EPISODE · Aug 29, 2026 · 1H 46M
EP48:I Survived the Call No Mother Should Ever Receive
from Irene GPT · host Irene
Debbie Heisler survived domestic violence at 19. Decades later, it came back into her life in the worst way imaginable when her son David was murdered, two weeks after winning a two year custody battle for his daughter.In this conversation with Hope, Debbie talks about the phone call that came while she was 2,700 miles away, what those first blurred days felt like, and what it took to raise her granddaughter through grief while grieving herself. She also shares the part most people never hear: what came after. The butterfly releases every June 30th. The supervised visitation center she co-founded so other families would have somewhere safe to go. The books. The method. The moment she stopped asking "why" and started asking "how."Debbie is the co-founder of Blue Butterfly House, founder of Grounded Women Change the World, creator of the 481 Method, author of Faith in the Middle and the guided grief journals Whispers of Healing and Hope and Beyond the Whispers, and a USA Today Woman of the Year honoree. Her family's story was featured in a documentary on Investigation Discovery.If you are grieving, or still inside something you cannot see your way out of, this one is for you.00:00 Missing Son Call00:40 Coming Home to Self03:40 Survival and Boundaries05:01 Escaping Early Abuse06:33 Remembering David10:02 The Search Begins11:46 Documentary and Digital Clues14:11 Finding Peace After Trauma19:29 Raising a Grieving Granddaughter22:20 Butterfly Rituals of Healing28:15 Lessons from Her Granddaughter33:35 Building Blue Butterfly House39:51 Grounded Women and 481 Method50:04 Coming Home Practices54:04 Ripple Effect of Grounded Women56:59 Protecting Your Peace57:29 Boundaries and People Pleasing59:52 Faith in the Middle Memoir01:03:07 Guided Grief Journals01:07:56 Honoring Your Story01:12:46 Breaking Open and Connection01:16:18 Learning to Receive01:18:39 Woman of the Year Moment01:21:48 Gratitude and Noticings01:24:49 More Than the Final Chapter01:28:44 Surviving to Thriving01:30:47 Leaving Domestic Violence01:36:13 Identity and Purpose Shift01:39:13 Safe to Want Next Book01:41:10 Forgiveness and Freedom01:43:50 Closing Tools and Where to Find Her Check out Irene Cares on other platforms:- Irenegpt.ai- Instagram- TikTok- Youtube
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Debbie Heisler survived domestic violence at 19. Decades later, it came back into her life in the worst way imaginable when her son David was murdered, two weeks after winning a two year custody battle for his daughter. In this conversation with Hope, Debbie talks about the phone call that came while she was 2,700 miles away, what those first blurred days felt like, and what it took to raise her granddaughter through grief while grieving herself. She also shares the part most people never hea...
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EP48:I Survived the Call No Mother Should Ever Receive
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