Trauma Changes You: Learning to Live After the Unthinkable | Kelly Guay

Grief support and trauma healing take on a whole new dimension when you meet someone who has survived what most of us can barely imagine. Kelly Guay has lost her mother, her brother, a stillborn son, her husband, and her father — five profound losses spanning 17 years. And she is still standing. In this conversation, Kelly and Brooke explore what happens when grief keeps coming before you've finished grieving the last loss, how watching her own mother model resilience after tragedy became a blueprint Kelly didn't know she had, and why Kelly refuses to become "a miserable shrew" — even though nobody would blame her if she did. This episode is a masterclass in what it looks like to feel it fully, then ask: now what? Content Notes: This episode discusses multiple losses, stillbirth, spousal loss, grief resilience, faith, spirituality, and intergenerational healing. Listener discretion is advised. Timestamps: 0:00 "It does not matter what your trauma is. It sucks." 2:29 Walking through 25 years of loss 2:50 Losing Mom and Brother (2001–2003): the depression Kelly didn't see coming 4:37 Searching for healing: therapists, faith, and a skeptic's first visit to a medium 11:12 The stillbirth of son at 36 weeks (2011) 12:42 The dream that brought peace: Mom finally had a grandchild 14:20 "At this point, I think I could lead the support group" 16:20 Do prior losses prime you for future grief? Brooke and Kelly explore 17:40 Losing Dad in 2018: the hardest one — "my last cheerleader" 19:41 Brooke shares her own grief evolution and spirituality 24:17 Kelly's mother lost her son David in 1971: "Good things can happen from bad things" 26:34 How watching a grieving mother model joy shaped Kelly's entire foundation 28:03 The parenting philosophy: feel it, then "now what?" Connect with Trauma Uncensored Website: traumauncensored.com Instagram: @traumauncensored YouTube: @traumauncensored TikTok: @traumauncensored Email the team: [email protected] Email Brooke: [email protected] About the Host Brooke Scherer | Creator and Host Brooke Scherer is the creator and host of the Trauma Uncensored Podcast, where she leads honest, unfiltered conversations about trauma, grief, mental health, and healing. She is also a mother to Logan, Mallory, and Mila. In 2016, Brooke's world was shattered when her son Logan was killed by a distracted driver. In the silence that followed, she found a culture unequipped to talk about child loss, grief, and trauma in any honest way. That silence became her mission. Brooke built Trauma Uncensored to offer what she once needed most: A space to speak openly, without judgment, timelines, or expectation. Through her own story and conversations with survivors, mental health professionals, and others whose lives have been permanently altered, she reminds listeners they are not alone. She believes trauma permanently changes us, but it does not have to define the limits of our lives. IF THIS EPISODE RESONATED: Subscribe, share it with someone who's been carrying grief longer than they'd like to admit, and leave a review — it helps more people find these conversations. WANT TO SHARE YOUR STORY? Reach out at [email protected] or email Brooke directly at [email protected]. CRISIS RESOURCES: If you're struggling with thoughts of suicide or know someone who is, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or text "START" to 88788.