Defiance of Silence - A Sacred Witness

Defiance of Silence — A Sacred Witness is a space for survivors, healers, and those who walk beside them.

Here, we don’t rush stories or try to fix them.

We witness them.

Hosted by Valerie — a U.S. Army veteran, nurse, and trauma-informed witness — this podcast was shaped through her own long path of healing and the quiet power of being seen without judgment.

Each episode holds real conversations about trauma, grief, moral injury, and what it means to keep showing up in a world that can wound. Some stories center around trauma. Others explore the unseen weight carried by caregivers, providers, and those who witness it.

This is not therapy.

This is not performance.

This is a space where truth can land without spectacle.

Take what steadies you. Leave what doesn’t.

You don’t have to carry this alone.

New episodes every other week.

Podcasting since 2025 • 20 episodes

Defiance of Silence - A Sacred Witness

Latest Episodes

Lisa - Not in Crisis Enough

Four months for an appointment can feel like a door slamming the moment you finally admit you need help.In this episode, we sit down with Lisa—a licensed clinical social worker, Army veteran, and trauma survivor—to talk about what breaks...

May 06, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 9 • 55:21

Traci - The Call No Parent Wants

The phone rings at 6:30am.You don’t recognize the number.Minutes later, everything changes.In this episode Traci takes us inside the day her 19-year-old son Trent suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a Navy fitness assessment...

April 21, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 8 • 1:10:31

Melissa - A Sound Bath Sent Me Back In Time

What if healing doesn’t come the way you expected—but reaches you anyway?In this episode, Valerie sits down with Melissa —a Navy veteran, mother of three, and a fierce advocate with a servant’s heart—for a conversation that is as honest ...

April 08, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 7 • 47:35

Jason - Staying Human Under Pressure: What Trauma Surgery Teaches Us About Leadership, Presence, and Carrying the Weight

Defiance of Silence is a place for real stories of trauma and healing - where lived experience matters more than advice. What holds a team steady when the stakes rise and the room goes quiet?In this episode, Valerie sits down...

March 24, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 6 • 1:03:48

Ayana - When Resilience Isn’t Enough: Choosing Transilience

Defiance of Silence is a place for real stories of trauma and healing—where lived experience matters more than advice.Start with a breath. Then meet Ayana—a Navy veteran, therapist, author, caregiver, and peer support leader whose story ...

March 11, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 5 • 1:04:39