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It's Therapy Thursday!

What happens when life breaks you completely? After losing her teenage son to a violent crime and surviving an attack by a serial killer just months later, Sylvia Moore Myers discovered a profound truth that transformed her understanding of trauma: we aren't designed to heal—we're designed to scar.

This realization sparked her journey to become a traumatologist and author of "Gold Scars," where she shares how trauma and grief can become beautiful parts of our story rather than permanent sources of pain. Drawing from Japanese Kintsugi—the art of mending broken pottery with gold—Sylvia teaches that proper mending actually makes us more beautiful and valuable than before.

Throughout our conversation, Sylvia dismantles common misconceptions about grief recovery. She explains why touching someone during emotional sharing disrupts the healing process, how our culture "broke grief" by making death sterile and ceremonial, and the importance of supporting the bereaved long after the funeral. Her practical wisdom offers hope without minimizing suffering—a rare combination in trauma recovery.

Most powerfully, Sylvia shares her personal miracle story of beating cancer during pregnancy against medical advice, demonstrating how faith sustained her through impossible circumstances. Her "seven H's" framework for healing provides actionable steps for anyone navigating their own trauma journey.

Whether you're personally working through grief or supporting someone who is, this episode offers transformative insights that honor pain while illuminating the path forward. As Sylvia explains, "I didn't need a way to forget what happened—I needed a better way to remember."

CONNECT WITH SYLVIA
linktr.ee/goldscars

sylviamooremyers@gmail.com

Support the show

Host Candace Fleming
Co-host Janet Hale

visit the website at https://www.essentialmotivation.com/
visit the store at https://shopessentialmotivation.com/
Instagram instagram.com/essentialmotivationllc

visit Janet's website https://haleempowermentllc.com/

To be a guest on our show email me at candacefleming@essentialmotivation.com
In the subject line put EMH Guest

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988

Music by Lukrembo: https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Provided by Knowledge Base: https://bit.ly/2BdvqzN

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What would our lives look like if we had learned financial literacy from an early age? Sean Lax, who joined us on Essential Mental Healing, answers this question through his remarkable journey from childhood homelessness to successful real estate agent.

Sean's story begins in suburban St. Louis where his family embodied the American dream – until they lost everything in 1992. At just 12 years old, Sean experienced the devastating shift from comfort to sleeping in the family car. This profound early experience instilled in him a deep fear of financial insecurity that would follow him for decades.

With raw honesty, Sean shares how joining the Air Force at 18 provided stability but not financial wisdom. Despite earning regular paychecks, he lived paycheck-to-paycheck until a Black captain mentored him about homeownership. This pivotal relationship led to his first home purchase at 22 during the 2008 housing crash – the beginning of his financial awakening.

What makes Sean's story particularly powerful is his vulnerability around mental health. He discusses the psychological impact of financial insecurity and advocates for breaking the stigma around therapy in the Black community, especially for men. His perspective on utilizing both traditional therapy and community resources like barbershops, churches, and family elders offers listeners practical avenues for healing.

Now a successful real estate agent with millions in sales, Sean approaches his work with unique empathy, treating clients like family because he understands the profound importance of home. His journey illustrates how financial education can transform lives, while his advice on humility, perseverance, and utilizing free financial resources provides actionable wisdom for listeners at any stage of their financial journey.

Whether you're facing hardship or building wealth, Sean's story reminds us that our past doesn't determine our future. Join us for this inspiring conversation that proves it's never too late to learn, grow, and create financial security.

Support the show

Host Candace Fleming
Co-host Janet Hale

visit the website at https://www.essentialmotivation.com/
visit the store at https://shopessentialmotivation.com/
Instagram instagram.com/essentialmotivationllc

visit Janet's website https://haleempowermentllc.com/

To be a guest on our show email me at candacefleming@essentialmotivation.com
In the subject line put EMH Guest

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988

Music by Lukrembo: https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Provided by Knowledge Base: https://bit.ly/2BdvqzN

Send us a text

Have you ever noticed how life seems to move in cycles? That's because there truly is nothing new under the sun.

In this soul-nourishing conversation, Janet and Candace explore how ancient patterns repeat throughout our lives while revealing that our unique power lies in how we respond to these timeless challenges. Janet shares her journey back to veganism and how physical nourishment connects to spiritual growth, remembering that "what I put in this body determines how this body is going to be." Meanwhile, Candace reflects on how our trauma responses often perpetuate familiar cycles that feel safe but might be holding us back from authentic healing.

The mother-daughter duo discusses how the parent-child relationship naturally transforms over time – from parents caring for children, to a period of independence, to adult children eventually helping aging parents navigate new challenges like technology. Janet humorously compares teaching parents technology to "changing diapers," illustrating how role reversals are simply part of life's natural progression. Their conversation explores how observation and presence, rather than performance, creates the deepest connections with loved ones.

Most powerfully, they remind us that finding goodness in difficult situations can dramatically change our trajectory. While circumstances may follow predictable patterns, our response to them doesn't have to. As Candace suggests, "magnify what is good and continue to search for those things and you will draw those things to you more often."

Ready to break old patterns? Listen now to discover how ancient wisdom can transform your modern life. Then share your own story of transformation with us – we'd love to feature different perspectives on healing family relationships in future episodes.

Support the show

Host Candace Fleming
Co-host Janet Hale

visit the website at https://www.essentialmotivation.com/
visit the store at https://shopessentialmotivation.com/
Instagram instagram.com/essentialmotivationllc

visit Janet's website https://haleempowermentllc.com/

To be a guest on our show email me at candacefleming@essentialmotivation.com
In the subject line put EMH Guest

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988

Music by Lukrembo: https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Provided by Knowledge Base: https://bit.ly/2BdvqzN