Lessons in Discernment is for anyone who's ever known something was off, but talked themselves out of it anyway.
Hosted by writer Stéphanie St-Jean, it's a podcast about the slow, honest work of coming back to yourself. Each episode explores discernment not as a skill to master, but as a practice to return to—through reflection, conversation, and a lot of compassion for the in-between.
You don't just arrive at self-trust. You keep choosing it.
Substack: lessonsindiscernment.substack.com (http://lessonsindiscernment.substack.com)
Children’s book & resources: linktr.ee/lessonsindiscernment (http://linktr.ee/lessonsindiscernment)
Instagram: instagram.com/lessonsindiscernment (http://instagram.com/lessonsindiscernment)
Unlearning the Myth: Queer Abuse, Neurodivergence, and Finding Freedom with Khelsy
What happens when the abuser doesn’t fit the stereotype?
For this episode of Lessons in Discernment, I’m joined by Khelsy (@noonesmad)—a Paris-based content creator exploring queerness, neurodivergence, and life after narcissistic abuse.
Together, we unpack the myths surrounding abuse in queer relationships, the role of U-hauling culture in masking unhealthy dynamics, and how neurodivergence can shape both vulnerability and resilience in recovery.
Khelsy shares how working with a narcissistic abuse recovery coach and a therapist using ketamine-assisted psychotherapy helped her reclaim her truth, and how storytelling became her way back to power.
This episode is a reminder that representation saves lives—and that healing, humor, and honesty can coexist.
Follow Khelsy on Instagram and TikTok: @noonesmad (https://www.instagram.com/noonesmad)
22 Oct 2025
Protecting Children from Coercive Control: Bill C-223 with MP Lisa Hepfner
When the courts don’t recognize coercive control, children pay the price. This week on Lessons in Discernment, I’m joined by Canadian Member of Parliament Lisa Hepfner, sponsor of Bill C-223: The Keeping Children Safe Act—a groundbreaking piece of legislation that could transform how family violence is recognized and prevented in Canada. We talk about the stories that inspired the bill, the cultural shift it represents, and what it would mean for survivors and children to finally be protected...
14 Oct 2025
Speaking Truth Strategically: Surviving Family Court with Alex Mack
What does it mean to tell the truth strategically — especially in a system that wasn’t built to protect you? In this episode of Lessons in Discernment, I sit down with Alex Mack—legal coach, high-conflict strategist, and domestic violence survivor. She’s the founder of Exodus Strategy Consultants and the creator of the CLEAR Method and StrongHER Masterclass, where she teaches women how to protect themselves in family court without losing their voice or their sanity. Together, we explore what ...
29 Sept 2025
Rewriting the Story: Trauma, EMDR and Resilience with Kate Michaud
What does it mean to truly rewrite your story after trauma? In this episode of Lessons in Discernment, I sit down with Kate Michaud—EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist, social worker, and founder of New Mindset Therapy. Together, we explore the power of EMDR as a tool for reprocessing trauma, the unintended consequences of diagnostic labels, and the path to reclaiming agency after experiences of narcissistic abuse and emotional manipulation. For me, EMDR was a turning point in my own journey of r...
22 Sept 2025
When Silence Breaks: Discernment After Abuse with Elissa Swihart
What happens after survival? In this deeply moving episode of Lessons in Discernment, I sit down with Elissa Swihart — survivor, advocate, storyteller, and creator of Dismissed True Stories, a podcast amplifying the voices of women silenced or erased by abuse. Elissa is also the founder of Tala’s Closet, a donation-based free store that offers practical support to women and children escaping violence. Her work is healing in action — proof that rebuilding after abuse is not only possible, but ...
8 Sept 2025
Discerning the Stories We Consume: Dark Psychology & Cultural Mirrors with Julie Theis
In this episode of Lessons in Discernment, I’m joined by Julie Theis—creator of a powerful YouTube channel unpacking the dark psychology of celebrities, and a cast member on Netflix’s The Trust. From the Kardashian family’s dysfunction to the Internet’s insatiable obsession with the Bieber love triangle, Julie’s work goes far beyond gossip & conspiracy, and analyzes the patterns no amount of fame can avoid. We explore what it feels like for her to sit with the shadows of these case studie...
1 Sept 2025
From Abuse to Authenticity: Religious Conditioning, Sexual Trauma, and Self-Reclamation with Amy Watkins
What happens when abuse and conditioning erase your sense of self, and the only way you believe you can be loved is as a sex object? This week on Lessons in Discernment, I’m joined by Amy Watkins—a therapist turned truth teller and the voice behind @ms.emotionallyslutty. Amy shares her story of growing up under religious conditioning and neglect, surviving sexual abuse, and how those experiences shaped her identity for years. At the same time, she carried a fire inside that refused to go out....
25 Aug 2025
Seeing What They Tried to Make Us Unsee: Abuse, Data, and Healing with Dr. Ruth
What if the very thing your abuser tried to shame you for became the source of your strength? This week on Lessons in Discernment, I’m joined by Dr. Ruth—statistician, survivor, and founder of Healing by the Numbers. Blind in one eye and with limited vision in the other, Ruth endured years of cruelty from an abuser who weaponized her difference. Today, she transforms those scars into clarity: breaking down patterns of abuse through both numbers and story, and reminding survivors they are not ...
14 Aug 2025
The Truth I Tried Not to Know: Remembering, Naming, and Breaking the Spell
What changes when you finally say the word? In this raw and unfiltered episode of Lessons in Discernment, I share the quiet but life-altering moment I named my experience for what it was: abuse. Not when I left. Not when someone told me. But when I told myself—and the truth refused to be unnamed again. I unpack the myths about what abuse “looks like,” how emotional abuse hides in charm, guilt, and subtle erosion, and why language can be the first act of liberation. This isn’t about drama—it’s...
27 Jul 2025
The Voice They Tried to Silence: Speaking, Remembering and Trusting the Truth
In this episode, I share a story I spent years trying to write in silence—hidden in journals, unsent letters, and notes on my phone. It’s the beginning of my unraveling, and of my return. From miscarriage and grief to the slow, quiet devastation of narcissistic abuse, I speak the truth I was once too afraid to say out loud. This isn’t polished. It’s raw, emotional, and deeply personal—but I know now I’m not the only one. If you’ve ever been made to feel too much, too sensitive, or too loud—th...
22 Jul 2025
When The Conversation Pauses: Healing, Waiting and Trusting the Timing
This solo episode wasn’t the one I originally planned—but maybe it’s the one I was meant to record. After a delayed interview with a special guest, I sat with the discomfort of the pause and uncovered something deeper: the sacredness of the in-between. In this reflection, I explore what it means to trust yourself when timelines shift, how healing rarely happens on schedule, and why your voice is enough—even when it shakes, even when it stands alone. Find me on Instagram: instagram...
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