Host Dave Roberts introduces the Teaching Journeys podcast and interviews rehabilitation consultant and author Val Walker about her book “Healing Through Wonder: How Awe Restores Us After Trauma and Loss.” Walker describes a lifelong sense of wonder and how neuroscience and positive psychology research validate awe as a healing, resilience-building trait. She outlines the Awe Experience Scale criteria, including vastness, altered time, physical sensations, oneness, inexplicability, and the “small self,” and emphasizes cultivating everyday awe and sharing awe stories for lasting benefits. Walker recounts a pivotal late-1970s moment when a great blue heron interrupted a suicide attempt after domestic violence and grief, inspiring lifelong heron symbolism. She summarizes four profiles in her book involving awe turning points. Walker also discusses her Healing Through Wonder YouTube storytelling channel and provides websites for contact and resources.

Val’s Bio and Contact Information

Val Walker is a rehabilitation consultant and blogger for Psychology Today and the Health Story Collaborative. She is the author of The Art of Comforting, a Nautilus Book Award Gold Winner, and 400 Friends and No One to Call. With a Master of Science degree in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, she has led support groups and workshops for twenty-five years for people living with illness, disability, grief, and trauma. She lives in Boston and speaks throughout New England at human services agencies, medical centers, hospices, and universities.

Social Media Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/val-walker-11628b21/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579292450531#

X: https://x.com/ValWalkerAuthor

YouTube Healing Through Wonder Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@WonderforLiving

Author website: https://valwalkerauthor.com

Healing Through Wonder website: https://healingthroughwonder.com

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Host Dave Roberts introduces the Teaching Journeys podcast and interviews Becca Pearce, a former Maryland state exchange CEO appointed in 2011 to implement the Affordable Care Act. Becca describes building the agency from nothing, enrolling 300,000 previously uninsured people, then losing her job publicly after an IT system failure, which shattered her identity. Fourteen months later she learned she had a ping-pong-ball-sized brain tumor, underwent a 12-hour surgery, and faced major recovery, which deepened her understanding of vulnerability and prompted her to reassess success and balance. She discusses her book, You Don’t Have to Achieve to be Loved, and explains her coaching approach, emphasizing that time is life’s key nonrenewable resource.

Becca's Bio and Contact Information

Becca Pearce understands firsthand how hard change can be Two life-altering events forced her to realize that what she once wanted no longer felt right. The resulting journey reshaped her path, upending everything she had believed about success and happiness.

Over the last twelve years, Becca has learned the value of vulnerability, the importance of optimism and the imperative to find the life you want to live now because we're never promised tomorrow. A former CEO and state official, she is now the president of Extend Coaching & Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping people find the courage to live the life they've been dreaming of.

Connect with Becca:

Website: morebeccaopearce.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccapearce/

To connect with Dave, go to davidrobertsmsw.com

Host Dave Roberts interviews Steve Moore, an award-winning author and licensed clinical professional counselor with 25+ years of experience and 35 years of continuous sobriety. Moore shares his early life in a German orphanage, adoption, abandonment into foster care and a psychiatric hospital, and an abusive childhood followed by life with an alcoholic, PTSD-affected adoptive father. He describes his progression into heavy drinking, Air Force service, and entering treatment on October 10, 1990 after a doctor warned of severe liver damage. Moore discusses his work through moresobriety.com helping people heal emotional wounds, shame, grief, trauma, and core beliefs, reframing relapse as a learning opportunity, and using tools like gratitude lists and the “stop sign” method. He also uses songwriting/poetry for healing, highlights fellowship’s role, reflects on nearly relapsing after his wife’s death in 2024, and explains his book “34 Years Sober” on sustaining long-term recovery.

Bio and Contact Information

Steve Moore is an award-winning author, licensed clinical professional counselor, and Master Addictions Counselor with over 25 years of clinical experience and more than 35 years of continuous sobriety.

Steve is the founder of mooresobriety.com where he helps individuals heal emotional wounds, reduce shame, and build lasting recovery grounded in self-awareness, compassion, and personal responsibility.

He is the author of four books exploring grief, addiction, shame, and family systems, and his work is shaped by both clinical practice and lived experience. At the core of his philosophy is a powerful belief: you can’t go home, until you’ve gone home—a reminder that unresolved childhood experiences often influence adult relationships, self-worth, and coping behaviors.

In addition to his clinical work, Steve is also a songwriter who uses poetry and music as tools for healing childhood trauma, and he teaches clients how to access creativity as a pathway to emotional recovery. His songs can be found on his You Tube Channel “Songs and Melodies Productions”.

A veteran-informed speaker and educator, Steve blends psychology, whole-health recovery principles, and personal narrative to foster clarity, resilience, and sustainable personal growth.

.

Website: https://www.mooresobriety.com

Email: serenity_counseling_services@outlook.com

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-a-moore-lcpc-ncc-mac-506a6034

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578391686586

Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/samwv_u1982/

Host Dave Roberts interviews Jeff Johnston, founder and CEO of Brighton, a mental wellness app combining health, wealth, and purpose with evidence-based AI support. Johnston recounts losing his 23-year-old son Seth to fentanyl poisoning on Oct. 4, 2016, and later his wife Prudence to alcoholism in 2021, describing ensuing alcoholism, grief, suicidal ideation, and a shift from status- and money-driven living toward seeking peace, joy, empathy, and resilience. He discusses reframing pain and suffering, stigma around men crying, and how guided plant-based medicine experiences (psilocybin and ketamine) helped him. Johnston outlines his advocacy work (Living Undeterred project, podcast, 2022 nationwide tour) and explains Brighton’s AI-driven journaling, pattern recognition, and personalized prompts, plus his book This One’s For You written partly for Seth’s daughter Brighton.

Bio and Contact Information

Jeff Johnston is the Founder and CEO of Brightn, a comprehensive mental wellness app that brings together health, wealth, and purpose through evidence-based AI support. His life was forever changed on October 4, 2016, when his oldest son, Seth, died from fentanyl poisoning at age 23. Formerly a successful entrepreneur and financial advisor in Iowa, Jeff stepped away from his career to become a vocal advocate for substance use awareness and mental health. He began speaking in schools, joined the board of a local treatment facility, and launched the Living Undeterred Project in 2020 to confront stigma around addiction. That same year, he authored This One’s For You and launched the Living Undeterred Podcast. In 2021, Jeff lost his wife, Prudence, to alcoholism. Driven to create meaningful change, he completed a 95-day nationwide tour in 2022 and is now building Brightn to help others live with greater resilience and purpose.

Website: www.brightn.app

Twitter: https://twitter.com/undeterreddad

Facebook: https://facebook.com/brightnapp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightnapp/

Podcast: https://linktr.ee/LivingUndeterred

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-a-johnston/

Book: www.thisonesforyoubook.com

Email: jeff@brightonapp.com

Phone: (319) 899-3400

To find out more about Dave , go to davidrobertsmsw.com

Host Dave Roberts interviews Cindy Barg, a motivational speaker, retreat leader, licensed psychotherapist, and author whose life was shaped by multiple losses. Cindy recounts a car crash at age 12 that killed her father, injured her family, and led to a near-death/shared-death experience in which she felt taken out of her body, encountered a loving “other side,” and was told to return. Years later, her older brother Michael Barg, who said he would die young, was murdered at 39 in a home invasion, inspiring her book The Heavens Never Cried and a second completed manuscript about what her deceased brother communicated to her. Cindy describes post-death visitations from Michael, discusses grief, counseling, respectful approaches to skeptics, cultural differences in caring for the dying, and urges listeners to live fully

Cindy’s Bio and Contact Information

Cindy Barg is a dynamic and internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, retreat leader, licensed psychotherapist, and published author. After a series of devastating life experiences, her existence was completely splintered.

Through Cindy’s own grief and healing process, she has experienced extraordinary conversations and signs from the other side, confirming that those who have passed are still with us. She shares these experiences with local and international audiences in the hope that my journey will provide hope and inspiration for others moving through the grieving process.

Connect with Cindy:

Website: cindybarg.com

Email: cebarg11@gmail.com

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Host Dave Roberts interviews Sydney Curtin—author, songwriter, entrepreneur, consultant, and nonprofit board member—about experiences shaping her life and work. Curtin describes childhood instability, her mother’s fatal addiction, being raised by a single father, and entering an abusive relationship at 20 that led to pregnancy. Facing custody fears, she chose an open infant adoption in 2019, naming her daughter “Berlyn” to mean “beautiful firestorm,” but says the adoptive parents later moved abroad and effectively closed the adoption. She wrote the workbook “Courageous Considerations” to help expectant mothers and adoptive parents set expectations and ask critical questions. Curtin discusses adoption dynamics, overcommunication vs. expectation setting, and her advocacy for adoption reform, including legally enforceable post-adoption contact agreements, access to resources and legal representation, and banning unlicensed facilitators. Her key takeaway is that self-development begins with self-forgiveness.

Sydney's Bio and Contact Information

Sydney Curtin is a published author, songwriter, and serial entrepreneur known for her executive-level work at the intersection of business strategy, leadership, and purpose-driven impact. As a highly sought-out business consultant, she brings strategy and growth to founders and organizations, is the CEO of multiple companies that she owns and operates and a board member for the nonprofit organization Unplanned Good, where she helps shape national advocacy and mission-focused initiatives. Recognized for blending sharp business acumen with authentic storytelling, Sydney has built and led multiple ventures while maintaining a respected public presence. And above all, she is a mom of three, a role that anchors her leadership, influence, and long-term vision.

Links:

https://a.co/d/5B7zJn5

www.sydneycurtin.com

www.coachcurtin.com

https://www.facebook.com/sydney.nicole.566

To find out more about Dave go to davidrobertsmsw.com

Host Dave Roberts introduces the Teaching Journeys podcast and interviews retired nurse and grief advocate Linda Henderson, who describes how her 37-year nursing career and the deaths of her mother and 27-year-old pregnant daughter Andrea shaped her path. Andrea and a coworker were killed instantly in a crash caused by a transport truck driver texting, and Henderson recounts her early, debilitating grief, a pivotal moment three months later when she considered ending her life, and her decision to “chip away” at grief. She discusses the trauma of a highly publicized case and court trial, the struggle to maintain contact with Andrea’s son Tristan and ultimately gaining access, and her book The Road of Love and Hope. Henderson explains her AAA Framework—Acknowledgement, Action, Appreciation—emphasizing small steps, community support, counseling, and the message to “embrace the moments,” and shares where to find her work.

Linda’s Bio and Contact Information

Linda Henderson is a retired nurse with 37 years of experience in compassionate care. After the profound loss of her daughter, she found her new purpose in helping others navigate the complex journey of grief. She holds certifications in Professional Grief and Bereavement, Coping with Child Loss, and Grief and Bereavement Counselling. Linda is the author of The Road of Love & Hope and the creator of the Triple-A Framework—Acknowledgment, Action, and Appreciation—offering guidance to those seeking hope after loss. She is a writer for “Open to Hope online grief support”,” Compassionate Friends” and contributed a chapter to the book “The Empowered Grief Journey: 23 Stories of Grief.” Her work focuses on grief education, navigating the Grief process, and creating safe spaces for healing. Through her speaking, writing, and advocacy, Linda ensures that no one walks the road of grief alone. She continues to honour Andrea’s memory by helping others integrate loss into purpose and transform hope into a legacy.

• · Facebook, Linda Wesley Henderson or Linda Henderson
• · TikTok, @lindawesleyhenderson
• · Instagram, lindahenderson5044
• · Website, authorlindahenderson.com

To connect with dave go to daverobertsmsw.com

Host Dave Roberts welcomes Rania, host of The Healing Trained Podcast and founder of R2R Coaching, who supports women reclaiming power from toxic dynamics using talk therapy and energy modalities such as EFT and Reiki. They discuss how immigration, early curiosity about human behavior, and exposure to past-life concepts (including Brian Weiss’s work) shaped Rania’s path. Rania outlines signs of toxic relationships—tension, feeling drained, dismissed, constant arguments, boundary violations, manipulation and gaslighting—and emphasizes focusing on behavioral patterns rather than labels. They explore why people repeat toxic cycles, citing unhealed childhood trauma, cultural and religious pressures, people-pleasing, and lack of self-worth. Rania describes relationship grief as mourning lost dreams, identity, time, money, community, and the person imagined. She explains her coaching as “exploration” and “invitation,” and shares her key takeaway: trust your intuition and bodily signals. Rania shares where to find her work and affirmation products online.

RANIA EFFAT BIO And Contact Information

Podcast Host “THE HEALING TRAIN PODCAST WITH RANIA”, a certified Relationship Coach, EFT & Reiki Practitioner, Speaker, Author, and a passionate Change-Maker. As the Director and Founder of R2R Coaching, Rania specializes in guiding and supporting women to reclaim their power, heal from toxic dynamics and rise in self-worth. In her practice, she uses multiple energy healing modalities alongside talk therapy.

Through her work, Rania aims to raise awareness about narcissistic behaviors across all relationship dynamics, equipping individuals with the tools they need to navigate and manage toxic situations. Born out of her own healing journey, she created an Affirmation Product Line, designed for practical daily use, with personalization options to encourage self-love, promote a positive mindset and elevate one’s vibration.

Rania invites those ready to embark on a journey of healing and self-empowerment to reach out. Whether through coaching sessions, energy healing, intuitive readings, or personalized affirmation posters, Rania is here to equip you with the tools needed to rise.

Connect with Rania:

🔗 Instagram: @r2rcoaching

🎙️ Podcast: The Healing Train Podcast with Rania

🌐 YouTube: @RaniaTheRisingCoach

To Book a FREE Let’s Get Acquainted Call:

https://linktr.ee/ready2rise

📍 Find all links: [Link tree in Instagram bio

To connect with Dave go to davidrobertsmsw.com