Adriene Caldwell joins Marcus Smith on The InnerFight Podcast to talk about surviving the unthinkable — and how she found the strength to turn trauma into purpose. Adriene, author of Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines, speaks openly about childhood abuse, foster care, and the long road of therapy that led her toward healing and forgiveness.

In this conversation, Adriene explains why she believes her story should be used as a teaching tool for future counselors and psychologists studying childhood trauma. She also shares her honest struggle with forgiveness, her continuing therapy journey, and her belief that even the smallest step forward can change everything.

Trigger warnings: emotional and physical abuse, child sexual assault, drowning death of a child, extreme poverty, mental illness, homelessness, abusive foster care, bulimia, pedophilia, incest, death, and suicide.

Get the free prologue + chapter one (while it’s still available) at UnbrokenCaldwell.com

Chapters 0:00 – Introduction to Adriene Caldwell and Unbroken 5:59 – Adriene’s Early Memories and Childhood Trauma 20:04 – The Concept of Safety and Male–Female Dynamics 32:54 – Adriene’s Therapeutic Journey and Writing Her Book 43:22 – Forgiveness, Anger, and Personal Growth 47:43 – Conclusion and Final Thoughts

To listen to more from The Inner Fight, please visit https://open.spotify.com/show/51Na7Dir4SS1ZUEKuQ9E6h

Thank you for listening.