Advertise on podcast: Peace Over Pieces Domestic Abuse Survivor Podcast

Zahra Abou-Ghaida is a Sydney-based Registered Psychologist and Principal Psychologist at Azura Psychology, dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic and narcissistic abuse. Through her trauma-informed approach, she helps individuals better understand the psychological effects of abusive relationships while raising awareness about the often-misunderstood dynamics of manipulation, coercive control, and emotional trauma. In this episode, Zahra shares her professional insights into the complexities of domestic and narcissistic abuse, exploring how harmful relationship dynamics can affect a person's confidence, identity, and emotional well-being. She sheds light on common misconceptions surrounding abuse, the challenges survivors face in recognizing unhealthy patterns, and the importance of understanding the psychological impact of these experiences. Through her work, Zahra emphasizes the power of education, awareness, and compassionate support in helping survivors make sense of their experiences. Her perspective serves as a reminder that abuse is not always visible, its effects can extend far beyond the relationship, and understanding is an important step toward healing and reclaiming one's sense of self.

Dr. Summer Rippe is a Licensed Professional Counselor, researcher, and counselor educator dedicated to understanding the lasting impact of domestic violence, complex trauma, and moral injury. Alongside her clinical practice in Colorado, where she supports survivors of trauma and abuse, she teaches master's-level counseling students and conducts research exploring how coercive control, betrayal, and difficult choices can affect a survivor's identity, values, and sense of self. In this episode, Dr. Rippe shares her professional insights into moral injury and the often-overlooked emotional struggles survivors face after abuse. She explores how manipulation and coercive control can shape a person's sense of responsibility, self-worth, and agency, and why healing involves more than simply escaping an abusive relationship. Through her research and clinical experience, Dr. Rippe sheds light on the importance of reclaiming personal agency, rebuilding trust in oneself, and finding meaning after trauma. Her work reminds us that survivors deserve compassion, understanding, and the freedom to rediscover who they are beyond their experiences of abuse.

Adama is a survivor of sexual violence, advocate, and founder of WHAN, an organization supporting African women affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence, and wider health inequalities. Alongside her work within the NHS, she has dedicated herself to helping women navigate not only survival, but the often complicated journey of rebuilding life after abuse. In this episode, Adama brings together lived experience and professional insight to explore what recovery really looks like. She discusses why healing doesn’t simply begin and end with leaving an abusive situation, and the work involved in rebuilding confidence, identity, purpose, and a sense of safety. Adama also sheds light on some of the barriers African women may face when seeking support, as well as the connection between trauma and women’s health. Through her work and her own journey, she offers a practical and hopeful perspective on life after survival—reminding us that recovery can take many forms, and that rebuilding is possible.

LaDonna Renee Crusby is a survivor advocate, speaker, author, educator, and founder of the LaDonna Renee VST Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to helping survivors find their voice and connect with resources. A survivor of kidnapping and sexual assault at age 14, LaDonna has transformed her lived experience into a mission of advocacy, education, and support for others. In this episode, LaDonna explores the many layers of her healing journey, from the relationship patterns she witnessed as a child and the ways trauma shaped her responses to fear, to its lasting impact on self-worth, relationships, and the patterns we can unknowingly carry into adulthood. She shares what she has learned about moving forward despite fear, the importance of having a supportive village, and the power of recognizing harmful cycles before they continue into the next generation. Through her story and advocacy, LaDonna reminds survivors that finding your voice can be part of reclaiming your power, and that no one should have to navigate healing alone.

Joy is a mother of two, a devoted dog mom to her golden retriever, and a betrayal trauma and life transition coach who helps women rebuild their lives after infidelity, divorce, and identity loss. Drawing from her own healing journey and a trauma-informed approach, she empowers women to move beyond survival and create lives rooted in peace, purpose, and joy. In this episode, Joy shares how betrayal can shake every part of a person's identity—and why healing requires more than simply moving on. She opens up about the importance of regulating the nervous system, rebuilding self-worth, and finding the strength to embrace a new chapter after life's most painful transitions. Through her coaching, Joy helps women rediscover who they are beyond the pain of broken relationships. Her story is a reminder that even after profound heartbreak, healing is possible, confidence can be restored, and a joyful future can still be created.

Chloe, founder of Garden of Her, is a relationship healing coach dedicated to helping women understand the connection between the homes they grew up in and the relationships they continue to find themselves in. After escaping an abusive relationship, becoming a mother, and moving abroad to China, Chloe began the inner healing work that would completely transform her life. In this episode, Chloe shares how journaling became the tool that helped her connect the dots between her childhood, deeply rooted relationship patterns, and the cycles she couldn't seem to break. She opens up about the lessons she learned through her own healing journey and why understanding our past is often the key to creating healthier relationships in the future. Through Garden of Her and her coaching program, Boldly Rewritten, Chloe now empowers women to recognize unhealthy patterns, rebuild their sense of self, and create relationships rooted in safety, self-worth, and authenticity. Her message is a powerful reminder that the people who hurt us may not have started the pattern—and that healing begins when we're willing to understand where it truly began.

Liz Alley is a survivor, author, advocate, and educator whose life has been dedicated to helping others find safety, healing, and hope after abuse. When she entered a battered women's shelter in Big Bear, California, with three of her children in 1990, she believed escaping the violence would end the fear. Instead, she began a much deeper journey—one of rebuilding her identity, rediscovering her faith, and learning how to transform pain into purpose. In this episode, Liz shares her powerful story of surviving domestic violence, navigating the challenges of healing, and finding the courage to move forward. She opens up about the experiences that inspired her memoir, The Road to Big Bear: A Memoir of Domestic Violence Survival, Faith, and Forgiveness, and the lessons she learned about resilience, forgiveness, and personal strength along the way. Liz also discusses her decades of advocacy work supporting survivors, educating young people about violence prevention, and creating programs that strengthen families and communities. From serving as a domestic violence advocate to founding a family resource center and helping vulnerable populations rebuild their lives, Liz has dedicated herself to turning her own healing into a source of hope for others. Her story is a powerful reminder that survival is only the beginning—and that healing, purpose, and a meaningful life are possible on the other side of abuse.

Bal is a survivor who has transformed her lived experience of abuse into a powerful voice for change. After reaching a place of healing, she decided to no longer stay silent—recognizing that silence protects the abuser, while speaking out creates space for truth, support, and empowerment. In this episode, Bal shares her journey from surviving to healing and what it took to reclaim her voice. She opens up about the importance of breaking stigma, confronting taboo topics, and creating conversations that allow others to feel seen and understood. She also discusses her book, Healing Her Soul, written as a message to survivors around the world: you are not alone, your story matters, and healing is possible. Her mission is rooted in a simple but powerful belief—healed people heal people—and through her story, she hopes to inspire others to step into their own voice and begin their journey forward.

Emily is a survivor of sexual coercion and nonconsensual intimate image and video recording who is courageously speaking out about a form of abuse that often remains hidden. In late 2025, she discovered that someone she had previously dated had secretly photographed and filmed her during sexual encounters without her knowledge or consent—situations she now recognizes were shaped by manipulation, coercion, and the false promise of reconciliation. In this episode, Emily shares the difficult reality of uncovering the violation, navigating the legal system, and enduring public harassment and attempts to silence her. She opens up about the emotional and psychological toll of digital sexual abuse and the complex ways coercion can exist within intimate relationships. By telling her story, Emily hopes to shed light on invasive visual recording, coercive control, and the often misunderstood dynamics of consent. Her message is clear: consent is specific, trauma is not linear, and no one should have to carry their truth alone. Through her advocacy, she aims to help others recognize the signs of abuse, trust their instincts, and know they are not alone.

Mikkel is a devoted father of four and a mentor committed to guiding men back to who they were always meant to be. Grounded in gratitude and shaped by his own life experiences, he believes that many men aren’t lost, they’ve simply drifted away from their identity, strength, and purpose. In this episode, Mikkel shares his heart for fatherhood, leadership, and restoration. He opens up about what it means to take responsibility, rebuild character, and return to a life of integrity. With honesty and conviction, he speaks to the quiet struggles men face and the deep need for direction, accountability, and brotherhood. His mission is simple but powerful: help men remember who they are, reclaim their role, and lead their families and communities with courage. This conversation is a call back to identity, purpose, and the kind of strength that creates lasting peace.

Brooke DeBoer is a life coach, author, filmmaker, and advocate for personal transformation. After surviving the pain of abuse and bullying, Brooke turned her healing journey into a mission to help others rise above fear, shame, and limitation. She believes every person is uniquely designed by God with a purpose—and that true freedom begins when we align with that purpose. In this episode, Brooke shares her story of rediscovery, from overcoming trauma to finding her voice as a guide for women seeking clarity, confidence, and purpose. She opens up about the inspiration behind her latest book, Living the FreeLife: A Step-by-Step Guide to Overcoming Bullying and Abuse and Living the Life of Your Dreams, and how she empowers others to transform pain into power. Her story is one of courage, creativity, and faith. From producing the docuseries Fastlife to co-authoring a children’s book with her daughter, Brooke embodies what it means to dream boldly and live authentically.

Katie Baker is a writer, advocate, and childhood abuse survivor whose story embodies resilience, transformation, and hope. After years of battling addiction, shame, and the lasting wounds of a painful past, Katie found healing through therapeutic psychedelics, deep inner work, and spiritual exploration. In this episode, Katie shares her powerful journey of confronting trauma, reclaiming her voice, and learning to live with radical authenticity. She opens up about the process of writing her memoir, When The Universe Holds Your Hair Back, and how storytelling became both her mirror and her medicine. Through her honesty and courage, Katie reminds us that healing isn’t about erasing the past, it’s about integrating it, and discovering the strength that has been within us all along.

Iris is the voice behind Inner Strength Rising on Instagram, where she shares her story of surviving narcissistic abuse and rebuilding her life after it. Her experience with a partner who weaponized faith has shaped her mission to help others recognize manipulation, reclaim their power, and believe in the possibility of healthy love again. In this episode, Iris opens up about the intersection of faith, control, and recovery—and what it takes to rebuild trust in yourself after deep emotional and spiritual harm. She speaks about healing through self-awareness, boundaries, and the quiet work of self-compassion. Through her story and her platform, Iris reminds survivors that they are not broken—they are becoming. Her journey is one of strength, truth, and hope for anyone learning to rise again. Follow Iris on Instagram at @innerstrengthrising

Hannah is a 21-year-old survivor still walking through her journey of independence and healing. With a love for animals, she works as both a pet sitter and a pet store employee, finding joy and comfort in the care she gives. Beyond her work, Hannah dreams of one day becoming a therapist or perhaps an author, sharing the poetry she often writes as part of her self-expression. In this episode, Hannah opens up about what it means to be “in process”—not defined by the past, but not yet at the destination either. She speaks honestly about building her identity, exploring creativity as a form of healing, and learning to grow into the person she knows she is meant to be. Through her story, Hannah reminds us that survival isn’t a single moment—it’s an ongoing journey. Her voice is a testament to resilience, courage, and the beauty of becoming.

Ashlee Yun is a retired military veteran, a mother of four, and a passionate advocate for women healing from domestic violence. Her life after service has become a journey of strength, self-discovery, and advocacy, rooted in motherhood, bodybuilding, and a deep love for exploring human psychology. In this episode, Ashlee shares her powerful story of surviving abuse and finding healing through vulnerability, discipline, and storytelling. She opens up about what it means to raise strong, emotionally resilient children while also rebuilding your own identity after trauma. Writing has become one of her greatest tools—not just for processing, but for empowering others. Ashlee’s mission is clear: to show women that their story is not the end, but a chapter in a much greater journey. Through sharing her truth, she hopes others feel seen, less alone, and inspired to reclaim their power. Follow Ashlee on Instagram at @momish_fit, and read her personal writing on domestic violence and survival here: My Story of Domestic Violence + Suicide