stay Connected www.thesurvivorsvoice.net @TheSurvivorsVoicePodcast on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

If Peggy’s story moved you, please share this episode and help us bring awareness to hidden struggles and unseen strength.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Please follow our show, leave us a 5-star rating, and a review.

Do you have a story to share? Contact: booking@thesurvivorsvoice.net

Together, we remind survivors everywhere: Your story matters.

Produced & Edited by Krystina Elder | YouTube: @ElderHouseMedia

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor: Safe Harbor Supporting survivors with compassion and care. https://safeharborforfreedom.com

Special Thanks to Dan Wise | YouTube: @NorthIdahoPodcastProductions Bowman Carter | YouTube: @BowmanCarterMusic | Spotify: Bowman Carter

Susan’s journey is one of heartbreak, resilience, and redemption. From childhood sexual abuse and the trauma of rape to surviving domestic violence and emotional abuse, Susan has endured hardships that could have easily silenced her. Instead, she chose to rise.

Now approaching 60, Susan reflects on how her past shaped her strength and how faith, therapy, and community helped her heal. She opens up about the dangers of poverty, the impact of trauma left unspoken, and the importance of listening to your instincts, whether as a survivor or as a parent protecting your child.

Today, Susan is not only a successful entrepreneur and loving wife, mother, and grandmother, but also a mentor who speaks boldly against pornography, human trafficking, and the cycles of abuse that plague communities. Her testimony is both a warning and an encouragement: you are not alone, and there is hope beyond the pain.

Your Host: Angie Sedor Our Guest: Susan Schuler

Trigger Warning This episode includes discussions of sexual abuse, rape, domestic violence, and human trafficking. Listener discretion is advised. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast.

What to Expect: · Growing up in poverty and recognizing its hidden toll on families · The lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse and rape · Escaping domestic violence and rebuilding life from nothing · The importance of therapy and community support in healing · Finding love, safety, and joy later in life · Why pornography fuels human trafficking and abuse—and why change must happen

Key Takeaways: · Poverty often creates cycles of stress that lead to abuse—but those cycles can be broken · Healing begins with listening to your inner voice and seeking help · A good trauma therapist can be life-changing · Success isn’t material—it’s about love, community, and resilience · Your story can bring hope and healing to others

A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor: Safe Harbor Supporting survivors with compassion and care. https://safeharborforfreedom.com

Stay Connected www.thesurvivorsvoice.net @TheSurvivorsVoicePodcast on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

If Susan’s journey encouraged you, share this episode to remind others that healing, hope, and new beginnings are always possible.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Please follow our show, leave us a 5-star rating, and a review.

Do you have a story to share? Contact: booking@thesurvivorsvoice.net

Together, we remind survivors everywhere: Your story matters.

Produced & Edited by Krystina Elder | YouTube: @ElderHouseMedia

Special Thanks to Dan Wise | YouTube: @NorthIdahoPodcastProductions Bowman Carter | YouTube: @BowmanCarterMusic | Spotify: Bowman Carter