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 2
- season 1
- bonus episodes
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...
I Thought My Dad Died of a Heart Attack — The Truth Changed Everything
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In Part 2 of their deeply emotional conversation with her mother Sandy, Lisa and her mom reflect on a story their family carried quietly for decades. Together, they revisit the painful moment wh...
The Secret He Left Behind: My Mom Finally Speaks
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary When Lisa was 10 her mother told her her father had died of a heart attack; 35 years later she discovered the truth — he died by suicide. In this episode Lisa and Natasha sit down with Lisa's 87...
Invisible Labor, Invisible Pain: Mothers, Burnout, and Suicide
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this conversation, Lisa and Natasha dive into the complexities of women's mental health, particularly focusing on the often-overlooked issues of suicide rates among women, the invisible emoti...
When Stress Shows Up: Mental Health, Isolation & the Power of Vulnerability
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this conversation, Lisa and Natasha explore the themes of mental health, vulnerability, and the impact of stress and isolation. They discuss the importance of sharing our struggles, the role ...
Saying the Quiet Parts Out Loud: When Survival Feels Heavy
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this heartfelt conversation, Lisa and Natasha delve into the complexities of mental health, exploring themes of isolation, vulnerability, and the importance of communication. Natasha shares h...
Compound Grief: When Loss Keeps Piling On
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In this conversation, Lisa and Natasha explore the complexities of compound grief and the layers of trauma that we all face in today's world. They discuss the importance of acknowledging persona...
When the World Feels Too Heavy: Surviving Collective Grief
*WARNING: This podcast mentions suicide, sexual abuse & trauma and may be triggering. Episode Summary In the Season 4 kick-off episode of The Survivors, Lisa and Natasha get candid about the overwhelming emotional weight of current global events, the importance of personal boundaries, and the ne...