Scars to Stars™ Podcast

In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Dr. Peggy Christian shares her journey through hidden depression, alcohol addiction, suicidal ideation, and the lifelong struggle of feeling disconnected while appearing successful on the outside. From growing up as an empath in a large family to becoming a dentist, researcher, coach, and women’s empowerment leader, Peggy opens up about how community, sobriety, self-awareness, and healing helped her rediscover her worth and create a joyful life. Her story is a reminder that many people who “look fine” are silently struggling... and that healing begins when we stop hiding.

#MentalHealthAwareness #Addict...

In this powerful episode, Deana welcomes Jessica “Jessy” Hollister from Midland, Michigan, a silent counseling practitioner and Scars to Stars™ Volume 5 author. Jessie shares her deeply personal journey from surviving lifelong abuse, trauma, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation to discovering healing through therapy, somatic release, silent counseling, energy work, and self-discovery tools like Human Design.

Her chapter in Scars to Stars® Vol 5, Hush, Child, Hush, explores how she transformed years of silence and pain into purpose, peace, and empowerment. This conversation is filled with hope for anyone struggling with trauma, emotional overwhelm, nervous system dysregulation, or learning how to trul...

In this heartfelt episode, Katie Miller shares her journey of rebuilding her identity after a 24-year marriage and divorce. She opens up about healing from emotional trauma, rediscovering herself, shifting limiting beliefs, and learning that growth, self-care, and community are essential parts of healing. Katie’s story is a powerful reminder that quiet healing is still healing.

#MentalHealthAwareness #HealingJourney #ScarsToStars #TraumaHealing #MindsetShift #EmotionalHealing #SelfDiscovery #DivorceRecovery #PersonalGrowth #YouAreNotAlone #MentalHealthMatters #HealingTrauma #Empowerment #CommunityHealing #MindsetCoach #ChooseHope #HealingAfterAbuse #SelfWorth #PodcastEpisode #HopeAndHealing

In this heartfelt episode, Deana welcomes Debra D’Ambrosio, a Scars to Stars™ Volume 5 author from Bakersfield, California. Debra shares how the suicide loss of her grandfather deeply impacted her life, how she later faced her own suicidal thoughts, and how her faith, family, grandchildren, prayer, and purpose helped her choose life. She also opens up about her love of boxing and how it became a powerful metaphor for spiritual strength, resilience, and fighting through pain.

Debra also shares her “Tears in a Bottle” project, inspired by the belief that our tears are not wasted and that God hold...

In this powerful episode of Scars to Stars, Deana Brown Mitchell sits down with motivational speaker, advocate, entrepreneur, and author Victoria Burmeister, whose life changed forever after a car accident at age 19 left her paralyzed. Defying medical expectations, Victoria shares how resilience, faith, and mindset transformed what could have been a life-ending tragedy into a life of purpose, impact, and hope. She opens up about navigating paralysis, redefining motherhood, raising three children after her accident, and becoming a grandmother—all while building a meaningful life filled with advocacy and service.

Victoria also discusses her journey into holistic mi...

In this Scars to Stars episode, Deana sits down with Grace Sophia—speaker, transformational coach, spiritual teacher, and “medicine woman”—to talk about healing, suicide prevention, and reclaiming inner authority. Grace shares her journey from immigrating from Siberia to New York City at age six, to dedicating her early life to helping her family and community through psychology. She studied educational psychology (CBT with children and families), worked as a neuroscience researcher, and spent time studying suicidality, personality disorders, and schizophrenia.

Grace explains what stood out most in her suicidality research: warning signs can sometimes look like someone...

In this Scars to Stars episode, Dr. Rachael Degurse opens up about what happens when the career you dreamed of your whole life starts costing you your mental health. Raised in Colorado, Rachael poured everything into becoming a physician—medical school, residency, years of relentless dedication—believing that once she “made it,” life would finally feel steady and fulfilling.

But after her physician-owned practice was sold to a corporate entity, medicine became less about patient care and more about productivity, shrinking appointment times, changing pay structures, and constant pressure to do more with less. Rachael shares the reality...

In this Scars to Stars episode, Leandra shares the real behind-the-scenes journey of becoming who you are—not just what you do. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she followed the “get the degree and the job will come” promise… and instead found burnout, long commutes, imposter syndrome, and the quiet pressure of trying to keep up.

From public health and nonprofit work to serving pregnant and postpartum moms in the Black Infant Health Program, Leandra’s heart for community has always been clear—but so was the cost of hustle culture on her mind and body. When COVID h...

In this Scars to Stars episode, I sit down with Irina Baker—founder of the Radiant Connections Network—for a powerful conversation about what happens when you “change everything” on the outside… and still feel broken on the inside.

Irina shares her journey from the former Soviet Union to America, and the unexpected truth she discovered: location doesn’t heal pain—inner work does.

We talk about hopelessness, spiritual awakening, and how purpose can become the lifeline that keeps you here when you don’t want to be. Whether you’re navigating darkness, searching for meaning, or cravin...

This episode of Scars to Stars is one of those conversations that reminds you people can completely rewrite their story.

Vishrant shares how he went from an “uncontrollable” kid and gang leader—armored, angry, and disconnected—to a life devoted to healing, purpose, and love.

A pivotal encounter cracked his defenses, but it was a near-death experience at sea that opened his heart in a way he couldn’t ignore, leading him to walk away from everything and spend years searching for what mattered most: the heart.

Today, he teaches people how to step out o...

In this episode of Scars to Stars, I sit down with Bibi, a former nurse who’s passionate about brain health and whole-body wellness. She shares why omega-3 and omega-6 balance matters so much for inflammation, mood, and cognitive function—and what makes her approach unique: at-home dry blood testing that shows your baseline and tracks progress over time. We talk about how most people are unknowingly out of balance, why that can impact energy, brain function, and overall health, and how Bibi saw a dramatic shift in her son’s mood and emotional regulation after correcting severe deficiency. If you...

In this Scars to Stars™ episode, Rachel shares how she went from a place of unimaginable grief and isolation... losing her husband to suicide, facing spiritual abuse, and becoming suicidal herself, to rebuilding a life rooted in deep healing and bold hope.

She speaks honestly about widowhood, trauma, and the dangerous “mental space” where suicide can start to feel like an option, while offering a compassionate, empowering message: you can survive this season, you can protect your own life, and today’s reality is not your forever.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that hope isn’t de...

In this Scars to Stars™ episode, John K. Bates opens up about surviving not just one, but multiple life-threatening health crises; first nearly dying from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, and years later enduring a severe post-surgery infection that spiraled into clinical depression, anxiety, and akathisia.

He shares candidly what it’s like to lose hope, to quietly consider ending it all, and to feel like joy and normalcy are gone forever. How one promise he made to “make a difference” and one person telling him, “You’re going to be okay,” helped him hold on. John’s story is a powerful remin...

Heather was a Registered Nurse that became a caregiver for her dad. After marrying, she was questioning her faith and lived with an eating disorder and suicidal thoughts. Her marriage (after kids) ended in divorce which she attributes to “Narcissistic Religion.”

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #narcissitic #religion #divorce #caregiving #lifecoach

What happens when a routine mammogram flips your whole life upside down?

In this episode, USA Today bestselling romance author Cara Lockwood shares how an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis collided with raising five kids, money stress, and a daughter battling depression, along with how humor, F-bombs, and radical honesty became her lifelines. We talk early detection, why you must get that mammogram, how laughter can coexist with fear, and why real conversations and community are non-negotiable for both cancer and mental health. If you or someone you love is walking through cancer or a hard season, this...

Anne and I discuss her daughters suicide attempts along with her experience with domestic violence and divorce. She also shares about how she got through it all through art and painting.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters

Dr. Patricia Timerman Barbosa da Silva shares how immigrating to the U.S. as a teen and “losing her voice” shaped her life’s work in mental health. Drawing on suicide hotline, prevention/intervention, and postvention experience, she explains why isolation fuels despair, how connection and clear communication reduce risk, and offers practical tools—like code words and her Intention-Action-Perception (IAP) model—to help people speak up, support each other, and grieve well.

Key Takeaways

Chip and I take you through a journey of his RV trips, his time with Vistage, his nonprofit in Tampa, FL and how our country is so divided and what we can do about it all the way to survival of our supply chain, threat of war, and how technology and AI are changing the landscape of the world.

Chip Webster is a seasoned leader, entrepreneur, and advocate for civic engagement. As the former president of Vistage Florida, he spent over 25 years mentoring CEOs and driving business growth and is the current Chairman of the Board of...

Dr. Fred Moss is a mental health advocate/psychiatrist serving in many capacities: keynote speaker, psychiatry expert witness, podcaster, mental health coach, and teacher. A desire to help people be real and heard has been the driving force leading him to multiple settings and roles as a psychiatrist over the years and compelling him to continually look for better, more effective ways to provide the highest quality care to align people with their most authentic self to deliver into an eagerly awaiting world. He is the amazing creator of Welcome To Humanity, The True Voice Course, Healing the Healer...

Speaker * Author * Coach * Executive Director of Hurt to Hope * Minister

Steve shares about his struggles as a child with an absent father and how that shaped him as a father, and later a minister.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters

#absentfather #divorce #speaker #author #coach #minister #hurttohope

Avy shares with us some things she has never talked about publicly… she is vulnerable, intentional and real with her words. She has dealt with eating disorders, ADHD, depression, anxiety and of course feeling ‘not enough’. She has built a business and raised 2 children with the help of her husband and now she helps other business owners organize their lives!

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #ADHD #depression #anxiety #momlife

Camden shares about how a Rugby injury changed the course of his life. He became a coach because he could no longer play. The irony is that he found his true calling in leadership due to the set back!

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters

#rugby #backinjury #coach #10xyourteam

Angeline shares her story of being married in New York, wining and dining and making great money with who she thought was the love of her life. The abuse started as words and ended up with her in the hospital with a broken nose needing surgery. After her divorce, she has started

Let’s Break the Silence and helps women in similar situations find their voice and purpose.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters

#domesticviolence #letsbreakthesilence #verbalabuse #physicalabuse

Julio Angel Rivera vulnerably shares how he was bullied as a kid in New York and was in constant fear. At 8 years old he witnessed a murder from his living room. His journey took him to body building, Jiu Jitsu, competitions, becoming an instructor and owning his own gym. He is the author of “Internal Jiu Jitsu” and “Brokedown Sensei”.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters

#bullied #murderwitness #bodybuilder #jiujitsu #blackbelt #self-defenseinstructor #champion #coach #author

Deb Krier shares in depth about her diagnoses of Stage 4 triple-positive breast cancer in 2015, basal cell carcinoma in 2021, and thyroid cancer in 2023. She talks about the journey with different doctors and navigating the medical industry.

Deb transformed her personal journey into a mission to help others thrive.

#ScarsToStars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory

Amandine shares so much about herself growing up with eating disorders and never feeling ‘enough’. Now she is a wealth of knowledge in many modalities to heal the body, mind and soul.

She talks about how important self love is, and how we are each amazing human beings and worthy of love. She teaches us that if we have a negative thought, treat it as a cloud and let it float by and do not act on it. This too shall pass!

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #mind...

In her past, Deborah was a marketing executive. In this episode, she shares how creativity can be a powerful tool for overcoming adversity and building self-worth. She creates children’s plays, musicals and books with fundamental lessons that help them understand their self-worth.

She is headed for Broadway folks!

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #marketing #creativity #selfworthinitiative #luckypenny #paisley

Benjamin shares how he was diagnosed with sever dyslexia at a young age and to this day has a 3rd grade reading level. Despite that he owns a successful event company in Austin, TX and has met many celebrities! At age 23 he had trouble hearing in one ear and was smart enough to get it checked out as it was a golf ball size brain tumor.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #dyslexia #learningdisability #braintumor #eventproducer

Diana vulnerably shares her journey of being a divorced mom of two you boys when she was diagnosed with cancer. Little did she know, she would end up losing her left eye in a rare diagnosis and even more rare surgery. She built a unique bond with many at the hospital.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #executive #leader #cancerthriver #maxwell

Frank shares his history of mental health and suicide in his family. He has been a comedian for decades and also wrote jokes for Jay Leno and the Tonight Show for 20 years. He has a goal of saving a life a day.

Also, he has just landed his 14th TEDx talk, making him the human with the most in the world!

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #comedian #tedx #speakercoach

Jess shares how she woke up one morning as a teenager and her eye would not move... she was diagnosed with MS.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that affects the central nervous system, specifically the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It's an autoimmune disease, meaning the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, in this case, the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers. This damage disrupts the transmission of nerve signals, leading to a wide range of symptoms. 

The journey Jess has been on is miraculous, scary and incredible!

#scars...

Rhonda shares about being on the road with her husband, Wayne Nelson of The Little River Band and getting a cold that would not go away. She was eventually diagnosed with AERD. Rhonda is now an advocate for chronic disease, functional medicine and supports the Allergy Asthma Network as a board member. And… don’t miss the music stories at the end!

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #AERD #chronicdisease #hope #notalone #diagnosis #medicallymanaged #biologics

Hollywood shares the story of losing a lifelong friend from an accident and having a hard time with closure. This turned into him writing the book, “The Ashes”. He explains how he lost that friend that knew all the things from his life that others did not understand.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #death #livelongfriend #writingishealing #theashes

Carissa shares about how her ‘happily ever after’ did not turn out the way she expected. Diagnosed with several forms of depression, and dealing with suicidal ideation, she finally found herself through searching, reading, learning, healing and traveling.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters

#divorce #depression #suicidalideation #bucketlist #butterfly

Barton shares how he lost his brother to addiction.

The first time he tried heroin; it was laced with fentanyl.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters

#brother #fentanyl #drugaddiction #overdose #sibling #crisis

Jennifer shares about her struggles to have a baby and then being diagnosed with the most aggressive type of breast cancer.

She was given a death sentence, but you will want to hear the rest of the story!

She wrote a book about the experience, “Everyone Needs A Larry!”

You are also going to want to hear about what she is doing to help other women that are going through chemo treatments!

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters

Danielle shares how she went from thinking music would be her life to being an ecommerce expert. We also talk about all the ups and downs along the way!

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #music #careerchange #ecommerce #businessowner #jackofalltrades

Brian shares about the fentanyl crisis from his perspective of a special agent in the DEA. He shares so much education on the subject and what we can do to warn our friends, family and communities.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #lawenforcement #deaagent #fentanyl #whatcanwedo

Steven shares about his passion for leadership and giving back. On a solo motorcycle ride around the perimeter of the USA, he learned about a veteran who had taken his own life in a town he had stopped in on the norther border. After that he dedicated the rest of his ride to veteran suicide.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #veterans #goldstarfamilies #motorcycle #giving back

Ian talks about losing him mom to cancer in his thirties and how he dealt with grief along with friends who had lost a parent.

He calls it, ‘the club you don’t want to be in.’

We also talk about how travel experiences have altered our mindsets, and how getting out in the world wherever you might be, is a way to clear you mind and have lasting memories.

#scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #mom #cancer #travel