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A phone rings after 7pm and the ordinary rush of parenting turns into a moment you never forget. Amber takes us back to early 2018, when she’s an assistant principal, a full-time working mum and newly pregnant, only to receive prenatal testing results that point to a Down syndrome diagnosis for her daughter. We talk through the shock, the uncertainty and the unexpected gratitude that arrives when fear starts shouting worst-case outcomes.

Then comes the next layer with a congenital heart defect discovered in utero, the reality of specialist teams and the planning that leads to open heart surgery when her baby is just five months old. Amber shares what special needs parenting looks like on the ground including therapy appointments, managing germs, family handovers, long drives and the mental load of keeping life moving while your nervous system is stuck in chronic stress and fight-flight-freeze.

Just as they’re finding their footing, Amber’s mum dies suddenly, and grief becomes the turning point that changes everything. We unpack why she steps away from work, why therapy becomes “I can’t afford not to” and how honest communication and couples support help her marriage hold. The conversation closes with the bold choice that resets their family by moving interstate for an adventure they actually choose, plus the writing and coaching work that grows into her seasonal syncing framework and book.

If this story hits home, subscribe to Everyday Warriors, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find these real, raw conversations.

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Music Credit: Cody Martin - Sunrise (first 26 episodes) then custom made for me.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, experiences and stories shared by guests on the Everyday Warriors Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Trudie Marie, or the Everyday Warriors Podcast.

Guests are responsible for the accuracy of the information they choose to share and speak from their own personal experiences and perspectives. While every effort is made to provide a respectful and supportive platform for open conversation, the host accepts no responsibility or liability for the statements, opinions, advice, claims or recollections expressed by guests during a...

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A relationship can become a cage without you noticing the bars being built. Amanda joins me from Brisbane to share how early trauma and a loss of safety at 15 shaped the choices she made at 16, and how a controlling partner can disguise domination as “protection” until your confidence, friendships and freedom quietly disappear. Her story is raw, honest and painfully familiar to anyone who’s lived through coercive control and domestic violence.

We unpack what control looks like in day-to-day life with money, transport, parenting, isolation, blame and the public mask that convinces everyone you’re fine. Amanda explains the turning point that comes through nursing and university, when learning about domestic violence gives her language for what she’s been surviving. From there, we walk through the reality of leaving with six kids in the mix, the moment she needs police support to collect her things and the fear that comes with realising how dangerous separation can be.

The conversation goes deeper into post-separation abuse, family court trauma and parental alienation, including the ways systems and paperwork can be used as weapons. We also spend time on recovery and trauma healing including meditation as “medication”, therapy, journalling, self-trust and choosing to move forward minute by minute when you can’t see the other side yet. Amanda shares how she rebuilds her identity, restores relationships with most of her now-adult children and names her memoir "She Lives" as a declaration of survival.

If this story resonates, please subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find these real conversations. What part of Amanda’s journey stayed with you most?

Connect with Amanda on Instagram here

Subscribe to Everyday Warrior Moments here

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Thanks for listening in!

Contact me directly at https://everydaywarriorspodcast.com.au or head to
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Subscribe to Everyday Warrior Moments here

Support the Podcast - Buy me a Coffee

Buy my Book here

Apply to be a guest at everydaywarriorspodcast@gmail.com

Music Credit: Cody Martin - Sunrise (first 26 episodes) then custom made for me.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, experiences and stories shared by guests on the Everyday Warriors Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Trudie Marie, or the Everyday Warriors Podcast.

Guests are responsible for the accuracy of the information they choose to share and speak from their own personal experiences and perspectives. While every effort is made to provide a respectful and supportive platform for open conversation, the host accepts no responsibility or liability for the statements, opinions, advice, claims or recollections expressed by guests during a...

Send us Fan Mail

He served for 20 years, chased meaning in high-risk missions, then pressed the retirement button and realised the hardest fight was about to start at home. Anthony joins us from Clovis, New Mexico, to share what military service gave him, what it took from him and what it cost when the uniform came off and the structure disappeared. The shift from special operations purpose to civilian life hits fast and he speaks plainly about loss of identity, the pull of alcohol and the moment his wife drew a line he couldn’t ignore.

We go deep on veteran mental health, PTSD and what “getting help” actually looks like when you’ve spent a career pushing through. Anthony talks about prolonged exposure therapy, panic attacks and learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable, while I reflect on why talk therapy can feel like reliving the worst moments and still be the thing that takes their power away. We also unpack the practical side of recovery: treating mental health like routine maintenance, building a real support network and why seeing leaders seek help makes it easier for others to do the same.

Some of the most memorable moments are the simplest, “four quarters over a hundred pennies” as a guide to friendship, choosing the pen over the bottle through writing and the “two wolves” reminder that daily actions decide what grows. Anthony’s mission now is fatherhood and presence and he shares the moon as his lighthouse, a symbol of light that holds steady on dark nights. If you’re navigating military transition, first responder stress, addiction recovery, or trauma healing, you’ll find honesty and usable lessons here. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more everyday warriors find these stories.

Connect with Anthony on Facebook here

Puchase Anthony's book Moon Child here

Subscribe to Everyday Warrior Moments here

Support the show

Thanks for listening in!

Contact me directly at https://everydaywarriorspodcast.com.au or head to
Instagram Personal or Podcast
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/trudie.dwyer

Subscribe to Everyday Warrior Moments here

Support the Podcast - Buy me a Coffee

Buy my Book here

Apply to be a guest at everydaywarriorspodcast@gmail.com

Music Credit: Cody Martin - Sunrise (first 26 episodes) then custom made for me.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, experiences and stories shared by guests on the Everyday Warriors Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Trudie Marie, or the Everyday Warriors Podcast.

Guests are responsible for the accuracy of the information they choose to share and speak from their own personal experiences and perspectives. While every effort is made to provide a respectful and supportive platform for open conversation, the host accepts no responsibility or liability for the statements, opinions, advice, claims or recollections expressed by guests during a...