About Us

That’s the foundation of The Survivors Podcast, where Lisa Sugarman and Natasha J. Layton use their lived experiences to change the way we talk about suicide, survival, and mental health.

 

Lisa is a three-time suicide loss survivor, an author, crisis counselor, and mental health advocate who lost her father to suicide at just ten years old—though she wouldn’t learn the truth until 35 years later. Her journey through grief, secrecy, and eventual healing gives her a profound understanding of how silence shapes trauma and how speaking openly can set us free.

 

Natasha is a multiple suicide attempt and loss survivor, sexual abuse survivor, and former member of the FLDS polygamy cult led by her uncle, Warren Jeffs. She’s lived through the kind of control, pain, and loss most people can’t imagine—and found the courage to escape, rebuild her life, and use her story to empower others to do the same.

 

Together, Lisa and Natasha bring two sides of survival to the table: one shaped by profound loss, the other by unimaginable adversity. Through raw, unfiltered conversations, they explore the realities of surviving trauma, grief, abuse, and mental illness—with honesty, hope, and humanity.

 

Their shared mission is simple but powerful: to open up the conversations we’ve been taught to bury, create a safe, stigma-free community, and remind every listener that healing is possible.

 

By bringing truth to the surface, The Survivors invites you to reflect, connect, and heal—and to see that life after darkness can be filled with meaning, connection, and hope.