The Survivors Podcast
Surviving Life, Death and Everything In Between
Survival isn’t just about staying alive—it’s about finding the strength to rebuild, reclaim, and rise.
That’s the foundation of The Survivors Podcast, where three-time suicide loss survivor, author, crisis counselor, and mental health advocate Lisa Sugarman joins Natasha J. Layton—a multiple suicide attempt and loss survivor, advocate, sexual abuse survivor, and former member of the FLDS polygamy cult—to change the way we talk about suicide, survival, and mental health.
Through raw, unfiltered conversations, Lisa and Natasha explore the realities of surviving trauma, grief, abuse, mental illness, and everything in between—with honesty, hope, and humanity. Their unique perspectives—one shaped by profound loss, the other by unimaginable adversity—create a space where the hardest stories are told with compassion, courage, and vulnerability.
By opening up the conversations we’ve been taught to bury, The Survivors invites listeners into a safe, stigma-free community to reflect, connect, and heal. Together, Lisa and Natasha push past stigma, challenge everything we think we know about survival, and reveal that life after darkness can be filled with meaning, connection, and hope.
Subscribe now and join the conversation about surviving life, death, and everything in between.
- All
- season 1
- season 2
- bonus episodes
When the Old You Dies: Navigating Identity After Loss
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary This episode of The Survivors explores how major losses and life changes — from suicide and family death to coming out and leaving a polygamous cult — reshape who we are. Hosts share personal st...
When 'I'm Fine' is a Lie: The Burden of Polite Answers
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering Episode Summary In this episode, Lisa & Natasha explore the dangers of the automatic response "I'm fine," and how trauma reshapes honesty in everyday conversations, and practical ways to ask and answer "How ...
Season 4 Recap: Real Stories, Raw Survival
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In the Season 4 Recap, Lisa & Natasha blast through the season’s standout moments — from compound grief to breaking mental health taboos, body-centered trauma, women and suicide, and powerfu...
Mental Health Awareness Month: When Awareness Isn't Enough
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this heartfelt episode, Lisa and Natasha explore the realities of mental health, the stigma around seeking help, and practical ways to support those in crisis. They share personal stories, de...
When Mother's Day Hurts: No Contact, Trauma, and Reclaiming Joy
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this week's episode of The Survivors, Natasha & Lisa explore the complex emotions of Mother's Day — one celebrating a close relationship with her mother, the other navigating no contact a...
Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss — Lisa's New Book Drops Everywhere
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this episode of The Survivors, we celebrate Lisa’s long-awaited book launch, Surviving: Finding Hope After Suicide Loss (Familius Books). Lisa reveals learning decades later that her father d...
When Grief Rewires You: Surviving After the Unthinkable
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this episode Lisa & Natasha talk about how grief permanently rewires who we are — how loss changes identity, priorities, and relationships. The hosts share personal stories of multiple su...
Surviving the Scale: From 300+ Pounds to a New Life
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this episode, Natasha shares her journey from severe obesity to losing over 100 pounds, examining how childhood trauma, medications, stress, and coping behaviors shaped her body and mental he...
Surviving Loss & Addiction: From Tragedy to 40 Years of Recovery
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this episode, Lisa's lifelong friend Caleb Powers recounts losing his father in the 1983 sinking of the SS Marine Electric—a tragedy he narrowly escaped—how that loss fueled teenage drinking ...
The Night the SS Marine Electric Sank: A Survivor's Story
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this episode, Lisa speaks with her lifelong friend Caleb Powers as he tells, for the first time publicly, the story of the SS Marine Electric sinking on February 12, 1983 and his father being...