Stories We Weren't Supposed To Tell

Sunshine Faye
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  • Mental Health

Welcome to Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell. This is a survivor led podcast where we speak the truth about abuse, manipulation, and what it really takes to rebuild your life after it. These aren’t watered down stories. These are real experiences from real people who lived it, survived it, and chose to tell it anyway. You’ll hear the patterns most people miss love bombing, gaslighting, control, trauma bonds broken down in a way that finally makes sense. Alongside each story, we dive deeper with The Manipulation Whisperer episodes, connecting the dots between what happened, why it happened, and how to take your power back. This space is for the ones who: – questioned their reality – stayed longer than they should have – are trying to find themselves again And it’s also for the ones watching from the outside the friends, the family, the people who have ever asked: “Why didn’t they just leave?” This will help you understand what abuse actually does to a person how it rewires thinking, creates attachment, and makes leaving far more complex than it looks. You’re not crazy. You’re not alone. And you’re not the only one this happened to. If you’ve ever felt like something wasn’t right but couldn’t explain why… this podcast will give you the words for it. And once you see it, you won’t unsee it. Sunshine Faye ☀️

  1. 2d ago

    E31: 🎃 Halloween Special: The Monsters We Dated! 👻

    🎃 Halloween Special: The Monsters We Dated! 👻 Forget ghosts and haunted houses… some of the scariest monsters are people we've actually dated! 😂 From stolen Halloween candy to jealous witches, flying pumpkins, and an alpha male who ran from a chainsaw, we're sharing Halloween horror stories that are equal parts hilarious, horrifying, and downright ridiculous. Grab your candy, pour yourself a drink, and prepare to laugh at the audacity! 🍬💀 want to share your holiday story https://www.sunshinefayemedia.com sunshinefayemedia@gmail.com Happy Halloween from Stories We Weren't Supposed to Tell! 🎃

  2. Oct 22

    E30: Krystle’s Manipulation Whisperer Episode

    This episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell takes us one step deeper into Krystle’s story. Last episode, Krystle shared the experiences that shaped her life. Today, Sunshine and Krystle takes those experiences and breaks down the manipulation, trauma responses, and patterns that Krystle didn't even realize were happening. Welcome to Krystle’s Manipulation Whisperer episode. We start with three little letters that can control so much of our lives without us even realizing it. FOG. Fear. Obligation. Guilt. Krystle opens up about how fear shaped her decisions long after the abuse ended, how obligation became a way of life, and how guilt kept her putting everyone else's needs before her own. We revisit her relationships and uncover the manipulation hiding beneath the surface. Sexual coercion, triangulation, isolation, gaslighting, blame shifting, DARVO, future faking, intermittent reinforcement, and the slow erosion of her ability to trust herself. We talk about what happens when someone manipulates you for so long that even when the evidence is sitting right in front of you, you still question what you know to be true. And then there's the discard. Sunshine uses an analogy from The Manipulation Whisperer about being thrown off a boat and desperately trying to get back on, never stopping to ask whether that boat was safe in the first place. Krystle takes that analogy even further, explaining what it actually feels like when the person hurting you is also the person you believe can save you. But we don't stop at identifying manipulation. We talk about people-pleasing, loving someone's potential instead of who they actually are, the difference between empathy and self-abandonment, and why healing also means taking an honest look at our own behaviors. Krystle shares how trauma affected her ability to handle conflict, why she sometimes shuts down when confronted, and how recognizing those responses has helped her begin changing them. And we talk about the things that helped her find herself again. Meditation, movement, caring for her body, learning boundaries, laughter, and forgiveness. Because recognizing what someone did to you is only part of healing. The other part is learning how to trust yourself again. And when we return to the question Krystle answered in her original episode, what would you tell yourself at your lowest point?, her answers bring everything full circle. From a young girl who was afraid of everything to a woman who refuses to let that darkness consume her again. Krystle calls herself a light. Sunshine calls her a lighthouse. And this episode shows us why. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, sexual coercion, emotional abuse, animal abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, religious trauma, manipulation, and suicidal thoughts. Want to know more about Krystle? Follow Rooted & Wild on Facebook and Instagram. https://www.facebook.com/share/16QPyrEQzQ5/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://www.instagram.com/rootedandwild_krys?stkn=ZjV1bWZxY3R2eTRp Want to learn more about manipulation? Find Sunshine's book The Manipulation Whisperer, along with her other books, healing resources, and tools to help you recognize manipulation and rebuild trust in yourself. or if you have a story you want to share on the podcast? Visit SunshineFayeMedia.com Sunshine Faye ☀️

  3. Oct 15

    E29: Krystle's Episode - After Darkness She Became The Light.

    This episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell is a little different. Krystle is usually sitting beside Sunshine helping someone else tell their story. Today, we switch seats. For the first time on the podcast, Krystle tells hers. We go back to childhood and talk about the experiences that shaped the way Krystle saw herself, the need to feel chosen, and how wounds we don't recognize when we're young can follow us into adulthood and relationships. Krystle opens up about relationships, sexual coercion, sexual assault, addiction, infidelity, manipulation, religious trauma, shame, and the years she spent questioning herself instead of questioning what was happening to her. We also talk about the darker parts of survival that aren't discussed enough, anger, revenge, losing pieces of yourself, and what it actually takes to find your way back. But this is also a story about light. About boundaries, forgiveness, healthy love, healing, and discovering that surviving the darkness doesn't mean you have to live there. Krystle calls herself a light. Sunshine calls her a lighthouse. And when Krystle answers the question we ask every guest what would you tell yourself at your lowest point? well its exactly what she needed to hear at that time. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, sexual coercion, emotional abuse, substance abuse, religious trauma, and suicidal thoughts. Want to know more about Krystle? Follow Rooted & Wild on Facebook and Instagram. https://www.facebook.com/share/16QPyrEQzQ5/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://www.instagram.com/rootedandwild_krys?stkn=ZjV1bWZxY3R2eTRp Want to share your story on the podcast or find Randin’s books, resources, and more? Visit SunshineFayeMedia.com Sunshine Faye ☀️

  4. Oct 12

    BONUS: Dave's Episode- Is He Worthy

    This episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell is a little different. Instead of talking about what happens once you’re already deep inside a relationship, we’re talking about what happens before the relationship even starts. We sit down with Dave, creator of Is He Worthy?, to talk about dating, standards, red flags, relationship patterns, communication, non-negotiables, and how to take some of the emotion out of deciding who we allow into our lives. Dave shares the heartbreak behind Is He Worthy? and how the end of his marriage and seeing the impact relationship failure had on his family, pushed him to create something designed to help people identify unhealthy or incompatible relationships before years are invested in them.  We also break down the W.O.R.T.H.Y. assessment, why defining your standards before chemistry gets involved matters, and why your list of non-negotiables should continue to evolve as you do.  We talk about why red flags can be so obvious from the outside but difficult to see when you’re the one emotionally invested, whether our past experiences can make us too quick to identify red flags, the difference between an apology and a pattern, passive-aggressive communication, and why sometimes the most important question isn’t whether someone wants you, but whether they actually match the life and relationship you want. And when Dave answers the question we ask every guest  what would you tell yourself at your lowest point? his answer is simple: Never give up. Pasted text IS HE WORTHY? Website: https://isheworthy.com Dave’s website includes the Is He Worthy? book, relationship tools and assessments, resources, and links to his social channels. Pasted text Sunshine Faye ☀️

  5. Oct 8

    E28: Kali's Manipulation Whisperer Episode

    After hearing Kali’s story, you might be left wondering: How does something this extreme ever become normal? In this episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell, we go back through Kali’s story and break down the manipulation tactics that kept her trapped in an abusive marriage for nearly 20 years. We talk about how the relationship moved incredibly fast, the future faking and image management that helped build trust, and how small acts of control slowly escalated into intimidation, isolation, financial abuse, spiritual abuse, and violence. We also break down how coercive control doesn’t always look like someone physically preventing you from leaving. Sometimes it looks like making relationships with family so exhausting that you stop reaching out. Sometimes it’s making you question your own judgment. Sometimes it’s using your beliefs, your children, your finances, or your own sense of responsibility against you. Most importantly, we talk about how abuse can slowly expand what a person learns to survive. Every time Kali adapted to one level, another was added until things that once would have seemed unimaginable became her everyday life. Because the cage isn’t always built overnight. Sometimes the bars are added one at a time until you don’t even realize you’re living inside one. And when we return to what Kali said she would tell herself at her lowest point, her story leaves us with something worth remembering: There are brighter days ahead. ⚠️ This episode discusses domestic violence, physical and emotional abuse, child abuse, spiritual abuse, coercive control, financial abuse, intimidation, and manipulation. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or needs support, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.

  6. Oct 1

    E27: Kali's Episode- Perception Is Everything

    Kali grew up in a loving, safe home with a strong family, a deep connection to her faith, and absolutely no reason to believe she would ever become a victim of domestic violence. At 21, she met a man who seemed to check every box she had been taught to look for. He was older, established, a returned missionary, educated, charismatic, and deeply involved in their faith. Within three weeks they were engaged. Six weeks later they were married. And almost immediately, everything began to change. What started with control, intimidation, broken belongings, and emotional abuse slowly escalated into physical violence, financial abuse, spiritual abuse, and fear that became part of everyday life for Kali and her children. For nearly 20 years, Kali learned how to survive inside a life that looked completely different behind closed doors than it did from the outside. Then one day, everything changed. After witnessing an attack on her son and hearing the words that finally made something inside her snap, Kali made the decision she had spent years believing she couldn't make: She was done. But leaving wasn't the end of the abuse. Kali shares what happened next — protective orders, stalking, financial control, the court system, hypervigilance, rebuilding her life, and learning who she was after spending nearly two decades surviving. Today, Kali is a mother, professional, domestic violence advocate, survivor, and a woman who refuses to let what happened to her dictate what comes next. ⚠️ This episode discusses domestic violence, physical and emotional abuse, child abuse, spiritual abuse, strangulation, stalking, coercive control, financial abuse, and trauma. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or needs support, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.

  7. Sep 24

    E26: Mercede's Manipulation Whisperer Episode

    You heard Mercedes tell her story in His Dream, Her Nightmare. Now we’re breaking down what was actually happening underneath it. In this episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell, Krystle and Sunshine step into The Manipulation Whisperer to identify the tactics woven throughout Mercedes’ relationship and this one is unlike anything we’ve broken down before. Because Mercedes wasn’t just being lied to. Her reality was being manufactured. Fake stalkers. Paranormal stories. Missing animals. Fake emergencies. Random messages. Mysterious packages. Accusations. Sleep deprivation. Isolation. Fear. Individually, these things seemed confusing. Together, they created an environment where Mercedes eventually stopped trusting her own perception and began relying on his version of reality instead. We break down how love bombing and future faking pulled her in, how fear and exhaustion kept her confused, how triangulation created outside “proof,” how coercive control slowly removed her independence, and how intermittent reinforcement made the same person creating the fear feel like her only source of safety. We also talk about DARVO, projection, financial control, trauma bonding, hoovering, isolation, communication control, intimidation, boundary testing, smear campaigns, and the nervous-system impact that can remain long after someone leaves. Because manipulation doesn’t always convince you to believe one giant lie. Sometimes it slowly teaches you to stop trusting your own truth. ⚠️ Trigger Warning This episode discusses: Domestic violence Psychological & emotional abuse Coercive control Gaslighting & manipulation Religious conditioning Sleep deprivation Stalking and surveillance Animal abuse Financial abuse Threats and intimidation Trauma bonding Custody and protective orders Please listen at your own pace and take breaks if needed. Disclaimer Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell is a survivor-led podcast created for education, awareness, and healing. We discuss manipulation tactics and behavioral patterns—not diagnoses. This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or legal advice. Manipulation Tactics We Break Down 01:08 – The Manufactured Reality 05:00 – Love Bombing & Future Faking 10:00 – Childhood Conditioning & Learning to Stay Quiet 15:00 – Early Red Flags & Boundary Testing 20:00 – Creating Fear Through a Manufactured Reality 25:00 – Sleep Deprivation, Paranoia & Hypervigilance 30:00 – Triangulation & Projection 34:00 – DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender 38:00 – Isolation & Coercive Control 42:00 – Financial & Communication Control 46:00 – Trauma Bonding & Intermittent Reinforcement 50:00 – Escape, Hoovering & Protective Orders 54:00 – Smear Campaigns & Continued Control 57:52 – Final Thoughts 💛 If you listened to Mercedes’ story and wondered, “How could someone possibly make another person believe all of this?”—this is the episode you need to hear. The answer isn’t one manipulation tactic. It’s what happens when dozens of them work together. Once you learn to recognize the pattern, the manipulation begins to lose its power. Next week: We introduce you to Callie and a story spanning decades of extreme abuse and survival. Connect with Sunshine Faye Media 🌐 sunshinefayemedia.com

  8. Sep 20

    BONUS: Joe's Episode- I Love You, Bro Project.

    This episode of Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell is a little different, but it might be one of the most important conversations we’ve had. We sit down with Joe Tuia’ana, founder of the I Love You Bro Project, to talk about men’s mental health, suicide prevention, addiction, loneliness, connection, and what men actually need when they’re struggling. Joe shares the moment that changed the direction of his life: an encounter with a man named Aaron on an overpass that began with four simple words — “I love you, bro.” What happened that day eventually became the I Love You Bro Project and a growing network of support groups built to give men something many of them are missing: a safe place to show up, connect, be vulnerable, and realize they aren’t carrying everything alone. We also talk about what Joe has learned from thousands of conversations and surveys with men, why trying to “fix” someone isn’t always helpful, how women can better support the men in their lives, and why simply being present can sometimes mean more than finding the perfect thing to say. And when Joe answers the question we ask every guest — what would you tell yourself at your lowest point? — his answer brings the entire conversation full circle. ⚠️ This episode discusses suicide, suicidal ideation, addiction, alcoholism, trauma, and mental health struggles. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988. I LOVE YOU BRO PROJECT Website: https://www.iloveyoubroproject.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iloveyoubroproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iloveyoubroproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iloveyoubroPROJECT Sunshine Faye ☀️

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About

Welcome to Stories We Weren’t Supposed to Tell. This is a survivor led podcast where we speak the truth about abuse, manipulation, and what it really takes to rebuild your life after it. These aren’t watered down stories. These are real experiences from real people who lived it, survived it, and chose to tell it anyway. You’ll hear the patterns most people miss love bombing, gaslighting, control, trauma bonds broken down in a way that finally makes sense. Alongside each story, we dive deeper with The Manipulation Whisperer episodes, connecting the dots between what happened, why it happened, and how to take your power back. This space is for the ones who: – questioned their reality – stayed longer than they should have – are trying to find themselves again And it’s also for the ones watching from the outside the friends, the family, the people who have ever asked: “Why didn’t they just leave?” This will help you understand what abuse actually does to a person how it rewires thinking, creates attachment, and makes leaving far more complex than it looks. You’re not crazy. You’re not alone. And you’re not the only one this happened to. If you’ve ever felt like something wasn’t right but couldn’t explain why… this podcast will give you the words for it. And once you see it, you won’t unsee it. Sunshine Faye ☀️

Information

  • Creator
    Sunshine Faye
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sunshine Faye

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