110. April Day Garcia - The Courage to Revisit the Rooms That Shaped Us

Trigger Warning TopicsChildhood traumaChildhood neglectChildhood abandonmentDomestic violenceAlcohol addiction and substance misuseMental health strugglesSuicidal ideationMedical traumaSerious illnessComa and hospitalizationAmputationGrief and loss of a parentFamily dysfunctionGenerational traumaDepressionSelf-worth and self-esteem challengesWhat if the path forward begins by going back?In this deeply honest and inspiring conversation, Tawny sits down with author, occupational therapy professional, Reiki practitioner, and accessible travel advocate April Day Garcia to discuss her journey through childhood trauma, abandonment, health crises, addiction, and ultimately, healing.April shares how growing up with instability, neglect, and violence shaped her sense of self-worth, how surviving meningitis and multiple amputations led her down a path of alcohol dependency, and what finally inspired her to choose sobriety. Together, Tawny and April explore the complicated realities of addiction, generational trauma, healing childhood wounds, ADHD diagnoses in adulthood, forgiveness, and the courage it takes to revisit painful memories in order to reclaim your life.They also discuss April's memoir, The Room to Be Brave, where she uses the metaphor of "rooms" to revisit defining moments from her past and uncover new perspectives, healing, and freedom.This episode is a powerful reminder that while our past may shape us, it does not have to define us. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is walk back into the rooms we've been avoiding and discover that we're stronger than we ever realized.