From Suicidal to Shining: What a Therapist Learned by Healing Herself First

What does it look like to go from planning your own death to standing in your light — and then losing a child — and still choosing hope?Malisa Hepner is a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, author, and podcast host who has lived every layer of what she now teaches. In this conversation, she shares her journey from a childhood shaped by profound adversity, through her own mental health crisis, to the unimaginable loss of her 18-year-old son Jake — and how the tools she'd spent two years building are what's carrying her through.We talk about:Why trauma creates separation between you and your true selfThe three-step framework that changed everything: Quiet the Noise → Connect to Self → Embody the LightWhy shame is the real noise in your head — and how to turn it downWhat grief actually looks like when you refuse to let it destroy youWhy your flaws are your magic, not your problemsAstrology, Kabbalah, and finding an anchor when everything feels darkThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt too much and not enough at the same time. You are not broken. The light is closer than you think.⚠️ Content note: This episode includes honest conversation about mental health, suicidal ideation, and loss.