Nightbird: Shavaun Scott on Trauma, Religion & Escaping the Darkness

Nightbird Shavaun Scott on Trauma, Religion & Escaping the Darkness
In this deeply personal and emotionally gripping episode of Murder in the Morning, Tony Brueski and Stacy Cole are joined by returning guest, psychotherapist and author Shavaun Scott, for a raw conversation about her powerful new memoir, Nightbird.
Known for her expert psychological insight on high-profile criminal cases, Shavaun steps into the spotlight to share her own story—one marked by religious indoctrination, generational trauma, abusive relationships, and ultimately, survival. With unflinching honesty and dark wit, she opens up about growing up in a strict Pentecostal household, navigating a controlling marriage marked by rage and personality disorder, and the haunting aftermath of a partner’s staged suicide meant to emotionally destroy her.

This episode explores:

• The trauma of religious extremism and its lifelong psychological imprint
  
  
• Why smart, capable people stay in abusive relationships—and how to break free
  
  
• The harsh truth about Cluster B personality disorders and the limits of therapy
  
  
• How writing a memoir became the ultimate act of therapy and healing
  
  
• Why helping others requires first confronting your own darkness
  
  

Shavaun also reflects on the professional toll of working with child abuse victims, the emotional armor therapists must develop, and how surviving cruelty doesn't just lead to strength—it can lead to a mission.

Whether you've lived through emotional abuse, questioned your religious past, or simply want to understand the psychological roots of pain and recovery, this episode offers profound perspective, compassion, and a roadmap for healing.

Nightbird is available now wherever books and audiobooks are sold. You’ll laugh, cry, and most of all—feel seen.

Leave your thoughts in the comments—and don’t forget to subscribe for more powerful conversations.

Now streaming on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.

Hashtags:
#ShavaunScott #NightbirdBook #ReligiousTrauma #ClusterB #ToxicRelationships #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologicalSurvival #EmotionalAbuseRecovery #MurderInTheMorning #TherapistMemoir

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