Episode 7: Before the Healing: Growing Up in Chaos, Loss, and Purpose

Episode 8: From Wounds to Witness: Dr. Mark McNear on Trauma, Faith, and the Courage to Heal

Dr. Mark McNear is a licensed psychotherapist with over 35 years of clinical experience in trauma — and a survivor himself. Childhood abuse, addiction, three months in rehab, and a decade of real recovery. He is the author of Finding My Words and host of the Trauma Meets Recovery podcast. In this episode, two therapists get honest about what healing actually costs, what faith has to do with it, and why the path forward is rarely clean. Episode 8: From Wounds to Witness. 🎧 Listen now. 🔗 thepathmodel.com | @unsungempath

Episode 7: Before the Healing: Growing Up in Chaos, Loss, and Purpose

Ashley Buckner shares what shaped her long before she became a licensed clinical social worker. Growing up in rural South Georgia, surrounded by addiction, chaos, and unpredictability, Ashley learned early what it meant to survive—and what it meant to fight for something different.From a childhood marked by instability to a relentless drive for education as a way out, this episode explores the unseen foundations of resilience, identity, and purpose. Ashley opens up about family, loss, and the moments that quietly shaped the way she sees people, pain, and healing today.This isn’t about techniques or interventions—yet.This is about where healing begins.

Episode 6 | Part 2: Marriage, Motherhood, and Healing

Welcome back to On The P.A.T.H. with Part 2 of Jeannie’s story.In this continued conversation with my sister Jeannie, we move beyond the earlier parts of her story and talk about the realities of adulthood—marriage, building a family, and navigating life while carrying the impact of a complicated upbringing.⚠️ Content AdvisoryThis episode contains discussion of family abuse, difficult childhood experiences, postpartum depression, and mental health struggles. Listener discretion is advised.The goal of sharing these stories is to create space for honest conversation, reflection, and healing around the realities many families face.If this episode brings up difficult emotions for you, please consider taking a pause and reaching out to a trusted friend, counselor, or support professional.Jeannie shares about creating distance from family, learning how to build stability in her own home, and the challenges that can arise in marriage and parenting when you didn’t always grow up with healthy models. She also opens up about experiencing postpartum depression, the isolation that can accompany it, and the slow process of finding healing and support.Together, we reflect on what it means to break cycles, grow through difficult experiences, and work toward creating something healthier for the next generation.Watch part 1 here: https://youtu.be/swW76CmiI2M?si=_hKzUDMIb8GFHjiL

Episode 6 | Part 1: Caretaking, Courage & Survival — Childhood Abuse, Betrayal & Finding Hope

⚠️ Content Note:This episode includes a discussion of childhood abuse and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised. (proceed to summary below):Childhood Abuse, Betrayal & Finding Hope:In this deeply personal episode of On The P.A.T.H., Dr. Jack Gatti Hilton sits down with his sister, Jeannie, for an honest and courageous conversation about survival, truth-telling, and the long road toward healing.In Part One, Jeannie shares her upbringing within a close-knit family, stepping into caregiving roles early in life while navigating various forms of abuse. She speaks openly about the difficult decision to report their father to the police, the lasting impact on family relationships, and the complicated process of reclaiming her voice through writing and storytelling.The conversation also explores formative experiences in early adulthood, including dating, trauma, and surviving sexual assault — moments that shaped how she understood safety, trust, and identity.This episode is not about sensationalizing pain. It is about honoring resilience, confronting silence, and acknowledging the courage required to tell the truth.Part One ends at a turning point — the moment she met her husband — setting the stage for Part Two, where the conversation shifts toward faith, healing, integration, and what comes after survival.🎧 In Part Two:We explore healing, faith, marriage, motherhood, and how trauma can be integrated rather than ignored.📌 Learn more about the P.A.T.H. Model™ (Presence, Alignment, Truth, Healing):ThePathModel.com📌 Follow Dr. Jack Gatti Hilton:Instagram: @UnsungEmpathWebsite: ThePathModel.com#OnThePATH #TraumaRecovery #FaithAndMentalHealth #HealingJourney #Storytelling #MentalHealthAwareness

Episode 5: Breaking the Cycle — My Mother’s Story

In Episode 5, I sit down with my mother to explore the story behind our family’s resilience.She shares what it was like growing up in an Italian immigrant family in Montreal — navigating cultural expectations, identity, and the unspoken pressures placed on women. We talk about her early life and becoming a young mother while facing circumstances that tested her strength in ways few people see from the outside.Our conversation moves through survival — enduring trauma, alcoholism, violence, immigration stress, health struggles, and profound loss — including the tragic death of her brother. She opens up about what it took to leave, rebuild, and protect her children while carrying grief and responsibility at the same time.This episode is about more than hardship. It’s about resilience. It’s about faith. It’s about breaking cycles. It’s about the quiet determination of a mother who refused to give up — and the family bonds that made survival possible.At its core, this is a story of strength forged through adversity and the legacy that strength leaves behind.KEY TAKEAWAYS* The realities of growing up in an Italian immigrant family in Montreal* Cultural expectations and arranged marriage* Surviving trauma, alcoholism, and domestic violence* Immigration stress and health challenges* Coping with loss and tragedy* The role of faith and family in resilience* Motherhood as an act of courage and protectionCHAPTERS00:00 — Family and Motherhood23:57 — Early Struggles and Troubles30:05 — Escaping and Seeking Justice36:01 — Family Support and Resilience41:33 — Support and Family Bonds50:33 — The Journey of Motherhood and Raising Children