Proud Gunaikurnai woman, Veronica Gorrie, had spent a lifetime in fear of the police… and with good reason.  Ronnie's grandmother, Linda, was stolen from her family as an eight-year-old in 1941, along with her three siblings.  And Veronica’s beloved father John was forcibly taken at birth from his then 16-year-old mother Linda & placed in an orphanage.After watching her friends and family suffer under an inherently racist law-enforcement system, Veronica bravely signed up for training to become one of a handful of Aboriginal police officers in Australia, with the hope of creating a sense of safety and trust for Aboriginal communities, and for her three children.In this incredibly powerful episode of BRAVE JOURNEYS, Veronica speaks frankly about a childhood replete with brutality, alcoholism and sexual assault, the impact of intergenerational trauma, her lived experience of systemic racism & intimate partner violence & the torment of making her way in the white, male-dominated police force, as captured in her book, Black & Blue: A Memoir of Racism & Resilience.In the era of Black Lives Matter, as policing & deaths in custody in Australia come again under the microscope, it’s time to dispense with platitudes and focus on an honest, transparent journey of enlightenment. No more tokenism, no more box ticking. We must all commit to learning and become educated about the shameful history and egregious injustices the Traditional Custodians of our nation have endured. We must listen and we absolutely must do better. It is such an honour that Veronica agreed to join me on BRAVE JOURNEYS.This is Ronnie’s story…Please note that this vitally important episode of BRAVE JOURNEYS talks graphically about the stolen generation, sexual abuse and domestic violence and isn’t remotely suitable for little ears.Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples should please be aware that this episode may contain the names of people who have passed away.If anything you hear during this episode is triggering in any way, please reach out to someone who can keep you safe.  And please remember if you’re in Australia, you can phone Lifeline at any time on 13 11 14.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Follow Ronnie on Twitter hereBuy Ronnie’s incredible book, Black and Blue: A Memoir of Racism & Resilience hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes here CREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Veronica GorrieAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg, Ursula Ferguson.And a special shout out to the beautiful Zandy Alter.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait

My next guest, Stephanie Giese is a mother of five, a celebrated writer, a prolific blogger - recognised as one of HuffPost’s most viral bloggers of the decade & was named a BlogHer Voice of The Year - a former teacher and a tireless advocate for children and families living with mental illness. Stephanie and her husband Eddie are foster, adoptive and biological parents.  They adopted their first child Nicholas at 13 months. When Nicholas turned three, he started blaming an imaginary friend he called The Other Nicholas for terrifying things he did that he couldn't remember or explain. By the time Nicholas turned seven, professionals were starting to use words like "psychotic break" and "crisis unit." And by the age of twelve, he’d been admitted to paediatric psychiatric hospitals on four occasions.Stephanie’s just published memoir, All I Never Knowed, which has been launched to critical acclaim, is the true story of the Giese family and the fight for Nicholas as he struggles with severe mental illness. Written at Nicholas' behest and told from the perspective of his extraordinary mother, Stephanie intimately shares the years & the enormous toll of navigating her child’s mental health crisis.  It’s also the story of the unbreakable love between a mother and her son, as well as a husband and his wife.  And it’s a love letter to each family struggling through mental illness; each child battling the scars of trauma; and each parent questioning their worth.This is not an episode that any parent or prospective parent can afford to miss!!!This is Stephanie and Nicholas’ story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find more about Stephanie hereFollow Stephanie on Facebook hereFollow Stephanie on on Twitter hereFollow Stephanie on Insta hereBuy Stephanie’s remarkable book, “All I Ever Knowed” hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Stephanie GieseAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula FergusonBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Stephen Jon Thompson is a distinguished leader and Tech Executive whose job it is to find the most elite talent in artificial intelligence for the world’s most cutting-edge technology & consumer companies - Including; Nike, Amazon, LinkedIn, Apple & Google.So, it might be reasonable to assume Stephen was born into a beautiful family, with a silver spoon in his mouth, had an IVY league education & that his stratospheric career trajectory was written in the stars.  But this is BRAVE JOURNEYS  my friends & we all know by now that that’s not how this extraordinary man’s life began.You see, at nine years of age, Stephen was abandoned with his four younger siblings in a Nevada motel by his drug-addicted mother.  His childhood was filled with abuse, violence, a revolving door of men, neglect, foster homes, Juvenile Hall, & a poverty so extreme, its seriously remarkable he survived.  And yet, he has done so much more than just that.Today, apart from being a giant in the tech recruitment space, Stephen is a board member of Students Rising Above a not-for-profit organisation that is dedicated to the cultivation & development of extraordinary youth who are low-income, 1st generation college students who’ve demonstrated a deep commitment to education & strength of character in overcoming tremendous odds of poverty, homelessness & neglect. This is Stephen’s story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Stephen hereFollow Stephen on Facebook hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Stephen Jon ThompsonAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula FergusonBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrungwho are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Laura Cathcart Robbins is an acclaimed culture writer, storyteller extraordinaire & now beloved host of The Only One in the Room Podcast.Laura’s survived post-natal depression; struggled through debilitating addiction and divorced her high-profile, Hollywood juggernaut, ex-husband.  And when life felt very much rock bottom, Laura met her long-time love and collaborator Scot, in rehab… as you do… & has been sober now for 13 years.   Laura’s also a 2018 LA Moth StorySlam winner and sits on the advisory board for the San Diego Writer’s Festival, the Outliers HQ podcast Festival, as well as being the founding member of Moving Forewords, the first American memoirist collective of its kind.   Laura’s articles in The Huffington Post and The Temper on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide praise.  Laura’s gorgeous in every way, she’s as honest as the day is long and I’m absolutely thrilled she’s here.  Did I mention her voice is mellifluous?  Ok, OK, a little bit of a girl crush is clearly going on… This is Laura’s story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Laura hereFollow The Only One in the Room Podcast hereFind Laura on TwitterFollow Laura on InstaFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Laura Cathcart RobbinsAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg & Ursula FergusonBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

From the age of eight, Dr Michelle Stevens was brutally tortured and enslaved, raped, and pimped out to countless men by a sadistic paedophile; a man who passed himself off as her father.After suffering more than ten years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, Michelle escaped and with superhuman strength, Michelle chose not to give into despair and vowed - that no matter what - she was going to fight for a good, decent, normal life.  But the journey to that “good life” was paved with agony and heartache including psychological breakdowns, suicide attempts and the disorienting onset of Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder).Michelle went on to study writing at New York University and earned her doctorate in psychology from Saybrook University, where her thesis was honoured as the “Dissertation of Distinction.” Michelle has presented her research to the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, where she also received an award for Outstanding Research and her writing about trauma has appeared in the New York Times, Time, People, Psychology Today, The Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping, and The Hollywood Reporter.Michelle has penned a remarkable memoir - Scared Selfless: My Journey from Abuse and Madness to Surviving and Thriving and she’s also the Founder and Executive Director of Post-Traumatic Success, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and inspiration of those affected by psychological trauma. It is with immense awe and gratitude that I have the honour of welcoming Dr Michelle Stevens to the BRAVE JOURNEYS family… and in case you had any doubts, she is a living miracle… Please note that this incredibly powerful and important episode of Brave Journeys talks graphically about sexual abuse and suicide and isn’t remotely suitable for little ears.If anything you hear during this episode is triggering in any way, please reach out to someone who can keep you safe.  And please remember if you’re in Australia, you can phone Lifeline at any time on 13 11 14.And for sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling services please call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for 24/7 phone services.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find Michelle on Twitter hereFollow Michelle on Insta hereFollow Michelle on Facebook hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Dr Michelle StevensAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Are you in for a treat BRAVE JOURNEYS family? Today’s guest is a bona fide superstar.  But that’s not why I love him.  And I really do love him.36 hours after Jono Lancaster was born with Treacher Collins syndrome - a rare genetic disorder that effects the development of the cheek bones, jaw, chin and ears -  his parents abandoned him in the hospital, claiming they were “horrified by Jono’s physical appearance” …and they never looked back.If you’ve read the book or seen the incredible film Wonder starring Julia Roberts & Mandy Patinkin, you will know that the principal character Auggie - played by the extraordinary actor - Jacob Tremblay - was born with the same condition.But Jono’s tragic start to life doesn’t define him; it’s been the making of him.Today at 36, Jono and I discuss, well, absolutely everything from parental rejection to being put in the foster system at two weeks old and formally adopted at age 5 by his magical mum, Jean.  We talk about bullying, finding self-love, falling in love and becoming a global ambassador for the LOVE ME, LOVE MY FACE FOUNDATION that supports children and their families with Treacher Collins.Jono is adored the world over for his optimism, wicked sense of humour, humility, remarkable sense of gratitude, and what he teaches us about making the world a more compassionate place.Put it like this - If you don’t feel like pumping your fists in the air, being extra kind today and thankful for all your blessings, then I’m sending Jono round to your place… NOW.This is Jono’s story …BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Jono hereFollow Jono on Facebook hereFind Jono on Twitter hereFollow Jono on Insta hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Jono LancasterAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Doctor Mark Cross has worked in psychiatry for three decades and specialises in treating young people, complex PTSD, women’s mental health & anxiety disorders.Mark’s also a senior Lecturer at the University of NSW & a conjoint lecturer at Western Sydney University.  He sits on the Board of SANE AUSTRALIA - whose mission is to improve the health of those living with complex mental health issues, as well as reducing stigma & in 2015, Mark received the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists NSW Branch Meritorious Service Award for his “significant contribution” to psychiatry.And if that’s not enough of a professional pedigree, Mark was the lead psychiatrist on the ground-breaking series Changing Minds for the ABC - that followed patients in the locked ward of the Mental Health Unit of Liverpool Hospital.Mark’s fundamental message is that mental illness is exactly that, an illness, not a character defect. He wants us all to be unafraid to speak about how we are REALLY doing. Oh, and did I forget to mention – he’s also lived with anxiety all his life and refers to himself as the “anxious shrink”.  How could he NOT be a guest on Brave Journeys???  Free therapy for me!!!  Woo Hoo!!!This is Mark’s story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Mark here:https://www.drmarkx.com/Find out where to buy Susan’s incredible memoir, Anxiety: Expert Advice from a Neurotic Shrink Who’s Lived with it All His Life here:https://www.amazon.com.au/Anxiety-Expert-Advice-Neurotic-Shrink/dp/0733339425Follow Mark on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/TheAnxiousShrinkWatch Mark's incredible weekly community vodcast:https://www.facebook.com/watch/TheAnxiousShrink/Find out more about Tam here:www.tammifaraday.comFollow Tam on Insta:@tamfaradayFollow Brave Journeys on Insta:@bravejourneyspodcastJoin the conversation and chat about the episode on:https://www.facebook.com/bravejourneyspodcastNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes here:https://link.chtbl.com/braveCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Dr Mark CrossAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Susan Burton is the one-time producer & now editor of the Pulitzer Prize winning weekly public radio show and podcast - This American Life - heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations across America; with another 2.5 million people downloading the podcast each week.  Susan’s radio documentaries have won numerous awards, including an Overseas Press Club citation, & The film Unaccompanied Minors, which was directed by Freaks & Geeks creator Paul Feig, is based on one of her personal essays. And Susan’s writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Slate, The New Yorker, & she’s a former editor of Harper's. Susan graduated from Yale in 1995.  So as far as professional pedigree goes, she’s incredibly inspiring.And yet, despite all the successes & achievements, Susan has silently lived with anorexia & binge eating disorder since she was 13 years old.  Now in her 40s, Susan bravely shares with me - as she has in her incredible memoir EMPTY - that food’s been the source of her anxieties for as long as she can remember.And whilst Susan’s working towards recovery, she’s the first to admit, she’s still a work in progress.This is Susan’s story …BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Susan here:http://www.susanburton.net/Find out where to buy Susan’s incredible memoir, Empty, here:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/214241/empty-by-susan-burton/Listen to This American Life here:https://www.thisamericanlife.org/Follow Susan on Insta:@susanmasonburtonFind out more about Tam here:www.tammifaraday.comFollow Tam on Insta:@tamfaradayFollow Brave Journeys on Insta:@bravejourneyspodcastJoin the conversation and chat about the episode on:https://www.facebook.com/bravejourneyspodcastNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes here:https://link.chtbl.com/braveCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Susan BurtonAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Eilene Zimmerman noticed that the man who’d loomed large in her life for nearly 30 years - her ex-husband and father of her two children – PETER – seemed increasingly out of sorts.  He’d been looking progressively thin, seemingly preoccupied, couldn’t shake flu like symptoms and was becoming a more and more unreliable parent to their kids.Eilene assumed Peter’s appearance and erratic behaviour was due to stress and overwork.  As a senior partner at a prominent law firm, he’d been working more than 60 hours a week for more than 20 years. But putting that aside, Peter seemed to have it all: a high-flying legal career; an exquisite waterfront property; luxurious cars, and other largesse that came with his affluent uber-successful life. But when their son Ethan returned from a few days at Peter’s beach home, he shared with his mum, Eilene, that his dad was very sick, but despite desperate pleas, Peter refused point blank to go to hospital.After two days of trying to reach Peter, Eilene drove to his house and made a shocking discovery.The man she knew and loved for almost three decades had been living a secret life; one that started with pills and ended with opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine.  You see, Peter was prosperous and powerful in the eyes of everyone else – but at the end of the day he was a man with demons and a lethal addiction that ultimately cost him his life. And Eilene, Peter’s ex-wife, was left to pick up the pieces; all the pieces.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Eilene here:www.eilenezimmerman.comFollow Eilene on Insta:@eilenezwriterFollow Eilene on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/eilene.zimmerman.75Find out more about Tam here:www.tammifaraday.comFollow Tam on Insta:@tamfaradayFollow Brave Journeys on Insta:@bravejourneyspodcastJoin the conversation and chat about the episode on:https://www.facebook.com/bravejourneyspodcastNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes here:https://link.chtbl.com/bravehttps://tammifaraday.com/bravejourneyspodcastCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Eilene Zimmerman Audio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Never before in the history of humankind has it been possible for a woman to give birth to an infant who is genetically unrelated to her.  Never before has it been possible for a woman to be the genetic parent of children to whom she has not given birth.  Never before has it been possible to bring children into the world in more than 30 ways.  Never before has it been possible that a child born can have more than two genetically related parents.  Never before has the issue of choice had such kaleidoscopic implications – particularly for the children born of these advancements in medical science.So with that in mind let me paint a picture for you – it’s the 1960s in South Africa, when my next guest, Fiona Darroch’s parents - sought the assistance of gynaecologist/obstetrician, Dr Norman Walker, to start a family.  Dr Walker assured Fiona’s parents that by mixing sperm samples, it would help Fiona’s dad’s sperm to fertilise her mum’s eggs.  But before you vigorously shake your heads with disbelief - remember, we’re talking about the 60’s, when Drs - let alone specialists - were Godlike… and their advice was gospel.  Dr Walker then told Fiona’s parents to go home, make love and forget it ever happened.  And that’s exactly what they did.37 years later, Fiona uncovered the truth about her conception.  Not only was the man who raised her not her biological father, but she also discovered that she and potentially HUNDREDS, yes HUNDREDS, of her siblings, were the outcome of what is known as fertility fraud.Today, Fiona is a clinical psychologist who works with many adults who, like her, were Donor Conceived & are struggling through the avalanche of heartache & unanswered questions when they discover that the families who raised them are not the people who gave them life.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Fiona here:https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/pregnancy/woman-estimates-hundreds-of-siblings-from-doctor-sperm-donor-dad-after-dna-testing/news-story/451ed0c39aaf7dfe105b8cdd0668620dWatch Fiona on SBS’s Insight Program here:https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/fertility-fraud-how-fiona-discovered-her-biological-dad-and-hundreds-of-siblingsFind out more about Tam here:www.tammifaraday.comFollow Tam on Insta:@tamfaradayFollow Brave Journeys on Insta:@bravejourneyspodcastJoin the conversation and chat about the episode on:https://www.facebook.com/bravejourneyspodcastNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes here:https://link.chtbl.com/braveCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Fiona DarrochAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.