The Joe Brummer Podcast

What happens when the very system meant to save you becomes the source of your deepest wound? What does it take to dismantle a lie you've lived for decades — especially when that lie was built in the name of faith? And what does it really mean to thrive when you've spent years simply surviving?Randy Scobey is a survivor, author, and advocate whose story sits at the intersection of religious trauma, identity, and healing. As the former Executive Vice President of Exodus International — the largest ex-gay ministry in the world — Randy spent years as a public face of conversion therapy before helping to shut the organization down in 2013. His journey from abuse survivor to unwilling spokesperson to free and authentic man has been featured in the award-winning documentaries Pray Away and For They Know Not What They Do. His memoir, WHY, chronicles what it means to survive abuse, live a lie, and finally learn to thrive as your true self.In this episode, Joe and Randy talk about being diagnosed with PTSD, healing through therapy, and EMDR. The signs you're on the right path to being authentically yourself. This episode is brave, courageous, and radically honest. Randy's Blog

In this episode, we sit down with Jesse Kohler, founder and president of The Change Campaign, a national nonprofit based in Washington DC. Jesse shares the remarkable journey of building an organization that began as a college senior project at Oberlin and grew into a meaningful force for change. He reflects on his years working in the nonprofit sector in Philadelphia, his experience serving as the founding executive director of CTIPP, and what it took to incorporate it as a standalone nonprofit to sustain that work long term. Jesse also opens up about balancing his personal and professional lives, pursuing two master's degrees while leading mission-driven organizations, and what fuels his commitment to environmental sustainability and a more equitable future. Whether you're a nonprofit professional, an aspiring changemaker, or simply someone who believes the world can be better — this conversation is for you.www.changecampaign.orgJoe Brummer's Website: www.joebrummer.com Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference (LINK)

What does it actually take to help a child heal? Not in theory — in real life, in real classrooms, in real homes.Ginger Healy, LCSW has spent over 25 years answering that question. She began her career as a child abuse investigator and hospital social worker, spent 15 years supervising an international adoption agency, and today serves as Director of Programs at the Attachment & Trauma Network. She is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer, and author of several books, including Regulation and Co-Regulation and Managing Big Emotions.But Ginger doesn't just study trauma — she lives alongside it. As a mother of four, her family's journey through adoption, developmental trauma, and autism has deepened her empathy and sharpened her understanding of what healing through connection really means.In this episode, Joe and Ginger explore:What co-regulation is and why it changes everythingWhat most educators still get wrong about behaviorHow healing-centered classrooms are built — on an ordinary TuesdayWhat her family has taught her that her career couldn'tIf you work with kids, love a kid, or were once a kid who needed more than you got — this one is for you.Ginger's WebsiteThe Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools ConferenceJoe's website

For this very first episode, I invited someone who knows my story better than almost anyone on the planet — because she lived it too. Chris Thomas is my sister. We grew up in the same house and experienced the same Events. But trauma isn't just about what happened — it's about how we each experienced it, and the Effects it left behind. Because we are different people, Chris and I experienced the same childhood differently — and the effects it had on each of us tell two distinct and powerful stories. Today, we sit down together to talk honestly about all three — the chaos, the confusion, and the unpredictability that shaped us both, and the very different paths we each took to find our way through it.In this episode, Joe and Chris explore:What it was like to grow up in a home shaped by abuse and parental unpredictabilityHow shame silences survivors — and what it takes to finally speakThe specific tools that helped them heal — timelines, therapy, and creating your own family, and learning self-talkWhy healing looks different for every survivor, even those who share the same storyWarning: This episode contains conversations about childhood abuse and trauma.Learn more about Joe and his work: WEBSITE

Meet Joe Brummer, author of the best-selling book, Building a Trauma-informed Restorative School, and co-author of the award-winning book, Becoming a Trauma-informed Restorative Educator. In this trailer, Joe introduces the podcast! Learn more about Joe at his website: www.joebrummer.com