Ep. 137 Breaking Cycles: How Play, Grief, and Safety Heal Kids with Stacy Schaffer

Some of the people who help us most are the ones who have walked through the darkest things themselves. In this episode of The Beauty In The Mess, I sit down with Stacy Schaffer, MA, LPC, a children’s therapist with over 20 years of experience working with grief, trauma, and anxiety. Stacy is also a survivor of childhood trauma, and she brings that lived wisdom into every conversation she has with families, educators, and young people. We talk openly about how trauma shows up in kids, why silence in families can be dangerous, and how play, safety, and relationship are often the real medicine. Stacy shares what she wished she’d had as a child, what she now creates for others, and why healing is not a destination but a practice. This is a tender, honest, and deeply practical conversation for parents, teachers, caregivers, and anyone who cares about breaking generational cycles with compassion instead of shame.  05:10 — Stacy’s childhood story and what shaped her calling 09:25 — How trauma quietly shows up in kids 13:50 — Why family silence keeps wounds alive 18:15 — The healing power of play therapy 22:40 — Grief beyond death and why it matters 27:05 — Warning signs parents should not ignore 31:30 — Repair, safety, and relationship as medicine 36:10 — What Stacy wishes every parent knew 40:55 — How to break generational cycles with love✨Connect with Stacy Schaffer:Book: With Love From a Children’s Therapist: #lessonsihavelearnedalongthewayWebsite: https://authorstacyschaffer.com ✨ Connect with Michele Simms:Website: thebeautyinthemess.comInstagram: @the.beauty.in.the.messLinkedIn: Michele SimmsFacebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast💬 Rate & Review·        Loved this episode? Please consider leaving a 5-star review and sharing it with a friend! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.