Joan Quinlan Episode 3 – Overcoming Substance Use Disorder
Release Date: 05/21/2025
Rebeccah Silence – Healing High-functioning Unhappiness
Overcomers Overcoming
Rebeccah Silence works with leaders to heal high-functioning unhappiness to make the most impact on humanity. Emotional wellness supports leadership, impact, business, and better communication and messaging. Rebeccah knows that the happier you are at home and the more emotionally well you are, the more the world gets the best of you and the difference you were born to make. Rebeccah shares actionable steps to heal family trauma. At the heart of her approach, which you can see at , is a simple truth: healing is freedom. It's the key to breaking free from the past, empowering ourselves, and...
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Dr. Kristen Williamson Episode 2 – “Neurospicy” People and Employment
Overcomers Overcoming
Dr. Kristen Williamson is a licensed professional counselor, neurodivergent advocate, and proud ringleader of a “neurospicy” family. Her life is a mix of late-night epiphanies, juggling mental health myths, and a daily dose of laughter as she navigates autism, ADHD, and parenting kids who keep her on her toes (and sometimes hiding snacks). Here’s the deal: growing up, she always felt like she was dancing to her beat, but nobody gave me the playlist. It wasn’t until adulthood that she realized she was neurodivergent, and suddenly, her quirks and challenges made sense. That “ah-ha”...
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Janet Sherlund – Abandoned at Birth
Overcomers Overcoming
Janet Sherlund chronicles her life as an adopted child. Being adopted made her feel as though she was living a “borrowed life,” undermined her sense of trust and personal value, and impacted every decision she made. It also led to a lifelong quest to find her biological mother, with the hope of finally feeling a tether to this world, a sense of belonging, and ultimately, herself. Adoption is often painted as a happy, inspirational act - a baby finds a family and lives happily ever after. But the truth is that adopted children experience displacement and rupture from their mothers,...
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Dr. Kristen Williamson Episode 1 – “Neurospicy” People
Overcomers Overcoming
Dr. Kristen Williamson is a licensed professional counselor, neurodivergent advocate, and proud ringleader of a “neurospicy” family. Her life is a mix of late-night epiphanies, juggling mental health myths, and a daily dose of laughter as she navigates autism, ADHD, and parenting kids who keep her on her toes (and sometimes hiding snacks). Here’s the deal: growing up, she always felt like she was dancing to her beat, but nobody gave me the playlist. It wasn’t until adulthood that she realized she was neurodivergent, and suddenly, her quirks and challenges made sense. That “ah-ha”...
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Mike Burnop – Be Prepared
Overcomers Overcoming
Mike Burnop is Virginia Tech’s Hall of Fame network analyst and the two-time Virginia Sportscaster of the Year (2019, 2023). He attended Roanoke Catholic High School, where he is a Hall of Fame inductee. Mike was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. Mike enters his 42nd season in the Hokies’ football booth. In addition to his role as an analyst, Mike handles all postgame interviews from Virginia Tech’s locker room. Mike was a star tight end at Virginia Tech during his playing days. He held the Hokies’ single-season tight end records for receptions (46) and...
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Jo Whipp – Overcoming Emotional Trauma
Overcomers Overcoming
Jo Whipp is freer now than she has been in her past. She is still healing, grasping what she thought her life was supposed to look like while pretending it’s something it isn’t. She committed to stopping living in the past and starting to create her future. Life, the journey, is a forever-growing, forever learning, forever-unfolding experience. She thinks the analogy of the butterfly works so well. Some struggle to overcome more than others. There were moments when she longed for the ultimate freedom. Freedom to be in the arms of Jesus and be finished with the pain of life on earth....
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Austin Davis: Teenage Behavioral Health
Overcomers Overcoming
Austin Davis is a visionary leader in teenage behavioral health and addiction treatment. He has spent the past 15+ years committed to transforming the lives of teens and their families. He uses the power of faith in the recovery process to help his clients grow into healthy and happy members of their community. His dedication to teen mental health makes him a driving thought leader in the industry. He has spoken to parents, community health professionals, educators, and teens nationwide—sharing insights on effective treatment methodologies, the importance of mental health awareness, and...
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Jacques Delorme Episode 2 – Overcoming PTSD
Overcomers Overcoming
Jacques Delorme is a farm kid raised in rural Saskatchewan and currently residing in Regina with his two children. He completed a Bachelor of Education degree in Chemistry, physical education, and general science in 1990 and became a master teacher and coached volleyball, curling, badminton, softball, and track and field. He is a science educator who dedicated the past 10 years of his life to personal development including training as a Shaman. With a deep interest in helping others through writing and public speaking, Jacques is developing an online support program for those recovering from...
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Joan Quinlan Episode 3 – Overcoming Substance Use Disorder
Overcomers Overcoming
Joan Quinlan has overcome multiple life traumas brought about by her early lifestyle. Her family culture was one of working beyond any life adversities rather than finding anyone who could empathize with her. That culture caused her to repress many of her early life anxieties, which led her to excessive alcohol consumption. The term for this was formerly alcoholic. The accepted term now is substance use disorder (SUD). She explains she still has moments that can activate (the term more accepted than “triggered”) past recollections of behavior. Because she has primarily overcome these...
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Harris B. Cooper – Workplace Culture
Overcomers Overcoming
Harris Cooper, formerly GS-15, discusses his approach to organizational culture, drawing from his 39-year government career. He emphasizes the importance of the Golden Rule and the Serenity Prayer in his management style, along with two simple rules: do your job and keep the boss out of trouble. Harris also shares his experience leading a diverse workforce across multiple naval and marine air stations, where he was responsible for aircraft repair capabilities. He discusses the challenges of managing geographically dispersed teams and implementing consistent procedures across different...
info_outlineJoan Quinlan has overcome multiple life traumas brought about by her early lifestyle. Her family culture was one of working beyond any life adversities rather than finding anyone who could empathize with her. That culture caused her to repress many of her early life anxieties, which led her to excessive alcohol consumption. The term for this was formerly alcoholic. The accepted term now is substance use disorder (SUD). She explains she still has moments that can activate (the term more accepted than “triggered”) past recollections of behavior. Because she has primarily overcome these previous traumas, she is helping others overcome their traumatic behaviors. You can learn more about Joan and her work at https://womenforsobriety.org/.