In this second part of the Season 3 closer, Stewart moves from heart to hope — lifting out just a few of the nuggets of gold shared by guests this season. Through their stories and his own reflections, this episode explores how real-life wisdom can become real-life help for parents, teachers, and friends walking alongside kids and families in pain.
This isn’t about quick fixes — it’s about noticing, being present, and finding practical ways to make sure no one carries their pain alone.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
… and much more!
Explore More from Resilient Souls:
Resilient Souls Website
Resilient Souls Podcast or search ‘Resilient Souls’ wherever you get your podcasts
Resilient Souls Blog on Substack
Stewart’s Book
Follow Resilient Souls on:
Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn
Get Involved or Reach Out:
Need Help?
In Australia or Overseas
In this first part of the Season 3 closer, I’m speaking from the heart — no guest — about how this season’s conversations have impacted me personally.
Some moments have stirred memories from my own journey, while others have sparked fresh insight into what these stories could mean for your own life.
From unseen grief in children to the myth that “kids are just resilient,” I share clips from a few guests — and reflect on my own experiences — that reveal the invisible weight kids can carry, even when everything looks fine on the outside.
This is a heartfelt, behind-the-scenes look at some of Season 3’s themes, setting the stage for Part 2 of this closer, where I’ll highlight a few of the “gold nuggets” from these conversations. These are real-life stories with the potential to become practical resources Resilient Souls hopes to create — helping parents, teachers, and friends turn insight into real-life help for those walking through life’s storms.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why kids often carry more grief and stress than adults always realise — and how it can stay hidden.
The personal moments from Stewart’s life that this season’s conversations stirred up, and what they taught him.
Clips from guest stories from Season 3 that reveal the quiet, unseen weight kids can carry. Why the old saying “kids are resilient” can be misleading without the right support.
How noticing and being present can change a child’s (or adult’s) journey through pain.
… and much more!
Explore More from Resilient Souls:
Resilient Souls Website
Resilient Souls Podcast or search ‘Resilient Souls’ wherever you get your podcasts
Resilient Souls Blog on Substack
Stewart’s Book
Follow Resilient Souls on:
Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn
Get Involved or Reach Out:
Need Help?
In Australia or Overseas
When Michael Chisholm reflects on his childhood, he sees how growing up in a home marked by conflict and pain shaped the man he became. Those unspoken wounds followed him into adult life, affecting his relationships and decisions—until he reached a turning point: realising that what you don’t work through, you pass on.
In this heartfelt conversation, Michael shares how doing the hard inner work helped him break the cycle for his own family, and why he now dedicates himself to supporting others — including young people in schools — to find hope, healing, and a different path forward.In this episode, you’ll discover:
… and much more!
Explore More from Resilient Souls:
Resilient Souls Website
Resilient Souls Podcast or search ‘Resilient Souls’ wherever you get your podcasts
Resilient Souls Blog on Substack
Stewart’s Book
Follow Resilient Souls on:
Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn
Get Involved or Reach Out:
Need Help?
In Australia or Overseas
When Elizabeth Moncrieff-Philp lost her husband in a devastating car accident, she suddenly found herself raising four children alone — while trying to hold space for their grief as well as her own.
In this powerful conversation, Elizabeth reflects on what it meant to keep showing up when everything changed. From navigating school routines to managing the different responses to trauma in her kids, she opens up about the kind of parenting no one prepares you for — and the surprising moments of grace and strength that carried her through.
What makes this even more special, is that Elizabeth made the decision to move her children to the school where I was working as a young teacher some time after the accident. One of her children ended up in my class — and I look back now, realising I didn’t have a clue how to support them.
That’s why conversations like this matter. They give us access to the kind of wisdom that can shape how communities respond to families walking through loss and grief.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or someone supporting others in hard seasons, this conversation offers real hope and grounded wisdom.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
… and much more!
Explore More from Resilient Souls:
Resilient Souls Website
Resilient Souls Podcast or search ‘Resilient Souls’ wherever you get your podcasts
Resilient Souls Blog on Substack
Stewart’s Book
Follow Resilient Souls on:
Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn
Get Involved or Reach Out:
Need Help?
Elizabeth bio:
Liz was a mother of 4 young children when her husband Tom was killed suddenly in a car accident whilst they were on leave in Australia from their role as missionaries in Nepal. She currently works as a mental health social worker where she has learned a lot about resilience from the stories that have been shared with her.
When Felicity Baird’s husband, Matt, died after a long battle with cancer, she was left to navigate her own heartbreak — while helping three young children face theirs. What followed was a journey of loss, faith, and slow rebuilding.
In this moving episode, Felicity shares what helped her hold on when life fell apart — and how she continues to find strength and beauty in unexpected places. From practical ways to talk with children about grief, to the quiet presence of God in sorrow, this episode offers honest insight into parenting, faith, and resilience.
We talk about how to hold space for hard conversations, the importance of community, and why faith and grief don’t cancel each other out. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or someone supporting others through loss — Felicity’s wisdom will stay with you.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
... and much more!
Explore More from Resilient Souls:
Resilient Souls Website
Resilient Souls Podcast or search ‘Resilient Souls’ wherever you get your podcasts
Resilient Souls Blog on Substack
Stewart’s Book
Follow Resilient Souls on:
Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn
Get Involved or Reach Out:
Need Help?
Jacqui Page’s story is one of fierce love, deep faith, and resilience forged in the fire of the unexpected.
After years of waiting and praying, Jacqui and her husband welcomed a daughter into their lives—though not in the way they had imagined. From the very beginning, her daughter’s needs were significant, and Jacqui found herself in the thick of hospital corridors, tough conversations, and decisions no parent ever wants to face. She was fighting for time, connection, and the chance to simply be her daughter’s mum.
But Jacqui also knows that not every story ends the same way. Many parents carry profound disappointment or walk through unimaginable loss. There are often no clear answers, and certainly no one to blame. Still, she holds fast to this: that even when we don’t understand, God’s goodness is not undone.
This episode is for anyone navigating a path they didn’t choose—who still longs to find hope, meaning, and a way through. It’s a conversation about parenting without a map, trusting God in the dark, and discovering the sacredness of showing up with love, even when nothing is certain.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
... and much more!
Explore More from Resilient Souls:
Follow Resilient Souls on:
Facebook/ Instagram /LinkedIn
Get Involved or Reach Out:
Need Help? In Australia or Overseas
Jane Oundjian has spent more than 30 years helping people navigate grief. But long before she developed The Bereavement Journey — an award-winning UK-based grief support programme — Jane was just a teenage girl grieving her mother — quietly, and without much support.
In this episode, Jane shares her personal story of grief and healing: from losing her mother as a teen, to later losing her young child, to eventually creating one of the UK’s most trusted bereavement support resources. Along the way, we talk honestly about grief stacking up, what helps and what hurts, how to support children through loss, and why facing pain is the only way to move through it.
This is a gentle, deeply wise conversation — full of practical support for grieving parents, families, friends, and anyone walking through loss.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Relevant Links from the Episode:
At A Loss – Helping Bereaved People Find Support and Well Being ataloss.org
The Bereavement Journey thebereavementjourney.org
Explore More from Resilient Souls:Resilient Souls Website
Resilient Souls Podcast or search ‘Resilient Souls’ wherever you get your podcasts
Resilient Souls Blog on Substack
Stewart’s Book
Follow Resilient Souls on:
Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn
Get Involved or Reach Out:Join the Community
Need Help? In Australia. Overseas
Jane’s biography
Jane trained as a counsellor at Westminster Pastoral Foundation in 1993 and went on to train with Cruse Bereavement Care. She worked for them for many years in the North Kensington area, giving one to one bereavement support to clients and helping to run counselling training sessions for the Branch.
Jane has had her own bereavement experiences having lost her single parent mother at the age of 16 and also her first child when he was 14 months old. These experiences led her in 1995 to write and develop the original 5 session version of The Bereavement Journey which she ran for 23 years at Holy Trinity Brompton, before handing over the lead to Yvonne Tulloch in 2018 and the material to AtaLoss.
Jane was awarded an MBE for services to bereaved people in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2020.
Recommended books by Jane:
In Part 2 of this powerful two-part conversation, registered psychologist and grief coach, Ashley Mielke, shares what she’s learned after years of sitting with people in their darkest moments. Building on her personal story in Episode 28, Ashley offers compassionate and clear insights into how we can better understand, support, and walk with those who are grieving.
We explore toxic positivity, the myth of the ‘five stages of grief’, and why so many people feel unseen in their suffering. Ashley helps reframe grief not as something to fix—but something to honour, validate, and slowly work through.
This episode is for anyone wondering how to care well for the grieving—or how to walk through their own loss with gentleness and grace.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Relevant Links from the Episode:
Ashley Mielke is a Registered Psychologist, grief coach, and founder of Ashley Mielke Coaching. She uses her lived experience and professional training to support others through deep personal loss and emotional healing.
Follow Ashley on Instagram: @ashleymielkecoaching
Websites:AshleyMielkeCoaching.com
Explore More from Resilient Souls:
Resilient Souls Website
Resilient Souls Podcast or search ‘Resilient Souls’ wherever you get your podcasts
Resilient Souls Blog on Substack
Stewart’s Book
Follow Resilient Souls on:
Ashley Mielke is a psychologist, grief coach, and woman of deep faith. But long before any of that, she was a young girl navigating the quiet ache of having a father who was facing his own struggles—and learning to stay strong in ways no child should have to.
In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Ashley shares her personal story of growing up with a parent who struggled with addiction, the complex emotions that came with that, and the eventual loss of her dad to suicide. It’s a raw, tender, and deeply relatable account of the kind of grief that often starts early in life—before we even realise we’re grieving.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever tried to stay strong for others, wondered why certain wounds never quite heal, or carried silent sadness into adulthood.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
How grief can begin long before a death or major loss
Why perfectionism and people-pleasing often mask deeper pain
The impact of growing up with a parent working through their own deep emotional needs
Why we sometimes need to ‘unbecome’ in order to properly begin the healing journey
How her father’s death changed everything—and awakened a calling
The role of faith in finding comfort, calling, and peace
Relevant Links from the Episode:
Ashley Mielke is a Registered Psychologist, grief coach, and founder of Ashley Mielke Coaching. She uses her lived experience and professional training to support others through deep personal loss and emotional healing.
Websites:
AshleyMielkeCoaching.com (website coming soon!)
HealMyHeart.caGrief Recovery Method
Explore More from Resilient Souls:
Resilient Souls Website
Resilient Souls Podcast or search ‘Resilient Souls’ wherever you get your podcasts
Resilient Souls Blog on Substack
Stewart’s Book
Follow Resilient Souls on:
Get Involved or Reach Out:
Bec Riley always dreamed of becoming a mum. But when infertility shattered those dreams, she and her husband began a long and lonely IVF journey filled with heartbreak, disappointment, and unexpected complications.
In this honest and deeply personal conversation, Bec reflects on the emotional and physical toll of IVF, the loneliness that often comes with it, and how her faith evolved along the way.
Eventually, a path she hadn’t planned—adoption and later embryo adoption—brought deep joy and began a healing journey in her life. This is a story of raw emotion, spiritual depth, and hard-won hope for anyone facing detours, delays, or heartbreak in their own story.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Relevant Links from the Episode:
Follow Bec on Instagram: @becjriley
Learn more about her church: @rivieracc_
Bec's recommended reading:
Links to:
The Resilient Souls website
Get hold of Stewart's book
The Resilient Souls Podcast
The Resilient Souls Blog
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Click here)
Stay connected with the Resilient Souls Community: Sign upto keep informed here
Support the work of Resilient Souls: (Click here)
Contact Us: (Click here)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas): Help section on the Resilient Souls website
In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Sam Hearn returns to share how the pain and trauma of his early life became the foundation for a life of empathy, purpose, and service.
Picking up where we left off in Part 1, Sam reflects on key turning points—his decision to choose healing over bitterness, the slow and redemptive restoration of his relationship with his father, and how his lived experience now fuels his work supporting others through trauma and disconnection.
Whether you're a parent, teacher, youth leader, or someone who simply wants to be present for others, Sam’s story will leave you encouraged, grounded, and ready to make a difference.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
... and much more!
Links to:
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
In this powerful first part of a two-part conversation, Stewart sits down with Sam Hearn—a community leader and pastor whose deep compassion for others is rooted in his own lived experience. In Part 1, Sam shares openly about his upbringing, including poverty, generational trauma, family violence, and mental health struggles.
Despite these hardships, Sam’s story is filled with moments of beauty, hope, and a growing awareness of God’s presence, even in the mess.
This episode explores the formative impact of trauma in childhood, how faith can evolve through pain, and what it looks like to begin a journey of healing. In Part 2 (coming next ), Sam will share how his story shaped his passion for helping others and how he now walks alongside people facing similar pain.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
…and much more
Links to:
The Resilient Souls website
Get hold of Stewart's book
The Resilient Souls Podcast
The Resilient Souls Blog
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Click here)
Stay connected with the Resilient Souls Community: Sign up to keep informed here
Support the work of Resilient Souls: (Click here)
Contact Us: (Click here)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas): Help section on the Resilient Souls website
In this powerful follow-up to our conversation with their mother, Belinda Peters, Stewart sits down with Matt, Josh, and Ben Peters—three brothers who grew up as their father battled early onset dementia, leaving their mother to take on far more responsibility as a parent, carer, and wife than she had ever expected.
After hearing Belinda’s story of faith and strength as a parent, this episode offers a moving and deeply insightful perspective from the children navigating that same storm.
Matt, Josh, and Ben open up about the impact of their father’s illness on their upbringing, the quiet strength they witnessed in their mother, how their faith helped them find resilience amidst the pain, and what it was like to lose a parent at such a young age.
They reflect on the role of their church community, the importance of showing up for others, and why it’s possible to emerge from hardship with both hope and purpose.
Their story highlights the power of vulnerability, the value of ongoing support, and the strength that comes from holding onto faith and hope through life’s hardest moments.In this episode, you’ll discover:
…and much more
Links to:
The Resilient Souls website
Get hold of Stewart's book
The Resilient Souls Podcast
The Resilient Souls Blog
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Click here)
Stay connected with the Resilient Souls Community: Sign up to keep informed here
Support the work of Resilient Souls: (Click here)
Contact Us: (Click here)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas): Helpsection on the Resilient Souls website
In this heartfelt episode, Belinda Peters shares her deeply personal journey of navigating her husband’s early onset dementia diagnosis while raising their three young sons. As she faced uncertainty, loss, and overwhelming responsibility, Belinda leaned on faith, community, and practical wisdom to sustain herself and her family.
She opens up about the challenges of parenting through grief, the importance of clear communication with her support network, and how small moments of joy helped her find resilience in the storm. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, trust, and choosing to embrace life even in the hardest seasons.
Whether you’re walking through grief, supporting a loved one, or seeking wisdom on parenting through life’s toughest seasons, this episode offers hope, practical insights, and encouragement for the journey.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Links to:
The Resilient Souls website
Get hold of Stewart's book
The Resilient Souls Podcast
The Resilient Souls Blog
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Click here)
Stay connected with the Resilient Souls Community: Sign up to keep informed here
Support the work of Resilient Souls: (Click here)
Contact Us: (Click here)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas): Help section on the Resilient Souls website
In this insightful episode, Stewart sits down with Natasha Rae, a psychologist with her own lived experience of trauma. Natasha opens up about growing up in a dysfunctional family and the profound impact it had on her mental health. She discusses the importance of having a strong support system and finding meaning and purpose in life, even in the face of adversity.
Natasha introduces the concept of positive psychology and explains the PERMA model, which focuses on cultivating positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. She emphasizes that despite experiencing trauma, it’s possible not only to survive but to thrive and live a fulfilling life.
The conversation also delves into the concept of ‘mattering’ Natasha explains this as the glue that connects us to others. She explores how feeling like we matter to someone, and helping others feel the same, fosters a sense of belonging and connection. She sheds light on the societal issue of the lack of significant adults in children’s lives, which can lead to feelings of insignificance.
Whether you're on your own healing journey or seeking to support others, this episode offers wisdom on building resilience, embracing growth, and finding meaningful relationships that contribute to healing.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
… and much more
Links from the Episode:
Information about Positive Psychology and the P.E.R.M.A. model - link
Links to:
The Resilient Soulswebsite
Get hold of Stewart'sbook
The Resilient SoulsPodcast
The Resilient SoulsBlog
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Clickhere)
Stay connected with the Resilient Souls Community: Sign up to keep informedhere
Support the work of Resilient Souls: (Clickhere)
Contact Us: (Clickhere)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas):Help section on the Resilient Souls website
In this heartfelt and deeply personal episode, Doug Miller shares his journey as a husband, father, and caregiver in the wake of his wife, Barb’s, life-changing accident in Malawi. With raw honesty, Doug recounts the fear and uncertainty of the day everything changed and reflects on his role in supporting his wife and children through the aftermath.
Doug opens up about the challenges of balancing his own emotions while being a steady presence for his family. He shares how his faith, prayer, and the support of his community sustained him during this incredibly difficult season. His story offers profound insights into the power of trust, surrender, and resilience in the face of life’s hardest moments.
Whether you’re a caregiver, a spouse, or someone seeking hope and strength in challenging times, Doug’s reflections provide wisdom, encouragement, and practical guidance.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
…and much more Links to:
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Click here)
Stay connected with the Resilient Souls Community: Sign up to keep informed here
Support the work of
Resilient Souls: (Click here)
Contact Us: (Click here)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas): Help section on the Resilient Souls website
In this inspiring episode, Barb Miller, a retired missionary, shares her extraordinary story of resilience and faith after a devastating accident in Malawi. During a bike ride with her daughter, Barb fell from a bridge into a ravine, resulting in paralysis from the chest down. Despite this life-changing event, Barb and her family chose to stay in Malawi, embracing their new reality with faith, creativity, and determination.
Barb reflects on the emotional and spiritual challenges she faced, the strength she found in her faith, and the unwavering support of her family and community. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience, surrender, and trust in God amidst life’s most difficult moments.
Whether you’re navigating your own challenges or seeking ways to support others, Barb’s story offers hope, wisdom, and practical encouragement.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
…and much more
Links to:
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Click here)
Stay connected with the Resilient Souls Community: Sign up to keep informed here
Support the work of Resilient Souls: (Click here)
Contact Us: (Click here)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas): Help section on the Resilient Souls website
In this episode, Ken Roberts shares his journey through personal trauma and loss, revealing how he has experienced a transformation of his pain into a calling to help others without minimising what he and his family went through. Drawing from his extensive experience as a leader, author, and coach, Ken emphasizes the power of embracing your story as a tool for personal growth and healing.
Stewart and Ken’s conversation explores the vital role organizations like Nothing Is Wasted and Resilient Souls play in equipping people with resources to encourage, support, and practically guide them through trauma—or to better support others as they navigate their pain. Ken also challenges churches to become 'safe and skilled' communities of support, offering insights into how awareness, intentionality, and partnerships can make a profound difference for those in pain.
In this episode you will discover:
… and more!
Links from the Episode:
For more information or resources go to Ken’s website
For information on Nothing is Wasted visit their website
Links related to Resilient Souls and Stewart:
The Resilient Souls website
Get hold of Stewart's book
The Resilient Souls Podcast
The Resilient Souls Blog
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Click here)
SIGN UP to the Resilient Souls Community (Click here)
Support the work of Resilient Souls: (Click here)
Contact Us: (Click here)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas): Help section on the Resilient Souls website
In this deeply personal and insightful episode, Stewart continues his previous conversation with his daughter, Ashley Biddick, a psychologist navigating her own firsthand experience of trauma and grief. Ashley reflects on the ongoing journey through immense loss following the death of her husband, Jake.
Drawing from her personal experience and professional insights, Ashley delves into the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual challenges that grief can bring. She shares, with raw honesty, the pain of rebuilding a life she never expected and the steps she’s taking to find glimmers of hope along the way.
Whether you’re navigating your own journey through grief or seeking to support a loved one, Ashley’s story offers an authentic picture of resilience in the storm. She highlights the difficulty of finding meaningful support and the beauty of discovering light in the darkness.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
How grief and trauma can manifest physically in the body
The overwhelming emotions that come with rebuilding life after loss
The impact of loss on identity and well-being and the challenges of redefining ‘home’
The power of connections—both old and new—in the healing process.
That there will be ‘glimmers’ of hope—small moments ofjoy and peace amidst pain.
…and much more
Links to:
The Resilient Souls website
Get hold of Stewart's book
The Resilient Souls Podcast
The Resilient Souls Blog
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Click here)
Stay connected with the Resilient Souls Community: Sign up to keep informed here
Support the work of Resilient Souls: (Click here)
Contact Us: (Click here)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas): Help section on the Resilient Souls website
In this powerful episode, Jon Owen, a compassionate leader dedicated to building community with those in vulnerable situations, shares from his experience and the insights and wisdom he has gained from years of serving others. Jon opens up about his own journey and offers practical guidance for anyone going through tough times or supporting others facing adversity.
Through his work with the Wayside Chapel community, Jon has learned invaluable lessons about the importance of not defining people by their struggles, the transformative power of presence, and the role of empathy in supporting people in difficult times. Together, Stewart and Jon discuss how to face struggles with courage, seek God in the midst of pain, and hold onto hope even in life’s darkest moments.
In this episode, you'll discover:
... and much more.
Links from the Episode
Links to:
The Resilient Souls website
Get hold of Stewart's book
The Resilient Souls Podcast
The Resilient Souls Blog
Links to Resilient Souls Socials:
Book Stewart to speak (Click here) Stay connected with the Resilient Souls Community: Sign up to keep informed here
Support the work of Resilient Souls: (Click here)
Contact Us: (Click here)
Links to getting help (locally and overseas): Help section on the Resilient Souls website.