What happens when the ones we long for love and safety from are also the ones who wound us? In this episode, author, podcaster, and nurse Blanche DiDomenico shares the first part of her story. As a Filipino-American, Blanche grew up with a father working overseas for most of her childhood, leaving her mother to wrestle with fears and unresolved struggles. That environment shaped an unsafe childhood—but it did not define Blanche’s future.

Through her story, we see both the pain of broken family dynamics and the surprising ways God’s grace can prepare a life for His purpose. Join us as Blanche opens up with honesty, courage, and hope about navigating love, abuse, and the complicated longing to be seen by the very people who caused harm.

Connect with Blanche:

Website: https://blanchedidomenico.com/

Blanche’s book: Rise with Purpose: A Biblical Workbook for Building Resilience, Growing in Faith, and Living Your God-given Calling

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at Louise@louisesedgwick.com.

Unforgiveness can keep us trapped when we hold onto anger and resentment that only deepens our pain. It robs us of peace and keeps old wounds open. This week, Rhonda James Woolard returns to the podcast with a powerful reflection on the miracle of forgiveness. She shares how God gave her the freedom to release bitterness, even toward her stepfather, who never once apologized for the deep harm he caused.

Rhonda’s words, “I had no ill will against my step-dad,” capture the kind of healing that only God can bring. This conversation invites us to consider what forgiveness makes possible in our own lives and how it can transform even the most painful stories into testimonies of grace.

Connect with Rhonda:

Website: www.yourtimetoheal.net

• A Time to Heal: 7 Steps to Healing and Forgiveness after Sexual Abuse and Assault
• A Catalyst Change: God Intervenes During Abuse/Neglect

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at Louise@louisesedgwick.com

This week, I’m joined by author, speaker, and certified life coach Rhonda James Woolard, who courageously shares her story of betrayal and abuse. Convinced she was unworthy of love, Rhonda carried deep shame and believed she was to blame for what she endured.

But God had a different story to write. It’s one of restoration, freedom, and healing. In this episode, you’ll hear how Rhonda’s faith carried her through unimaginable pain and how she now helps others discover the same hope and wholeness she found.

Connect with Rhonda:

Website: www.yourtimetoheal.net

A Time to Heal: 7 Steps to Healing and Forgiveness after Sexual Abuse and Assault

A Catalyst Change: God Intervenes During Abuse/Neglect

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at Louise@louisesedgwick.com.

This week, author Daryl Potter returns to share a powerful story of transformation. For years, he carried a “steel rod” in his heart that looked like strength but felt like anger to those around him. It wasn’t until he experienced love and acceptance from his family that he began to soften—and discovered the challenge of living without that armor.

Daryl also opens up about his daughter’s rare genetic disorder and how it led him to seek real answers from God in the midst of suffering. His journey is raw, tender, and full of grace. Caring for her and walking through that season as a family forced Daryl to seek real answers from God—answers that shaped his faith and his life in lasting ways.

Connect with Daryl:

Website (& Books) www.darylpotter.com

Lifted to Hope, the audiobook is here! If you would be willing to listen to it and write a review for Audible, I can connect you with a free copy.

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at Louise@louisesedgwick.com.

This week on the podcast, I’m joined by author Daryl Potter, whose writing—both fiction and non-fiction—flows deeply from his own life story. In his latest book, Something More: Living Well in a Broken World, Daryl shares how God met him in a profound way, bringing unexpected healing to places he didn’t even realize were broken.

Although Daryl grew up in the church, the neglect and emotional abuse he experienced at home left him carrying a heavy burden of shame. It wasn’t until the unconditional love of an aunt broke through those walls that Daryl began to experience freedom and the tender healing of God’s timing.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that none of us are beyond the reach of God’s love, and that healing often comes through the kindness and care of others.

Listen now to hear Daryl’s story of brokenness, grace, and hope.

And if you’re looking for a safe place to explore your own journey of healing, I’d love to invite you to join one of my Lifted from Shame small groups. You can register on my website.

Connect with Daryl:

Website (& Books) www.darylpotter.com

Emma returns to continue sharing her powerful story which includes a journey marked by deep trauma, an unplanned pregnancy, and the desperate search for someone safe enough to trust with her truth.

Looking back now, Emma sees how God’s grace was present even in her most painful moments. It was His tender care that carried her through the season of secrecy and shame, and it’s that same grace that brought healing and redemption over the years that followed.

Out of her healing, Emma discovered a new calling: sharing her story with teen girls to remind them that God’s work in their lives isn’t undone by mistakes or hardship. Her testimony is one of honesty, hope, and the kind of grace that changes everything.

Lifted to Hope, the audiobook is here! If you would be willing to listen to it and write a review for Audible, I can connect you with a free copy.

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at Louise@louisesedgwick.com.

In this episode, my guest Emma shares how as a teenager, she found herself in a vulnerable situation that ended in a horrific experience of date rape. The aftermath was heavy and too much for anyone to carry alone. And yet who would believe her? Confusion, shame, and a deep sense of abandonment settled in, especially as Emma wrestled with painful questions about God’s presence and care.

Emma shares the loneliness of wondering where God was in her suffering, and the struggle of believing she was being punished for lying to her parents about going on that date. This conversation offers an unflinching look at what fear, secrets, and powerlessness can do to a soul.

But God. Join me again next week as Emma shares how God met her in that dark season, offering her a path forward and a new identity.

Lifted to Hope, the audiobook is here! If you would be willing to listen to it and write a review for Audible, I can connect you with a free copy.

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at Louise@louisesedgwick.com.

In this second episode with licensed professional counselor Elly Brown, she shares her own journey of coming to know God as He truly is. With tender honesty, Elly recounts how God revealed Himself to her, bringing restoration to both body and soul. She also opens up about her path to becoming a therapist and her passion for integrating faith with the science of psychology.

If you’ve ever struggled to trust God’s goodness because of past hurt, Elly’s story will encourage and inspire you. Her humility and compassion shine through every word, and I believe you’ll leave this conversation feeling deeply blessed.

Connect with Elly:

Website: eleanorbrowncounseling.com
Podcast: abetterwaythepodcast.com

Grab the Book: A Better Way: Integrating Faith & Psychology to Heal Inner Wounds

To inquire about counseling, email Louise at Louise@louisesedgwick.com.