Carrying the Weight of Trauma episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 5, 2026 · 1H 2M

Carrying the Weight of Trauma

from Heartache, Health, and Healing · host Brenda Mundt

In this episode, I’m joined by Darlene Lekowski, an author, speaker, and advocate who shares her story of surviving childhood trauma and finding her voice later in life.For more than fifty years, Darlene carried a secret she felt she had to keep hidden. While she built a successful life and career on the outside, the impact of that trauma quietly shaped her inner world. When her truth was forced into the open in a very public and painful way, Darlene made the courageous choice to stand in it — and that decision changed the course of her life.Today, Darlene uses her voice to support others who have experienced sibling sexual assault and childhood trauma. She volunteers with advocacy organizations and is currently working on a memoir set to release in 2026. This conversation is about resilience, truth, and what it means to reclaim your story after years of silence.⚠️ Listener note: This episode includes discussion of childhood trauma and abuse. Please listen with care and take breaks as needed.CONNECT WITH DARLENE:Website: https://darlene-lekowski.com/Facebook: https://facebook.com/darlenelekowskiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenelekowskiThreads: https://www.threads.com/@darlenelekowskiCONNECT WITH BRENDA:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/brendmundt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100015947192855&mibextid=LQQJ4d⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-mundt-b6b3352a?trk=contact-info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.energizedlifewellness.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you’re ready to put some goodness in your body, you can order Glōci at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://getgloci.com/BRENDAMUNDT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a discountWellness Online Shopping Club: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mymelaleuca.com/brendamundt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RiverbendRanchSteaks.com/brendamundt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, I’m joined by Darlene Lekowski, an author, speaker, and advocate who shares her story of surviving childhood trauma and finding her voice later in life.For more than fifty years, Darlene carried a secret she felt she had to keep hidden. While she built a successful life and career on the outside, the impact of that trauma quietly shaped her inner world. When her truth was forced into the open in a very public and painful way, Darlene made the courageous choice to stand in it — and that decision changed the course of her life.Today, Darlene uses her voice to support others who have experienced sibling sexual assault and childhood trauma. She volunteers with advocacy organizations and is currently working on a memoir set to release in 2026. This conversation is about resilience, truth, and what it means to reclaim your story after years of silence.⚠️ Listener note: This episode includes discussion of childhood trauma and abuse. Please listen with care and take breaks as needed.CONNECT WITH DARLENE:Website: https://darlene-lekowski.com/Facebook: https://facebook.com/darlenelekowskiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenelekowskiThreads: https://www.threads.com/@darlenelekowskiCONNECT WITH BRENDA:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/brendmundt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100015947192855&mibextid=LQQJ4d⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-mundt-b6b3352a?trk=contact-info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.energizedlifewellness.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you’re ready to put some goodness in your body, you can order Glōci at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://getgloci.com/BRENDAMUNDT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a discountWellness Online Shopping Club: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mymelaleuca.com/brendamundt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RiverbendRanchSteaks.com/brendamundt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Carrying the Weight of Trauma

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This episode was published on March 5, 2026.

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In this episode, I’m joined by Darlene Lekowski, an author, speaker, and advocate who shares her story of surviving childhood trauma and finding her voice later in life.For more than fifty years, Darlene carried a secret she felt she had to keep...

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