Shomari Jackson was raised in East St. Louis, but he spent most of his childhood and teen summers in Arizona visiting his dad. He went to college in Arizona, but as he puts it, "Arizona chewed him up and spit him out." He returned home, experienced some major life events, navigated mental health issues, and finally grappled with the questions that would move him forward: Who was he? What was he capable of? How had trauma (historical, generational, personal) affected him? And most importantly, how did he want to carry himself into the world? Shomari went on to complete both his bachelors and masters degrees, and he's been advocating for equitable change in Arizona ever since.Today, Shomari is the owner and executive director of The South Mountain W.O.R.K.S. Coalition, a nationally recognized substance use prevention organization that focuses on systems change and building resilient communities in South Phoenix and throughout Maricopa County. He is the 2021 recipient of the Arizona Innovation in Health Equity Award, and on this episode, he shares what it means to reshape systems of inequity and support communities with an equity lens. Not only is this conversation timely, it's necessary. We hope you'll listen in.To learn more: http://southmountainworks.org/To connect with Shomari: [email protected] or [email protected]

Carol grew up in a home where church and service to others was paramount. This was a wonderful thing as it prompted her to pursue social work, but it also had its detriments - which Carol didn't recognize for many decades. She didn't know she had a savior complex. Or codependency issues. Or a desire to control people and situations. But then a series of heavy circumstances hit Carol and her family, and she could no longer ignore the truth. One, she had work to do, and two, she needed help. Carol joined Al Anon and Celebrate Recovery, and in finding the support of others in recovery, she began her own journey to hope and true strength. Now it's her mission to share that hope with others.Join Sanghoon and Michelle as they talk with Carol, a social worker, consultant, and advocate for quality family support and training. Working across the non-profit sector and state government, she works to prevent child abuse through family resource centers, home visitation, and child development and parenting programs. Carol is also the co-dependent spouse of a recovering opioid and alcohol addict, a part of her story she honestly shares on this episode. Listen in and be encouraged.To connect with Carol: [email protected] learn about Carol's consulting services: https://lopinskiandassociates.com/

Ben and Sarah met at as ASU students at a prayer gathering thirty-five years ago. They were just friends at the time, but God had other plans. Through their time together in prayer and faithfulness, God was growing their resilience, their desire to bring people together, and their trust in His timing. Today, Ben and Sarah are Directors of the Campus Christian Center (C3), next to Arizona State University, which is now home to more than 20 Christian ministries and hundreds of weekly student visitors. Additionally, Ben is the Executive Director of the Arizona Center for Christian Studies (AzCCS), which seeks to engage ASU students and faculty with a Christian academic presence and perspective.Over the decades, Ben and Sarah have seen many prayers answered. They've ministered to countless students, professors, and leaders. They've also experienced challenges. Through it all, they've been reminded of God's good timing and purposes. He's been trustworthy before. He is trustworthy now. They are trusting Him into the future.This episode will energize your faith and your hope. Give it a listen and be encouraged.To learn more about C3 or Arizona Center for Christian Studies: www.c3tempe.org or www.azccs.netSocial Media: @c3tempeTo connect with Ben and Sarah: [email protected]

Mary's life changed in her early teens when her parents divorced. Not only did her family change, she also moved, and went from a private school setting to attending public school. It was a difficult adjustment at the time, but now she sees how the Lord used those experiences to open her eyes and heart to a bigger world than the one she had always known.As Mary grew, so did her global perspective. She went on a mission trip to West Africa, came home and made friends with Lost Boys from Sudan, worked for Food for the Hungry, and eventually, went on to get her Master's degree in social and cultural pedagogy. Today, Mary is a the Executive Director of Phoenix Refugee Connections, a ministry that equips and sustains Christians to walk in love with their refugee neighbors. She and her husband have four children - two biological and two from the foster care system for unaccompanied refugee children - as well as four grandchildren. Mary shares about her family's dynamics on this episode. It's beautiful, heartwarming, and definitely worth a listen.To learn about Phoenix Refugee Connections: www.phxrc.orgTo connect with Mary: [email protected]

Curtis enjoyed a childhood surrounded by family and centered on Christ. It was idyllic...mostly. But Curtis also experienced trauma very young - events he didn't consider a big deal, until decades later, as a biblical counselor, the heaviness of his work finally collided with his own personal heaviness. He was forced to confront his trauma and work toward healing.During his healing journey, Curtis began seeing gaps in trauma care, particularly for military veterans with PTS (also known as PTSD). This prompted him to write the book, I Have PTSD: Reorienting After Trauma. It also fueled his research for his doctorate, which helped him identify the need for empirical research within the field of biblical counseling.Today, Dr. Curtis Solomon is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Sentinel Institute, a ministry that supports the wellbeing of populations impacted by trauma through empirical research and biblical scholarship. He serves as Program Coordinator & Assistant Professor for Biblical Counseling at Boyce College. This episode is well-rounded, with a little something for every kind of helper professional - those who love personal story, and for those who love science. Listen in! To purchase Dr. Solomon's books go here. To learn more about the Sentinel Institute go here. To contact Dr. Solomon: https://thesentinelinstitute.org/contact/

From a young age, Kelly felt like a defender of the marginalized. Events in childhood and adolescence helped to grow her deep empathy, but she admits a desire to repair the world was growing in her from the moment she was born. After running a mental health program for youth and children in El Salvador for several years, Kelly realized two things: one, she was called to find the light in dark spaces...and to help others see it. And two, she needed to establish better boundaries. If she was to do the work she loved at a sustainable pace, she'd have to better understand and protect her own capacity. Her body was demanding it.Today, Kelly is a trauma-informed coach and healing practitioner who supports changemakers as they journey into healing, resilience, and sustainable life rhythms. This episode is for healers, leaders, caregivers, and for those who seek justice on behalf of others. If you've experienced burnout or compassion fatigue, and you've learned the delicate balance of defending others and protecting self, you're going to want to listen in. Kelly's story will help you remember why you chose the work you do in the first place.Sign up for Kelly's weekly Love Notes: https://www.kellylubeck.com/Enroll in Kelly's current program: https://www.kellylubeck.com/rootsofresiliencemarch2026Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellylubeck/

Ruth's trauma story is not your typical Adverse Childhood Experience, but it changed the trajectory of Ruth's life. It transformed her understanding of grace and forgiveness. It taught her to embrace God's love in all its fullness. It shaped her into the leader she is today. And ultimately, it became her story of healing and recovery. Ruth shares that story vulnerably in this episode.After years in the corporate world, Ruth stepped into the calling she had always felt on her life, and founded Brilliant Light International, a ministry organization that provides Christ-centered trauma recovery and trauma-informed church services to women who have survived trafficking, abuse, and imprisonment. Aside from her ministry in Arizona, Ruth's organization has partnered with pastors in India to share the good news about Jesus and help them grow churches in rural villages.This episode covers big topics including mental health, medical trauma, forgiveness, business leadership, and the enemy's tactics against leaders in ministry. Listen in and be blessed.To connect with Ruth: [email protected] To learn more about Brilliant Light Int'l: https://brilliantlightinternational.com/

Jannah Scott grew up in San Fransisco, amidst diverse friends and the unique leadership of her mother. It's no surprise then that Jannah found her place as a leader in government and civil society, both nationally and internationally. Having served as Policy Advisor on Faith and Community Initiatives to former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Jannah was given the opportunity to serve in President Obama’s administration as Deputy Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As you can tell, her heart is for policies, programs, and local initiatives that promote peace for all people. But as Jannah shares in this episode, she also has an immense heart for prayer and a big love for Jesus--gifts encoded in her DNA. Her mother was a prayer warrior; so was her grandmother. Jannah credits her mother's many prayers as the reason she overcame substance use, allowing her to grow into the resilient leader she was made to be.Join us as Jannah shares about her substance use recovery, her experience with tragic grief, her time and work during the Obama administration, and the collective trauma of the black community. There's so much to learn from her leadership. Don't miss this episode!Today, Jannah is the CEO of the American Center for Religious Freedom (ACRF), and has been since 2017. To learn more: https://www.acrf.global/home To connect with Jannah: [email protected]

Growing up with alcoholic parents, Clay knew the shame and pain of neglect and not being heard. But his older sister was there for him, protecting him and nurturing in him a strong resilience that would carry him throughout adulthood. Years later, Clay would find out the many secrets his family kept. At the age of 40, he finally decided it was time to heal his childhood trauma.For decades, Clay worked in child abuse prevention with the Maricopa County Dept of Public Health in Arizona where he made it his top priority to help people feel heard and seen. Today, Clay is a desired presenter for local and national conferences, and he's shared his story with thousands. He wants all who hear his story to know that no matter what's happened to you, hope and recovery are possible. This episode is uplifting and inspiring. You're going to want to listen in.Clay’s memoir, My Sister’s Brother, tells his story of survival and healing after childhood trauma. To purchase Clay's memoir: www.clay-jones.comTo connect with Clay: [email protected]

Welcome to the first episode of Season 5!Join us as we speak with Keiko Ratcliffe, founder and CEO of Skye's the Limit! Foundation, an orginization that empowers youth and families through creativity and connection.In 2014, Keiko lost her daughter, Skye, to a drug overdose. The devastating loss turned her world upside down, but even then, Keiko knew she would somehow use Skye's story to help others. In 2019, Keiko founded the Skye's the Limit! Foundation with a mission to prevent trauma-related loss by strengthening resilience and mental wellness for youth, families, and communities. As Keiko has continued to learn about neuroscience and the effects of trauma, she's better learned how to equip young people with tools that help them cope, regulate emotion, recover from stress, and ask for help when needed—protective factors proven to reduce substance use, overdose, and suicide.Currently, Keiko is designing curriculum to take into schools. Blending art, music, somatic practices, and experiences in nature, she's curating the very activities Skye held dear.  Connect with Keiko: [email protected] more about Skye's the Limit!: https://skyesthelimit.org/