Are you a grandparent, caregiver, or child impacted by generational trauma? Do you wrestle with questions of connection, healing, and the hope to break repeating patterns? Are you searching for authentic guidance to rewrite your family’s future after abuse or neglect? 

I’m Laura Brazan, and in this episode of 'Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity,' we confront the realities of trauma and healing. Our guest, therapist and author Johnzelle Anderson, shares his powerful story as a grandchild raised by his grandmother—the very person who both nurtured and wounded him. Together, we unpack how generational abuse cycles can be disrupted with love, boundaries, and self-awareness. Learn practical tools for auditing your family’s “trauma soundtracks,” building genuine connection, and fostering resilience in your grandchildren.

Johnzelle is a licensed therapist by trade, and believes in the power of storytelling to heal, imagine, disrupt, and inspire. His writing focuses on mental health, race, relationships, and identity. In his book Mixtape: A Memoir, (https://www.johnzelle.co/) therapist and storyteller Johnzelle Anderson weaves a raw, lyrical portrait of resilience, identity, and healing. 

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Dr. Jennifer Brunton holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Columbia University and has a career spanning from college professor to high-level editor and writer for brands like Forbes and Random House. But it is her identity as a proudly Autistic parent of an Autistic son and grandmother/primary caregiver to two neurodivergent granddaughters, 2- and 3-years-old, that fuels her deepest mission. I recently interviewed her for an episode that will be live the end of August 2026. 

Jill Bryant has spent years researching the deep complexities of counseling and the lived reality of kinship care as a professor and a grandparent raising a grandchild. Her work, focusing on the complete subjective well-being of kinship caregivers. Taking this 10-minute survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3CQGN65) gives our advocates the timely, real-world data they need to fight for the funding and structural support your family deserves right now. 

Kinship care—stepping up to raise your grandchildren—can often feel like an incredibly lonely journey. When custody happens unexpectedly, it’s easy to feel like you are the only one navigating the trauma, the system, and the sheer exhaustion.

But you aren't alone. And that is exactly why your story matters. Your unique experience holds the power to change the system for the next family. Share your story with us at laurabrazan@grandparents-raising-grandchildren.org

Thank you for tuning into today's episode. It's been a journey of shared stories, insights, and invaluable advice from the heart of a community that knows the beauty and challenges of raising grandchildren. Your presence and engagement mean the world to us and to grandparents everywhere stepping up in ways they never imagined.

Remember, you're not alone on this journey. For more resources, support, and stories, visit our website and follow us on our social media channels. If today's episode moved you, consider sharing it with someone who might find comfort and connection in our shared experiences.

We look forward to bringing more stories and expert advice your way next week. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.

Want to be a guest on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity? Send Laura Brazan a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/grg

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