💬 Episode Summary:

In this powerful episode of Walk With Me, Stephanie sits down with Lori Maher — a trauma survivor, holistic healer, and the heart behind Compassionate Empowerment — to explore her remarkable path from childhood abuse and chronic illness to healing, self-discovery, and purpose.

Lori shares how early emotional neglect and trauma led to decades of anxiety and physical exhaustion, culminating in a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome at the age of 30. With mainstream medical options failing her, Laurie turned inward and began a transformational journey through somatic healing, yoga, energy work, and trauma education. Today, she's a wellness center owner, coach, and retreat host helping others reconnect with themselves and reclaim their inner power.

This episode is a heartfelt invitation to rethink how we view trauma, healing, and the importance of feeling safe in our own bodies. Lori's story is both deeply personal and universally relevant to anyone on a path of recovery and self-love.

🧠 Key Topics Covered:

• Childhood trauma and its lifelong effects on the body and mind
• The limitations of traditional talk therapy for trauma healing
• Discovering somatic and energetic healing modalities (yoga, acupressure, Reiki)
• The role of the nervous system and adrenal fatigue in chronic illness
• How to rewire your inner critic and reclaim self-worth
• Finding safety, alignment, and empowerment after trauma
• The ripple effect of healing and conscious connection

❤️ Memorable Quotes:

"You're not going to heal unless you feel safe."
"We are not our thoughts. We are our heart and our gut."
"Healing is not linear — it's a practice, a daily return to self-love."

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Lori's work and connect with her directly.
• Recommended reading: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

📣 Call to Action:

If Lori's story resonated with you, or if you're ready to explore your own healing journey, we invite you to dive deeper at WalkWithMeConversations.com.
Explore past episode and find tools to support your own path toward wholeness.

In this episode of Walk With Me, Stephanie sits down with Clinton Bartok—former Colorado adventurer and licensed acupuncturist—whose life reshaped overnight after a devastating bike accident in 2017 left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. Clinton shares the surreal calm of the moment he crashed, the terrifying reality of not being able to breathe or call for help, and the inner voice that told him he would recover.

What follows is a powerful story of neuroplasticity, relentless rehab, and a mindset anchored in possibility. Clinton walks us through his long road back: from ICU and rehab at Craig Hospital, to relearning movement inch by inch, to picking up his guitar again and even climbing a rock wall seven and a half years later.

He also speaks candidly about chronic nerve pain, the emotional cost of losing independence, and how moments of despair pushed him to search for anything that could help him stay alive and moving forward.

Ultimately, Clinton's story is a reminder to focus on what's still here—what you can do—and to keep building your life around that truth.

What We Talk About

• Clinton's upbringing in Cleveland, Ohio, and the emotional independence he learned early in life
• A restless, adventurous adulthood that took him traveling, into music, and finally to Colorado outdoor life
• The 2017 bike crash: helmeted impact, instant paralysis, and the eerie peace of the scene
• Why his injury allowed recovery: contusions, stenosis, and neuroplastic re-routing
• Intensive rehab, visualization, and self-designed exercises to regain hand and body function
• Returning to guitar through adaptive techniques and persistence
• Chronic neuropathic pain and the mental toll of being abruptly cut off from prescribed pain meds
• How kratom became a bridge for pain survival when other options disappeared
• Adaptive sports and reclaiming joy: three-wheeled mountain biking, support organizations, and getting back outside
• Clinton's guiding philosophy: "What can I do?" and learning gratitude for the small things

Memorable Moments

· The split-second shift from terror to certainty that he would be okay after the crash

• "Belief and vision" as a core part of recovery, alongside medical reality
• Rebuilding a life through tiny wins: a thumb, a hand, standing, walking, and playing music again
• Gratitude as a daily practice rooted in regained independence

Resources Mentioned

Clinton shares places to learn about spinal cord injuries, support research, or find adaptive-sport help:

• Spinopedia
• Christopher Reeve Foundation
• Unite 2 Fight Paralysis (U2FP)
• High Fives Foundation
• Kelly Brush Foundation

About the Guest

Clinton Bartok is a former extreme-outdoor athlete, licensed acupuncturist, musician, and spinal cord injury survivor. After being diagnosed as a quadriplegic with central cord syndrome, he rebuilt his life through rehab, adaptive sports, and a deep commitment to accessibility advocacy.

If this conversation moved you, please take a moment to share the episode with someone who might need it. And for more stories of resilience, healing, and the human spirit—plus past episodes and resources—visit WalkWithMeConversations.com.

🎙️ Episode Summary:

In this deeply personal and inspiring episode of Walk With Me, we sit down with Susie St. Angelo, a former banking executive turned health coach, podcast host, and advocate for mental wellness. Susie shares her incredible journey through personal trauma, chronic stress, toxic relationships, and major life transitions—all of which ultimately led her to a life of purpose, passion, and authenticity.

From surviving the emotional fallout of a fiancé's family suicide just weeks before her wedding, to enduring two marriages plagued by alcoholism and emotional disconnect, Susie's story is a powerful testament to the strength it takes to walk away, heal, and start over. She opens up about adrenal fatigue, the toll of perfectionism, the healing power of dogs, breath work, and the surprising pivot that led her to launch her own health-focused podcast—built around the simple but profound idea of sharing an "SOS tip" to help others take small steps toward wellness.

Her transformation from "Susan the professional" to "Susie the authentic" is both inspiring and relatable—especially for midlife women facing their own crossroads.

🧠 Topics We Cover:

• Panic attacks and early signs of emotional misalignment
• How functional medicine helped Susie identify stress as a root cause
• The impact of suicide and unspoken grief
• Leaving a successful career and two marriages to reclaim her life
• Why holistic health coaching goes beyond food and fitness
• Finding meaning through breath work, gratitude, and storytelling
• The importance of community, connection, and asking for help
• Redefining health, happiness, and identity at midlife

💡 Favorite Quote:

"You can't heal in the environment that made you sick."

🎯 Call to Action:

If this conversation moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And for more inspiring episodes like this, visit WalkWithMeConversations.com — where stories of healing, resilience, and transformation are always just a click away.