Breaking the Silence: Conversations on Grief, Addiction and Healing

Episode 21 Courtney Weidner

Courtney Weidner is a Connection Catalyst and the founder of ALIVE, a global Village of people on purpose. She brings together humans who share a common core, creating spaces where people are fully self-expressed, share their gifts, and grow alongside others who are evolving exponentially. ALIVE is a community where meaningful connection turns into friendship, friendship into collaboration, and shared experiences into global impact. ALIVE isn’t about finding belonging — it’s a deep knowing: you belong here. https://www.skool.com/alive/about?ref=f4e8889557ce4059b173975cd26cfab4

Episode 20 Matt Melvin

When Matthew Melvin started working at a car dealership in South Burlington, Vermont, he never thought that one mistake would lead to a life-changing stint in prison.Feeling he wasn’t being paid his full commissions on car sales, he made an impulsive decision to get what he felt he was owed. He hatched a badly-thought out plot to steal a car, sell it as his own and keep the profits.However, a basic reference and background check quickly revealed that the vehicle’s title was not in his name, but still belonged to the dealership. He was arrested andsentenced to prison. While Matthew has taken responsibility for his poor life choices, hebelieves he has been treated unfairly due to his sexual orientation,religious and political affiliations, and his adult diagnosis ofautism. While he and his lawyer argued that his punishment would bebest served in a mental health facility, Matt was unfortunatelysentenced to 18 months in prison to be served in general population.Terrified and alone, Matthew began his prison term with the best of intentions—to keep his head down and serve his time as uneventfully as possible. But being a gay, Christian, Trump supporter brought him unwanted and negative attention. He was bullied by cellmates, targeted by gangs and even raped in one facility. The months he was imprisoned felt like decades and there were times he doubted he would make it out alive. Bullied Behind Bars chronicles Matthew Melvin’s life feeling like anoutcast, enduring a lonely and friendless childhood, and beingpunished for a crime that began with the honorable goal of him just trying to make a living. Website https://bulliedbehindbars.com [https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbulliedbehindbars.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExSUk4dFZEemlFZkJDUkdoUXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4LJQMjfDRxxUL9T0QLajB_gTY33u02c2WmLovuhE2pKi0n_eTyTx4N89vhJQ_aem_V9X4U3v_yeE-dWDVG0PC2g&h=AT0BNAP7lxGT0nkI59rxg_3MrMGzHy6v_NcJg5HY7Mvax7TQZJ1VqO_cizf49Pz8qNmuidG_8xteW_dHjmcEQg8PbwW2ZkmaenC0utcNXQDo7cHV9mN5wut4SIsthY_V_jjhZrjVCIwB_Q&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1SlWChi3At6ePAsEikv1V1kyZg1RzH-s8zntMyFRzHNgOIqnLe8y-QOtF5kCix2jjJcg83MVJJXDTFoT_eKARlu24oCqrO-2FgtuR1YBijzuS3Lz2vafVCCk9el4J-wkKMEC14df4YmMl6J6D0xSv_d0ekrzbi86zCBjjl50fCnuSYOsLDRfoSBVFX3v6H] Facebook https://www.facebook.com/matthew.melvin.5621 [https://www.facebook.com/matthew.melvin.5621?__cft__[0]=AZZiolF8hzw91U8w1hD-91-LHVVprJ0s0kpmnjXwj2-Yk51TyF64KCV5zPk01dVRcpdG2SBobLtgMctGUbFuXx-3kaI0lCitEC2k23KQvluxI9br5WVpgpfGlrch23M7HI796kvd0zpvazk43AhFn4srQpV_nj5JCZwqwDJ2VWNj5Q&__tn__=-]K-R] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bulliedbehindbars [https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fbulliedbehindbars%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExSUk4dFZEemlFZkJDUkdoUXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4O0y7TJvEZvQRexWDvXfEF6SdF1O0q7sMWsG09fEGbPVRgS9MLnFEk9u3AaA_aem_fvTjm6w5WAEutVpqhoQlew&h=AT11rCz0D_DhYmLKK7-MvCeSIJqHfldcpVNm4GK6fzgoAjY3OBiNL3QyYjAn9TMZO8ScLhOjFjt9NlCYR25uAM82fxCEXasDSt5kFY-ihmXQ9-sf0K5tNWzaxhBmbEj_BCxBceazUExnFA&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1SlWChi3At6ePAsEikv1V1kyZg1RzH-s8zntMyFRzHNgOIqnLe8y-QOtF5kCix2jjJcg83MVJJXDTFoT_eKARlu24oCqrO-2FgtuR1YBijzuS3Lz2vafVCCk9el4J-wkKMEC14df4YmMl6J6D0xSv_d0ekrzbi86zCBjjl50fCnuSYOsLDRfoSBVFX3v6H]

Craig Thompson

Craig Thompson is the founder of "Ascendant: The Warrior’s Path" as well as "The Comeback Crucible", breakthrough coaching programs for men recovering from divorce, burnout, or emotional collapse. After his own journey through loss, reinvention, and rebuilding, Craig now specializes in helping men reclaim inner strength, emotional mastery, and a new sense of purpose. With a unique blend of psychology, spirituality, and warrior philosophy, he teaches men how to rise—not through dominance, but through depth, courage, and self-command.

Dr. Tanya English

Dr. Tanya English inspires women to go from grief to grace and find treasure in tragedy. Dr. English has been working for over 35 years in healing, first as a massage therapist, then as a chiropractor and energy healer. She helps women who have experienced loss at any time in their lives and are stuck, to move forward. Dr. English is also an accomplished blues singer. After experiencing her first child’s stillbirth in 1994 she had a profound healing experience through blues music. She then went on to practice chiropractic and energy healing for the next 30 years. Dr. English started her blues band in 2012 and witnessed more healing with her audience and with her clients online internationally. She knows that the darkest tragedy can hold an endless well of blessings!

Nilzara Rivera

Nilzara Rivera is your favorite light language channeler and healer, effortlessly blending love and light with a touch of thug.As a master guide for perfectionists, Nilzara specializes in those who have devoted too much time to perfecting the lives of others while neglecting their own. With a sharp eye for identifying the self-imposed shackles of an all-or-nothing mentality, she empowers women to shed their emotional straitjackets and embrace a journey of internal freedom and self-acceptance.Equipped with a unique mix of wisdom, humor, and a touch of thug, Nilzara diligently works to attain a frequency that facilitates healing for women, helping them overcome the wounds that prevent them from feeling “enough.”Nilzara