2d ago

Feeling Lost? Coming Home to Your True Self After Grief & Trauma | Tara Wiskow

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt completely lost — like you have no idea who you really are anymore? In this deeply moving episode of Trauma Rock Stars™, host Tracy sits down with Tara Wiskow, an intuitive energy healer and life-reinvention expert, who spent decades feeling disconnected from herself before finally coming home to who she truly is. 💗 A note before you listen: This episode includes an honest discussion of grief, disordered eating, and a moment of suicidal thoughts. If you're struggling, please reach out for support. In the US, you can call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or contact the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline at 1-866-662-1235. You are not alone. Tara shares the family secret she uncovered at age eight, the years she spent shape-shifting to fit in, the profound grief of losing her biological father and later her sister — and the moment everything shifted when she stopped running and started listening. It's an honest, tender conversation about identity, grief, self-love, intuition, and the belief that the truest version of you was never lost — she's been waiting for you all along. Whether you feel stuck, disconnected, or like you've lost yourself in everyone else's expectations, this conversation is an invitation to find your way back. 🧠 Questions We Explore in This Episode: • What do you do when you feel completely lost and don't know who you are? • How can grief become a turning point for reconnecting with yourself? • What is "identity shifting," and how does it help you come home to yourself? • What does it mean to meet your "higher self" in meditation? • How do you start learning to love and trust yourself again? ❓ Quick FAQ: Q: What do you do when you feel lost and don't know who you are? A: In this episode Tara shares that feeling lost often comes from years of shaping yourself to fit others' expectations. Her path back began with small acts of self-love and learning to listen to her own inner voice — the sense that your authentic self is still there, waiting. Q: What is identity shifting? A: Tara describes identity shifting as releasing the masks and beliefs you've carried to fit in, and reconnecting with your most authentic self — the work that finally brought her "home" to who she really is. Q: What does it mean to meet your higher self? A: Tara and Tracy each describe a guided-meditation experience of connecting with a calm, loving inner presence — what they call the higher self — and how that moment opened the door to deeper intuition and healing. 🎸 Take the FREE Trauma Rock Stars™ Life Audit™: 👉 https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw Find out exactly where you are on your healing journey in less than 5 minutes. Your personalized Rock Star 30™ guide is waiting for you on the other side. 🌿 Connect with Tara Wiskow: 🌐 Website: https://tara-wiskow.com ✨ "She Rises" program: https://tara-wiskow.com/she-rises 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-wiskow-610b4154/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeTheChangeYouNeedToday 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.wiskow/ 🎙️ Listen & Connect with Trauma Rock Stars™: ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TraumaRockStars 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/traumarockstars 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/traumarockstars 🌐 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@traumarockstars 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracysmaldino 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/traumarockstars 🌐 Website: https://traumarockstars.com 🎙️ Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063 💛 Ways to Support Trauma Rock Stars™: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/traumarockstars 🤝 Become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063/supporters/new Trauma Rock Stars™ is a safe, real, and empowering space for anyone navigating trauma recovery. Hosted by Tracy — survivor, advocate, and your biggest cheerleader. ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 — Have you ever felt completely lost? Meet Tara 2:00 — The family secret revealed at age eight 4:30 — Shape-shifting to fit in & losing herself 6:00 — Meeting her biological father: "like looking in a mirror" 9:00 — Losing her dad & years of feeling disconnected 10:00 — Turning to food to cope through the pain 16:00 — A breaking point and the moment everything shifted 20:00 — Learning self-love, starting in the mirror 26:00 — Losing her sister Trisha & the signs that followed 30:00 — The "Identity Shifting" workshop & meeting her higher self 37:00 — Why your higher self has been waiting for you 44:00 — Intuition, energy & shadow work 46:00 — Trusting your gut: a story of being protected 53:00 — Meditation as a daily practice 55:00 — Tara's healing work with clients 59:00 — Closing: you were never lost — she's inside you Support the show

57 min

4d ago

The Venue: Your Body Is Your Home — How to Come Back to Yourself | Trauma Rock Stars™

Send us Fan Mail No matter how talented the artist — if the venue isn't maintained, the show suffers. In this solo episode, Tracy Smaldino — former Production Manager at House of Blues Las Vegas — uses the concert venue as a powerful metaphor for your body. Your body is the space where your entire healing journey happens. And for most trauma survivors, we've been neglecting that venue for years. This episode breaks down what it means to come home to your body and why somatic healing is the foundation everything else is built on. In this episode: - How trauma disconnects you from your body — and the signs you've been living "above the neck" - Your nervous system as your venue's infrastructure — fight/flight vs. regulated - Why healing only happens when your system feels safe - 4 practical tools to start reconnecting today: Grounding, Body Scan, Movement & Breath - How the Backstage Pass™ 90-Day program supports deep body and nervous system healing "Trauma didn't just hurt you. It evicted you from your own home. Healing is moving back in — one room at a time." — Tracy Smaldino 🎸 FREE RESOURCES: → Free Life Audit Quiz (5 min, free): https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit → Rock Star 30™ Program: https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw?typeform-source=traumarockstars.com 📩 SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: https://traumarockstars.com/#newsletter 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/traumarockstars 💛 SUPPORT THE SHOW: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/traumarockstars 🎙️ Become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063/supporters/new Support the show

20 min

Jun 11

Live Energy Healing Session: Finding Your Blocks & Superpowers with Cheryl | Trauma Rock Stars™

Send us Fan Mail What if someone could look at your energy and tell you exactly what's blocking your healing — and clear it in real time? In this unscripted, deeply vulnerable episode of Trauma Rock Stars™, host Tracy Smaldino invites spiritual coach, master healer, and 3-time author Cheryl to conduct a LIVE chakra reading and energy healing session — on Tracy herself. Nothing was planned in advance. What was revealed surprised even Tracy. In this episode: - Cheryl's origin story: her late brother's spirit appeared as a ball of white light 32 years ago - What chakra readings actually reveal — blocks AND superpowers - The block found directly in front of Tracy's eyes - The nervous system urgency pattern working against healing - Live harab breathwork: how full breath accesses the subconscious - Inner child healing at age 6 — the root of "I'm not enough" - Why awareness alone doesn't heal — it takes the body too - The 3 affirmations that shifted everything: I am loved. I am enough. Life is incredible. - How to become your own energy worker "We are all powerful beyond what we can currently believe." — Cheryl, Star of Divine Light Institute 🎁 FREE EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR LISTENERS: Complimentary chakra reading exclusively for Trauma Rock Stars™ listeners: https://cherylstelte.kartra.com/calendar/20min-chakra-reading-free 📖 Connect with Cheryl: https://starofdivinelight.com 🎯 Free Life Audit Quiz: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit Newsletter: https://traumarockstars.com/#newsletter 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/traumarockstars 💛 SUPPORT THE SHOW: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/traumarockstars 🎙️ Become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063/supporters/new Support the show

57 min

Jun 9

Sound Check: How to Check In With Yourself Before the World Gets to You | Trauma Rock Stars™

Send us Fan Mail When is the last time you checked in with yourself before the world got to you? In this solo episode, Tracy Smaldino introduces the Sound Check — the daily non-negotiable practice that separates reactive people from grounded ones. Your nervous system is your instrument. Your body, emotions, thoughts, and voice are your channels. Skip the check-in and you walk onto the stage of your life completely uncalibrated. In this episode: - Why skipping your daily check-in keeps you stuck in reactive mode - The difference between reactive and responsive - The 4 channels of your personal sound check - A check-in question for every channel - 4 simple steps to make this a daily practice - Why trauma teaches us to abandon ourselves — and how to come back - How Rock Star 30™ builds the daily check-in into your healing structure Your 4 Channels: 1. The Vocals (Voice) — What am I not saying that needs to be said? 2. The Beat (Body) — Where am I holding tension right now? 3. The Mix (Emotions) — What emotion am I carrying that I haven't named? 4. The Reverb (Mind) — What story am I telling myself today — and is it true? "You cannot pour from an empty soundboard." — Tracy Smaldino Five minutes. Four questions. One practice that changes everything. 🎯 Rock Star 30™ Program + Free Life Audit Quiz: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/traumarockstars 💛 SUPPORT THE SHOW: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/traumarockstars 🎙️ Become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063/supporters/new #TraumaRockStars #SoundCheck #NervousSystemHealing #MorningRoutine #ReactiveVsResponsive #RockStarResilience #RockStar30 #TraumaHealing #HealingJourney #DailyCheckIn #EmotionalHealing #SomaticHealing #InnerCritic #YouAreEnough #MentalHealthPodcast Support the show

21 min

Jun 4

70 Days Between Life and Death — Her Near-Death Experience | Holly Porter

Send us Fan Mail What do you see when you're at the very edge of life? In this unforgettable episode of Trauma Rock Stars™, host Tracy talks with Holly Porter, who spent 70 days in two hospitals fighting COVID in 2021 — intubated, in and out of a coma, with her organs shutting down. During that time, Holly had a series of profound out-of-body and near-death experiences that completely changed how she sees life, purpose, and what comes next. Holly shares the "Stadium of Light," a life review that showed her only the good, a visit from her late mother, an army of loved ones (living and passed) chanting for her to "fight," and the single message that transformed everything: love them where they're at. She also opens up about her two hard years afterward, the hypnosis sessions that unlocked the rest of her story, and the SHIFT framework she now teaches. This is a story of survival, faith, and finding your purpose — no matter what you've been through. 🧠 Questions We Explore in This Episode: • What is a near-death experience really like? • What's the difference between an out-of-body experience and a near-death experience? • How can a brush with death reveal your true purpose? • What does it mean to "love people where they're at"? • How do you turn your hardest experiences into a legacy? ❓ Quick FAQ: Q: What did Holly see during her near-death experience? A: Holly describes leaving her body, traveling to what she calls the "Stadium of Light," a life review that showed her only the good moments, and being surrounded by loved ones — both living and passed — urging her to fight. Q: What is the SHIFT framework? A: SHIFT is the framework Holly teaches and writes about in her book "Near Death Shift." It stands for Surrender, Hope, Intuition, Faith, and Transformation. Q: How can you find your purpose after a hard experience? A: Holly believes you don't have to almost die to truly live. Her advice: quiet the outside noise, listen to your own intuition, and remember that changing even one life — including your own — is a purpose worth honoring. Note: The spiritual experiences and beliefs Holly shares are her own, offered for reflection and hope — not medical advice. 🎸 Take the FREE Trauma Rock Stars™ Life Audit™: 👉 https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw Find out exactly where you are on your healing journey in less than 5 minutes. Your personalized Rock Star 30™ guide is waiting for you on the other side. "You don't have to almost die to truly live and find your purpose." — Holly Porter 🌟Connect with Holly: https://hollyporterinternational.com/ 🎙️ Listen & Connect with Trauma Rock Stars™: ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TraumaRockStars 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/traumarockstars 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/traumarockstars 🌐 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@traumarockstars 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracysmaldino 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/traumarockstars 🌐 Website: https://traumarockstars.com 🎙️ Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063 💛 Ways to Support Trauma Rock Stars™: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/traumarockstars 🤝 Become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063/supporters/new Trauma Rock Stars™ is a safe, real, and empowering space for anyone navigating trauma recovery. Hosted by Tracy — survivor, advocate, and your biggest cheerleader. ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 — Meet Holly Porter & her 70-day fight for life 2:00 — Life before COVID & getting sick at a conference 4:25 — Walking into the hospital as her organs began to fail 6:48 — 70 days, two hospitals: intubation, sepsis & infections 7:00 — Out-of-body experiences & traveling "back in time" 11:36 — A message of support & her mother's visit 13:00 — "Fight, fight, fight": an army of loved ones, living and passed 18:51 — The Stadium of Light & her life review 21:00 — The messages: what she was told to do (and not do) 22:30 — Waking up & the "kidnap" feeling 24:00 — Two hard years & finding answers at IANDS 27:00 — The hypnosis session & the entity she calls Darby 33:00 — "Love them where they're at" — the message that changes everything 41:00 — Faith vs. spirituality after the experience 44:00 — The SHIFT framework & her book "Near Death Shift" 50:00 — Turning purpose into philanthropy & the Retreat Association 57:00 — You don't have to almost die to truly live: finding your purpose Support the show

57 min

Jun 2

The Set List: Build Your Intentional Healing Roadmap | Trauma Rock Stars™

Send us Fan Mail Are you healing in chaos — reacting to whatever is loudest and never actually choosing what you're working on? In this solo episode, Tracy introduces The Set List: a 5-step method for building an intentional trauma healing roadmap across the 3 lanes of your life — emotional, physical, and mental. Just like a professional band builds their set list before a single fan walks through the doors, your healing deserves a strategy. Without one? You're just making noise. In this episode: - Why trauma keeps you in reactive mode — and how to break out of it - The difference between working on what hurts most vs. what needs to come first - The 3 lanes of healing and how to prioritize without overwhelm - A 5-step process to build your personal healing set list - Why 30 days is the perfect opening set for your recovery - How the Rock Star 30™ program gives you a fully guided roadmap Your 5 Steps: 1. Take the free Life Audit Quiz 2. Choose one thing per lane 3. Put them in order 4. Give it a 30-day time frame 5. Review it weekly You are not a passenger in your healing journey. You are the artist. You get to decide what's on the set list. Rock Stars always play with intention. 🎯 Free Life Audit Quiz + Rock Star 30™ Program: https://traumarockstars.com 💛 SUPPORT THE SHOW: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/traumarockstars 🎙️ Become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063/supporters/new 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/traumarockstars 🎯 Free Life Audit Quiz + Rock Star 30™ Program: https://traumarockstars.com 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/traumarockstars Support the show

11 min

May 28

"You're On Your Own" — Firefighter Survives 18 Years of Betrayal, Bullying & Trauma | Trauma Rock Stars™

Send us Fan Mail Female firefighter bullying, workplace trauma, and PTSD recovery — this episode covers it all. Lynette was the first and only woman ever hired at her fire department, and on her very first day as a career firefighter, a captain pulled her into a room and told her: "If you ever get into trouble — we're not coming to save you." She carried that secret for over a decade, walking into burning buildings never knowing if her team would have her back. In this powerful episode, retired firefighter, trauma coach, and author of You're On Your Own, Lynette opens up about 18 years of workplace bullying, misogyny, and betrayal — and how she finally broke the cycle, found her voice, and rebuilt her life from the inside out. 🧠 In This Episode You'll Learn: How hypnotherapy completely transformed her trauma healing journey (and what happened in session TWO)Why trauma can be caused by betrayal — not just crisisHow a childhood pattern of abuse showed up in every area of her lifeWhat post-traumatic growth actually looks likeWhy talk therapy wasn't enough — and what finally workedThe moment she handed in her early retirement and said two words: "Plot twist."💡 Key Takeaway: You are replaceable at your job. You are not replaceable in your own life. Choose yourself — even when it's terrifying. That's Rock Star Resilience™ 🎸 Take the FREE Trauma Rock Stars™ Life Audit™: 👉 https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw Find out exactly where you are on your healing journey in less than 5 minutes. Your personalized Rock Star 30™ guide is waiting for you on the other side. 💬 Drop "PLOT TWIST" in the comments if this episode hit home for you! That's Rock Star Resilience™ 🎙️ Connect with Lynette: 📖 Book — You're On Your Own: https://a.co/d/0frzuxt4 📲 Instagram: @FireWithinCrisisServices 🌐 Website: https://firewithincrisisservices.com 🎙️ Listen & Connect with Trauma Rock Stars™: ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TraumaRockStars 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/traumarockstars 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/traumarockstars 🌐 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@traumarockstars 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracysmaldino 🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/traumarockstars 🌐 Website: https://traumarockstars.com 💛 Ways to Support Trauma Rock Stars™: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/traumarockstars 🤝 Become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063/supporters/new 00:00 — Introduction: Meet Lynette 01:45 — From Hairstylist to Firefighter — How It All Began 04:00 — Fire School: The Camaraderie She Thought She'd Have 05:30 — Fighting to Volunteer: They Made It Clear She Wasn't Wanted 07:00 — The Chief Who Had Her Back 08:45 — Her First Day on the Job — The Threat That Changed Everything 11:30 — Living With Fear: A Decade of Silent Pep Talks 14:00 — Small Town, Big Secrets: The Weight She Carried 16:30 — The Breaking Point — Reconnecting with Her Feminine Side 18:00 — The Counselor Who Said: "That's Abuse." 19:30 — Childhood Trauma, Abusive Relationships & the Pattern She Finally Saw 22:00 — "I Didn't Cry for Nine Years" — Stuffing It All Down 24:00 — The Aha Moment: "Plot Twist." — Her Early Retirement 25:30 — Fighting the Union That Was Supposed to Protect Her 27:00 — Writing It All Down: Thousands of Pages, One Book 28:30 — What Led Her to Hypnotherapy 31:00 — Session Two: The Absolute Rodeo That Changed Her Life 33:30 — Past Life Regression: The Castle, the Clay Hut & Standing Up 35:30 — The Moment the Fear Left Her Body 37:00 — What Hypnotherapy Is Really Like (Not What You Think) 39:00 — The Book: You're On Your Own 41:00 — Post-Traumatic Growth & Why PTSD Is Not a Life Sentence 43:30 — The Chief Who Believed in Her — Where He Is Now 45:00 — Finding Her Voice at the End of Her Career 47:00 — What She Does Now: Trauma Coaching & Crisis Services 50:00 — Advice for Anyone Stuck in a Cycle of Suffering 52:30 — Choosing Yourself — Even When It's Terrifying 57:00 — How to Find Lynette & the Phoenix Society women in firefighting, trauma healing, PTSD recovery, workplace bullying, first responder mental health, toxic workplace, hypnotherapy, post-traumatic growth, female firefighter, trauma coach, women empowerment, healing journey, mental health podcast, first responder trauma, abuse survivor, trauma recovery, firefighter mental health, memoir, rock star resilience, Tracy Smaldino Support the show

52 min

May 26

Load-In & Load-Out: Are You Carrying Too Much? | Trauma Rock Stars™

11 min

Trauma Rock Stars™

Feeling Lost? Coming Home to Your True Self After Grief & Trauma | Tara Wiskow

The Venue: Your Body Is Your Home — How to Come Back to Yourself | Trauma Rock Stars™

Live Energy Healing Session: Finding Your Blocks & Superpowers with Cheryl | Trauma Rock Stars™

Sound Check: How to Check In With Yourself Before the World Gets to You | Trauma Rock Stars™

70 Days Between Life and Death — Her Near-Death Experience | Holly Porter

The Set List: Build Your Intentional Healing Roadmap | Trauma Rock Stars™

"You're On Your Own" — Firefighter Survives 18 Years of Betrayal, Bullying & Trauma | Trauma Rock Stars™

Load-In & Load-Out: Are You Carrying Too Much? | Trauma Rock Stars™

Ratings & Reviews

Life changing

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Trauma Rock Stars™

Episodes

Feeling Lost? Coming Home to Your True Self After Grief & Trauma | Tara Wiskow

The Venue: Your Body Is Your Home — How to Come Back to Yourself | Trauma Rock Stars™

Live Energy Healing Session: Finding Your Blocks & Superpowers with Cheryl | Trauma Rock Stars™

Sound Check: How to Check In With Yourself Before the World Gets to You | Trauma Rock Stars™

70 Days Between Life and Death — Her Near-Death Experience | Holly Porter

The Set List: Build Your Intentional Healing Roadmap | Trauma Rock Stars™

"You're On Your Own" — Firefighter Survives 18 Years of Betrayal, Bullying & Trauma | Trauma Rock Stars™

Load-In & Load-Out: Are You Carrying Too Much? | Trauma Rock Stars™

Ratings & Reviews

About

Information