Courageous Overcomers
Welcome to Courageous Overcomers, a podcast dedicated to those who have faced adversity, whether it’s trauma, addiction, abuse, or life’s toughest challenges. In each episode, you’ll hear real stories from individuals who’ve walked through difficult times and emerged stronger through courage, faith, and resilience. This podcast provides practical advice, heart-driven encouragement, and the tools you need to begin or continue your healing journey. No matter what you’ve been through, you are not alone and have the strength to overcome. Become part of a community of overcomers breaking free from fear and pain. Together, we’ll build faith, embrace courage, and find hope.
Episodes
What does addiction promise you, and what does it actually steal? This powerful question forms the foundation of our exploration into the deceptive facade of addiction. Numbing feels like safety, but silently robs us of the very things we desperately seek: peace, purpose, and authentic connection.
Throughout this raw and honest conversation, we unpack the dangerous paradox of addiction. While it offers tempor...
What happens when the very thing that seems to bring us comfort is slowly destroying our lives? Today we're pulling back the curtain on a rarely discussed aspect of addiction—not the chaos it creates, but the counterfeit comfort it provides before taking everything else.
Most addictive behaviors aren't primarily about chasing highs; they're about silencing the deafening noise in our heads. That...
What happens when a high-achieving perfectionist discovers that alcohol simultaneously soothes and sabotages her life? Chris Janssen, USA Today bestselling author of "Grace Yourself," takes us on her remarkable journey from teenage drinking to sustained sobriety, an unexpected relapse, and ultimately, profound redemption.
Janssen's story begins at fourteen, when she discovered alcohol's ab...
What if your path to sobriety revealed something much deeper than freedom from addiction? Rich Shellnutt knows this journey intimately. With 34 years of sobriety under his belt, he sits down with his wife Tonya to unpack how alcohol gradually infiltrated his life, one drink at a time, and the profound awakening that followed his recovery.
Behind Rich's addiction lay a complex web of pain – abandonment is...
Freedom is possible—I'm living proof of it. After three decades of sobriety, I've discovered that the journey isn't simply about putting down the bottle. It's about confronting the pain we've been desperately trying to numb.
My relationship with alcohol began as an escape route. I drank because I couldn't sit with my reality and pain. I drank because I didn't feel safe or se...
Ever wondered what makes a podcast host who regularly dives into trauma and healing tick when they're off-mic? This week, Courageous Overcomers takes a refreshing detour as Tonya Shellnutt pulls back the curtain on her personal life at the urging of her Producer and Children.
Through rapid-fire questions and candid answers, Tonya reveals herself as an early-to-bed morning person who cherishes her quiet c...
Your pain does not get the final say. Keep walking, keep believing, keep fighting."
Too often, we let pain define us, but what if we let purposeshape our story instead? This episode will challenge you to move from victimhood to victory using the P.A.I.N. framework:
🔹 P – Process the Pain – Face it, don’t bury it.
🔹 A – Ask What the Pain is Teaching You – Strength comes from struggle.
🔹 I – Identify Who N...
In Hope Beyond the Walls, we dive deep into the hard stuff—trauma, fear, and pain—but we don’t stop there. This podcast is for those who refuse to let suffering have the final say. Through powerful stories, biblical truth, and practical steps, we uncover how hope becomes the bridge from pain to purpose. No matter how long you've felt stuck, God is not finished with you. Keep walking, keep believing, and keep figh...
In this engaging episode, we dive deep into the inspiring story of Jenita Pace, who shares her journey through the shadows of depression into the light of healing and hope. After facing personal battles including two suicide attempts, Jenita’s life took a transformative turn, leading her to discover the power of faith, community, and mentorship. With raw honesty, she reflects on how crippling thoughts of being a burde...
Rich returns to Courageous Overcomers to share his deeply personal journey of faith, marked by the profound loss of his grandfather. What happens when life's hardest moments challenge our beliefs and push us towards self-doubt? Learn how Rich confronted these trials, the impact of unanswered prayers, and the solace he sought in alcohol as he grappled with feelings of inadequacy and fear of rejection. His story op...
Many of us build emotional walls to protect ourselves from pain, disappointment, and betrayal—but those same walls can also keep us from experiencing faith, healing, and true freedom. In this episode of Courageous Overcomers, we’re talking about the barriers that keep people from fully trusting God.
Tonya shares her personal struggles with faith, wrestling with unanswered questions, church hurt, and the belief that she...
This week on Courageous Overcomers, Tonya dives into the vital role of faith in overcoming addiction, abuse, and trauma. In recent episodes, she has explored resilience and shared the powerful stories of overcomers—each of them bound by one common thread: faith.
Tonya introduces another brick-breaking tool in the healing journey: faith. She has often discussed emotional walls—how people build them for protection but en...
Join us for a poignant episode featuring Candy Wolff, whose journey of resilience and healing is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Candy takes us through the emotional and tumultuous aftermath of losing her husband, Ross, during a trip to Cabo. Faced with unimaginable challenges, from dealing with local authorities to the shocking discovery of stolen belongings, Candy's story underscores the chaos and vulnerabi...
What if you could turn your greatest heartbreak into a source of strength and hope? Delve deep into the CORE framework, where I share personal stories about my daughters overcoming adversities like deafness and seizures, and how these challenges have shaped their formidable work ethic and self-advocacy. Discover how resilience isn’t an innate gift but a skill that can be cultivated, much like exercising to build core ...
What if the pain you're experiencing could lead you to unimaginable strength and resilience? This episode of Courageous Overcomers brings you the raw, inspiring story of Dr. Betsy Guerra, a renowned psychologist and faith-based coach who faced the heartbreaking loss of her daughter, Fofi. With us, she shares her deeply personal journey through grief and healing, challenging the notion that professional training c...
Ever wondered how a hopeful mindset can act as a catalyst for resilience in the face of adversity? Join me on Courageous Overcomers: Stories of Hope and Healing as we unravel this powerful connection through the lens of Helen Keller's extraordinary journey. By harnessing optimism, she overcame formidable challenges to achieve greatness, teaching us all how to reframe obstacles into opportunities for growth. We&ap...
Can emotional resilience be the key to transcending trauma and fostering healing? Join me, Tonya Shellnutt, as we explore this profound question by examining the courageous journey of facing fear, pain, and past tragedies. In this episode of Courageous Overcomer, we take a hard look at the underestimated power of resilience as a catalyst for personal growth. We'll dissect how a positive mindset, even when learned...
Ever wondered how courage can be the key to dismantling the emotional walls we build around ourselves? Discover how courage can lead you to vulnerability and strength in our latest episode of Courageous Overcomer Stories of Hope and Healing. Join me, Tonya Shellnutt, as I share my personal journey of overcoming barriers that once shielded me from pain but also kept genuine connections at bay. We explore the necessity ...
What if the emotional walls you've built to protect yourself are the very barriers keeping you from true connection and healing? Join me, Tonya Shellnut, and my husband, Rich, as we dive into an honest discussion about the impact of past trauma and vulnerability fears on our marriage. Despite my initial fortress of emotional distance, Rich shares his experience and journey of learning to love with patience and un...
What if the very walls you’ve built to protect yourself are the same ones keeping you from the love and connection you desire? Join me, Tonya Shellnutt, on this heartfelt episode of Courageous Overcomer, where I open up about my journey through trauma, abandonment, and addiction. Discover how these experiences led me to construct emotional fortresses that, rather than safeguarding me, isolated me from the authentic re...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.