The Hope-Makers: Finding Light in Life's Darkest Moments
The Hope-Makers: Finding Light in Life's Darkest Moments
Podcast Description
When life knocks you down, how do you find the strength to rise again? The Hopemakers Podcast brings you extraordinary stories from ordinary people who've discovered hope in the most challenging circumstances imaginable.Join psychologist and coach Dr Erica Bowen as she sits down with inspiring individuals who've transformed their deepest struggles into powerful sources of hope. From sexual assault survivors who rebuilt their lives, to caregivers who found balance while supporting loved ones with terminal illness, to parents navigating the complexities of special needs – each episode reveals the raw, honest journey from despair to possibility.What makes The Hope-Makers unique is its blend of personal storytelling, practical wisdom, and actionable strategies. You'll hear from a former lawyer who overcame burnout to help others find serenity, an autism advocate who conquered years of bullying through physical transformation, and a mother who turned the loss of her teenage daughter into a mission of healing others. These aren't just success stories – they're roadmaps for anyone seeking hope in their own life.Each conversation uncovers specific techniques guests used to rebuild their lives: from morning writing practices and mindfulness techniques to radical self-acceptance and community building. Whether you're facing personal crisis, supporting someone through difficult times, or simply seeking inspiration for life's everyday challenges, The Hope-Makers offers both comfort and concrete tools for creating hope.Hope isn't just an emotion – it's a skill that can be learned, practiced, and shared. Through intimate conversations that balance vulnerability with practical guidance, The Hope-Makers Podcast proves that no matter how dark the night, dawn is always possible.Subscribe to The Hope-Makers wherever you listen to podcasts, and discover your own path to hope.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast delves into themes of personal transformation, resilience, and emotional empowerment, featuring episodes that cover various topics such as overcoming trauma, achieving work-life balance, and redefining personal success. Specific examples include a sexual assault survivor's path to healing, an autism advocate's story of resilience and fitness, and an entrepreneur’s journey to balance after burnout, revealing actionable strategies such as mindfulness techniques and radical self-acceptance.
Trauma doesn’t just harm those who experience it directly—it ripples outward, shaping behaviours, fuelling violence, and creating new victims. But what if we could interrupt that cycle?
In season one of Hopemakers, we celebrated the extraordinary resilience of individuals who transformed their trauma and adversity into purpose—powerful stories of survival, healing, and hope that proved change is possible.
Now, in season two (coming in 2026) we’re expanding our mission. Hosted by Dr Erica Bowen, a registered practitioner forensic psychologist, chartered coaching psychologist, somatic trauma-informed coach and trauma-informed practice consultant, Hopemakers now bridges the personal with the systemic, bringing together three vital perspectives: the lived experiences of survivors who’ve broken cycles of harm, the cutting-edge research of academics working to reduce violent crime perpetration, and the practical insights of those pioneering trauma-informed approaches in communities and organisations.
Through a somatic lens—understanding how trauma lives in our bodies and shapes our actions—we examine both sides of trauma’s devastating cycle: how it wounds us, and how unhealed trauma can lead to harm. Each conversation explores the profound connections between individual healing and violence prevention, offering evidence-based insights alongside deeply human stories.
This isn’t just another podcast about trauma recovery. It’s about understanding that healing personal wounds and preventing collective harm are two sides of the same coin. By disrupting trauma’s legacy at every level—individual, systemic, and intergenerational—we create safer, more compassionate communities for everyone.
Whether you’re here for the transformative survivor stories that launched season one, or you’re ready to explore the research and practice that can prevent violence before it happens, Hopemakers offers thought leadership, evidence, and above all, hope that change is possible.
Because when we stop trauma in its tracks, we don’t just heal individuals—we transform entire legacies.
Subscribe to HopeMakers wherever you listen to podcasts, and discover your own path to hope.
In this deeply moving episode, host Erica Bowen speaks with Sam Rose, author of ”Gut Feelings,” about her extraordinary journey of surviving three cancer diagnoses by the age of 28 due to Lynch syndrome—a genetic condition that increases cancer risk throughout life.
Sam shares her story beginning with her bowel cancer diagnosis at just 22 years old, followed by womb and duodenal cancers in 2018. Through multiple major surgeries including a colostomy, hysterectomy, and Whipple procedure, Sam has navigated not just the physical challenges of cancer treatment, but the often-overlooked emotional aftermath that cancer survivors face.
The conversation explores the gaps in emotional and mental health support for cancer patients, the difficulty people have in knowing what to say to someone with cancer (with Sam's clear advice: say something, even if it's ”I don't know what to say”), and how hope emerges through learning that you can cope with challenges you never imagined facing.
Sam discusses her decision to write ”Gut Feelings” as both a personal processing tool and a resource for others navigating similar experiences. She reflects on difficult decisions around fertility, the importance of humour in dark times, and her current work doing a PhD on how creative writing can benefit cancer survivors.
This episode offers invaluable insights for anyone who has faced cancer, supported someone through it, or struggled with what to say to those dealing with illness. Sam's honesty, resilience, and reflections on finding hope through adversity make this a must-listen episode.
Key Takeaways:
- The importance of emotional support after cancer treatment ends
- How learning from past challenges builds hope for the future
- Why saying something—anything—is better than ghosting someone with cancer
- The power of creative writing in processing trauma and illness
Disclaimer
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