Trauma Rock Stars® | Trauma Recovery & Healing Podcast

Host - Rock Star Tracy
  • 3.0 (2)
  • Mental Health

Trauma Rock Stars® is a trauma recovery and healing podcast for survivors ready to move from surviving to thriving.  Hosted by Tracy Smaldino — a survivor, advocate, and speaker — this is a safe, real, and empowering space for anyone navigating trauma recovery, emotional healing, and post-traumatic growth. Each week we dive into the real, emotional truth of healing — with honest conversations, practical tools, and inspiring survivor stories that break the silence, remove the shame, and celebrate the courage it takes to grow through what you've been through. Whether you're navigating childhood trauma, PTSD, grief, anxiety, or nervous system healing — just beginning or deep in it — you'll find support, inspiration, and community here. From personal stories to expert interviews and therapeutic tools, this is where trauma survivors become the rock stars of their own lives. Because your trauma doesn't define you — it refines you. 🎸 New episodes every Tuesday. Hit subscribe and join the movement. You are not a groupie in someone else's story — you are the headliner of your own. That's Rock Star Resilience™. 📌 Free Life Audit Quiz: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🌐 traumarockstars.com 🔗 linktr.ee/traumarockstars

  1. 23h ago ·  Video

    Can You Really Heal From Childhood Trauma and Break the Cycle? | Trauma Rock Stars™

    Send us Fan Mail Healing from childhood trauma and breaking generational cycles of abuse, addiction, and people pleasing is possible — and Hilary Maumberger Powers is living proof. In this trauma recovery podcast episode, Tracy Smaldino  sits down with transformation mentor, trauma coach, and the original voice of Sally in Charlie Brown Peanuts — whose journey from homelessness and addiction to healing and purpose will leave you breathless. In this episode: - Growing up in Hollywood with a narcissistic alcoholic mother - Being the voice of Sally in Peanuts from age 5 to 12 - How childhood trauma creates people pleasing and self-destruction - Running away at 14, living on the streets and addiction - The fire escape moment that cracked everything open - Inner child work and meditation that changed everything - Forgiving her mother and going from $20K to $100K - 34 years as a Hollywood script supervisor - Why your desire must be greater than your lack - How to go from victim to victor in trauma recovery "Your desire has to be greater than your lack. Whichever energy is strongest wins." — Hilary Maumberger Powers 🎁 CONNECT WITH HILARY: → Website: https://hilarymombergerpowers.com 🎯 NOT SURE WHERE TO START YOUR HEALING? Free Life Audit Quiz — 8 questions, a few minutes: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🎵 SONGS THAT SAVED US — Healing Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mQfkVQtw1eB1eNSsD9ZQy → Rock Star 30™ Program: https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw?typeform-source=traumarockstars.com 📩 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

    Can You Really Heal From Childhood Trauma and Break the Cycle? | Trauma Rock Stars™

  2. 2d ago ·  Video

    Are You Stuck in the Messy Middle of Your Healing Journey? | Trauma Rock Stars™

    Send us Fan Mail Feeling stuck in the middle of your trauma healing journey is one of the most common — and least talked about — experiences in trauma recovery. In this trauma healing podcast episode, Tracy Smaldino breaks down the bridge — the uncomfortable in-between stretch where most people quit — and shows you exactly how to cross it. In this episode: - Why the messy middle of healing feels so uniquely hard - Why most people quit in the bridge - What the bridge is actually building inside you - Signs you are in the bridge right now - How to measure progress when nothing feels like it's happening - Why Gertrude gets loudest here - 5 steps to cross the messy middle "You are not lost. You are not failing. You are in the bridge. And the bridge always  leads to the final chorus." — Tracy Smaldino 🎯 NOT SURE WHERE TO START YOUR HEALING? Free Life Audit Quiz — 8 questions, a few minutes: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🎵 SONGS THAT SAVED US — Healing Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mQfkVQtw1eB1eNSsD9ZQy → Rock Star 30™ Program: https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw?typeform-source=traumarockstars.com 📩 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

    Are You Stuck in the Messy Middle of Your Healing Journey? | Trauma Rock Stars™

  3. Aug 18 ·  Video

    Can Your Worst Breakdown Lead to Your Biggest Breakthrough? | Trauma Rock Stars™

    Send us Fan Mail Trauma recovery breakthroughs almost always follow a breakdown — and understanding why your worst moments are actually clearing space for healing can change everything. In this trauma healing podcast episode, Tracy Smaldino breaks down the tear down framework and shows you how to survive and grow through your biggest life breakdowns. In this episode: - Why your breakdown was actually a necessary tear down - Why trauma survivors experience breakdowns so deeply - The 4 stages of the healing tear down:   The Lights Go Down   The Audience Leaves   The Crew Gets to Work   The Empty Stage - Why the empty stage is the most important part - How to survive without rebuilding too fast - What your breakdown was clearing   space for "Your breakdown was not a failure. It was your system saying the old stage has to come down. Because something better is being built." — Tracy Smaldino 🎯 NOT SURE WHERE TO START YOUR HEALING? Free Life Audit Quiz — 8 questions, a few minutes: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🎵 SONGS THAT SAVED US — Healing Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mQfkVQtw1eB1eNSsD9ZQy → Rock Star 30™ Program: https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw?typeform-source=traumarockstars.com 📩 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

    Can Your Worst Breakdown Lead to Your Biggest Breakthrough? | Trauma Rock Stars™

  4. Aug 11 ·  Video

    Is Fear of Being Seen Stopping Your Trauma Recovery? | Trauma Rock Stars™

    Send us Fan Mail Fear of being seen and fear of showing up are two of the most common blocks in trauma recovery and healing. In this trauma healing podcast episode, Tracy Smaldino breaks down stage fright — what it really means, why trauma survivors feel it so deeply, and how to walk out onto the stage of your healing journey anyway. Even Barbra Streisand had stage fright for 27 years. Adele runs offstage mid-show. Elvis vomited before almost every performance. And every single one of them walked out anyway. In this episode: - Why stage fright means you care — not    that you're not ready - The 4 fears hiding underneath your    stage fright:   Fear of being seen and found lacking   Fear of success   Fear of the healing work itself   Fear of disappointing people - What happens when fear makes your    healing decisions - Why avoidance makes the fear bigger - How Gertrude gets loudest before your    biggest breakthroughs - 5 steps to perform anyway — even    when terrified "Stage fright is not a stop sign. It is a signal that this matters. And things that  matter are worth doing scared." — Tracy Smaldino 🎯 NOT SURE WHERE TO START YOUR HEALING? Free Life Audit Quiz — 8 questions, a few minutes: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🎵 SONGS THAT SAVED US — Healing Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mQfkVQtw1eB1eNSsD9ZQy → Rock Star 30™ Program: https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw?typeform-source=traumarockstars.com 📩 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

    Is Fear of Being Seen Stopping Your Trauma Recovery? | Trauma Rock Stars™

  5. Aug 9 ·  Video

    How Do You Heal From Trauma You've Buried for Decades? | Trauma Rock Stars™

    Send us Fan Mail Learn how to heal from trauma you've buried for decades and recognize the signs of unhealed childhood trauma that keep survivors stuck. In this trauma recovery podcast episode, trauma survivor Tracy Smaldino shares her full healing journey — surviving a fatal car accident with burns on 70% of her body, surviving sexual assault, and the decades she spent carrying it in silence. She ran the biggest shows in Las Vegas. She also hid under the stage she helped build. This is the story of both. In this episode: - Surviving a fatal car accident as a child, burns on 70% of her body, losing both cousins - Surviving sexual assault and carrying it silently for decades - Almost 10 years as one of the only female Production Managers at House of Blues Las Vegas - BB King, Bono, Stevie Nicks — backstage stories - Why unhealed trauma shows up in your body before you ever name it - The Trauma Rock Stars™ healing framework: The Rider, Load In & Load Out, The Green Room, Sound Check, The Crew, The Breakdown, The Bridge - Why you are the headliner of your own story "For almost 10 years I produced everybody else's show. Healing was me finally walking out from under that stage and into my own spotlight." — Tracy Smaldino 🎯 NOT SURE WHERE TO START YOUR HEALING? Free Life Audit Quiz — 8 questions, a few minutes: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🎵 SONGS THAT SAVED US — Healing Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mQfkVQtw1eB1eNSsD9ZQy → Rock Star 30™ Program: https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw?typeform-source=traumarockstars.com 📩 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

    How Do You Heal From Trauma You've Buried for Decades? | Trauma Rock Stars™

  6. Aug 4 ·  Video

    Are You Avoiding the Healing Work You Know You Need to Do? | Trauma Rock Stars™

    Send us Fan Mail Avoiding trauma healing and demanding results without doing the work are the biggest blocks in trauma recovery. In this trauma healing podcast episode, Tracy Smaldino breaks down the groupie mentality — the external people draining your energy and the internal avoidance keeping you stuck in your healing journey. In this episode: - The two types of groupies blocking your healing journey - How to identify entitled energy drains demanding access to your life - Why your inner critic Gertrude is the world's most enthusiastic internal groupie - How to recognize when YOU are avoiding your own healing work - The real cost of staying in groupie mode - 5 steps to go from groupie to headliner - Why bless their hearts — but they're not on the list 😂 "The work you are avoiding right now is the exact work that will give you your life back." — Tracy Smaldino 🎯 NOT SURE WHERE TO START YOUR HEALING? Free Life Audit Quiz — 8 questions, a few minutes: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🎵 SONGS THAT SAVED US — Healing Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mQfkVQtw1eB1eNSsD9ZQy → Rock Star 30™ Program: https://form.typeform.com/to/qeZfPouw?typeform-source=traumarockstars.com 📩 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

    Are You Avoiding the Healing Work You Know You Need to Do? | Trauma Rock Stars™

  7. Jul 30 ·  Video

    Are You Codependent? A Pastor's Raw Story of Loving an Addict, Loss & Self-Forgiveness.

    Send us Fan Mail This is a raw conversation about codependency, addiction, and healing. What does codependency really look like — and how do you heal from loving an addict? In this episode of Trauma Rock Stars®, Rock Star Tracy talks with Pastor Steve about codependency recovery, surviving childhood trauma, addiction, generational trauma, and finally learning to forgive yourself. Steve shares being abandoned as a child, surviving childhood sexual abuse and staying silent for more than 40 years, the counselor who told him "you're codependent — you're just as much of the problem," losing his ex-wife to an overdose, and the moment he finally forgave himself. A raw, hopeful conversation about codependency, addiction recovery, generational trauma, forgiveness, and finding freedom on the other side. His ministry is faith-based, but his message of healing is for everyone. ⚠️ Content & support note: This episode discusses childhood sexual abuse, addiction, and the loss of a loved one to overdose. Please take care. Support: SAMHSA 1-800-662-4357 · RAINN 1-800-656-4673 · call/text 988 (US). Offered for encouragement and shared experience — not therapy or medical advice. In this episode: 00:00 Welcome (goosebump warning) 01:00 Abandoned as a child & told he'd never amount to anything 02:20 Surviving childhood sexual abuse — 40 years of silence 03:30 Marriage, a calling to ministry & the secret addiction begins 06:00 Finding the doctor-shopping & confronting it 09:00 "God, I'm done" — walking away from the church 10:00 "You're codependent" — the wake-up call 13:30 The waves of forgiveness 16:00 Forgiving himself & losing his ex-wife 20:00 Generational trauma & his sons 23:00 Advice for parents who haven't healed 27:00 Clarity: breaking up with the addiction 30:00 The misconceptions about pastors 37:00 Walk Right Ministries & community 43:00 His book: God's Imperfect Plan Is Perfect 49:00 Your first step + how to reach Steve Connect with Pastor Steve: 🌐 Walk Right Ministries — walkrightministries.com 🤝 Partners of Addicts community — partnersofaddicts.com 📖 Book — God's Imperfect Plan Is Perfect 🎁 Free guide — 10 Truths I Wish Someone Had Told Me From Trauma Rock Stars: 📌 Free Life Audit Quiz: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 💚 Newsletter: https://traumarockstars.com/#newsletter 🔗 All links: linktr.ee/traumarockstars You are not a groupie in someone else's story — you are the headliner of your own. That's Rock Star Resilience™. Support the show

    Are You Codependent? A Pastor's Raw Story of Loving an Addict, Loss & Self-Forgiveness.

  8. Jul 28 ·  Video

    Is Your Inner Critic Running Your Healing Journey? | Trauma Rock Stars™

    Send us Fan Mail Healing from trauma becomes impossible when your inner critic is running the show of your life. In this trauma recovery podcast episode, Tracy Smaldino introduces the Tour Manager framework — and shows you how to identify which voice is actually managing your healing journey. Meet Gertrude — Tracy's inner critic. And learn why giving your inner critic a name is one of the most powerful things you can do in your trauma healing journey. In this episode, you'll learn: ✦ The two voices running your life — and which one is actually in charge ✦ How trauma accidentally promoted your inner critic to Tour Manager ✦ Signs your inner critic has been running your healing journey ✦ What your inner guide actually sounds like ✦ How to name your inner critic and take back the power ✦ 5 steps to fire the inner critic and hire your inner guide ✦ Why Gertrude needs to sit down 😂 ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 — Hook: Who Is Running Your Tour? 2:30 — Two Voices, One Mic 6:00 — How the Wrong Tour Manager Gets Hired 9:30 — What a Qualified Tour Manager Actually Sounds Like 13:30 — How to Fire the Inner Critic & Hire Your Inner Guide 17:30 — Your Rock Star Takeaway 🎯 NOT SURE WHERE TO START YOUR HEALING? Free Life Audit Quiz — 8 questions, a few minutes, total clarity: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🎵 SONGS THAT SAVED US — Healing Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0mQfkVQtw1eB1eNSsD9ZQy 🎸 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 🔗 https://linktr.ee/traumarockstars 🎁 ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY — STILL OPEN! Win the Backstage Pass™ 90-Day Program FREE. Entries close July 31, 2026. Must be 18+. No purchase necessary. Official Rules: https://traumarockstars.com/giveaway-rules 💛 WAYS TO SUPPORT TRAUMA ROCK STARS™: ☕ Buy Me a Coffee:    https://buymeacoffee.com/traumarockstars 🤝 Become a Supporter:    https://www.buzzsprout.com/2526063/supporters/new 📧 SPEAKING & KEYNOTE INQUIRIES: podcast@traumarockstars.com Your inner critic is not your Tour Manager. It is a frightened crew member who got promoted during an emergency and never gave the title back. It is time to reassign the role. You are not a groupie in someone else's story. You are the headliner of your own. Headliners always have the right Tour Manager. 🎸 Support the show

    Is Your Inner Critic Running Your Healing Journey? | Trauma Rock Stars™
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Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Trauma Rock Stars® is a trauma recovery and healing podcast for survivors ready to move from surviving to thriving.  Hosted by Tracy Smaldino — a survivor, advocate, and speaker — this is a safe, real, and empowering space for anyone navigating trauma recovery, emotional healing, and post-traumatic growth. Each week we dive into the real, emotional truth of healing — with honest conversations, practical tools, and inspiring survivor stories that break the silence, remove the shame, and celebrate the courage it takes to grow through what you've been through. Whether you're navigating childhood trauma, PTSD, grief, anxiety, or nervous system healing — just beginning or deep in it — you'll find support, inspiration, and community here. From personal stories to expert interviews and therapeutic tools, this is where trauma survivors become the rock stars of their own lives. Because your trauma doesn't define you — it refines you. 🎸 New episodes every Tuesday. Hit subscribe and join the movement. You are not a groupie in someone else's story — you are the headliner of your own. That's Rock Star Resilience™. 📌 Free Life Audit Quiz: https://traumarockstars.com/lifeaudit 🌐 traumarockstars.com 🔗 linktr.ee/traumarockstars

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