Some of the people who help us most are the ones who have walked through the darkest things themselves.
In this episode of The Beauty In The Mess, I sit down with Stacy Schaffer, MA, LPC, a children’s therapist with over 20 years of experience working with grief, trauma, and anxiety. Stacy is also a survivor of childhood trauma, and she brings that lived wisdom into every conversation she has with families, educators, and young people.
We talk openly about how trauma shows up in kids, why silence in families can be dangerous, and how play, safety, and relationship are often the real medicine. Stacy shares what she wished she’d had as a child, what she now creates for others, and why healing is not a destination but a practice.
This is a tender, honest, and deeply practical conversation for parents, teachers, caregivers, and anyone who cares about breaking generational cycles with compassion instead of shame.
05:10 — Stacy’s childhood story and what shaped her calling
09:25 — How trauma quietly shows up in kids
13:50 — Why family silence keeps wounds alive
18:15 — The healing power of play therapy
22:40 — Grief beyond death and why it matters
27:05 — Warning signs parents should not ignore
31:30 — Repair, safety, and relationship as medicine
36:10 — What Stacy wishes every parent knew
40:55 — How to break generational cycles with love
✨Connect with Stacy Schaffer:
✨ Connect with Michele Simms:
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