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A Contagious Smile Podcast — Kids & Family
A Contagious Smile Podcast

Stop surviving and start thriving. A Contagious Smile is a globally ranked podcast providing a safe haven for abuse survivors and special needs families navigating the journey of trauma recovery. Whether you are healing from domestic violence, narcissistic abuse, childhood trauma, or the daily challenges of disability advocacy, our mission is to turn your pain into power.

Each episode features raw, authentic conversations with survivors, mental health experts, and advocates who share actionable resources for PTSD healing, resilience building, and emotional wellness. We go beyond the struggle to highlight the triumphs of the special needs community, offering support for caregivers and individuals with disabilities who are rewriting their own narratives.

Hosted by Victoria Cuore, an award-winning trauma advocate and survivor, this podcast delivers the “blueprints” for recovery, not just Band-Aids. Join our community to find hope, humor, and the unstoppable spirit needed to rekindle your inner light.

Latest Episodes:

From Dancer To Mother: Breaking Hustle Culture And Finding Peace with guest Claude Racine Sep 03, 2026

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Grace By Night And The Cost Of Hope with Victoria Cuore and Antonio Sabato Jr Aug 28, 2026

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Grace By Night made us stop, breathe, and feel everything, so we brought Antonio Spider Jr back to talk about what it takes to tell a story that honest. We get into why the film hits like a roller coaster of love, sorrow, and redemption, how a great screenplay and a fearless director can unlock a career defining performance, and what changes when you are making independent films with no money and no time. When you do not have the luxury of endless takes, you learn to show up fully and live inside the moment, for better and for worse.
Then the conversation turns into something bigger than filmmaking: mental health, loneliness, and the fight to use technology for good. Antonio shares how his TikTok Live DJ sessions have become a real community, where music, dancing, and laughter help people climb out of dark thoughts for a few hours. We talk faith, purpose, and why joy is not shallow when it is paired with service, discipline, and empathy. If you are tired of doom scrolling, this is a practical look at how positive social media can actually support emotional wellbeing.
We also go straight at the challenges families are facing right now: teen social media addiction, gaming obsession, disconnection from real life, and a school system that often feels like it is failing kids academically and physically. We explore homeschooling, daily physical education, better food, and a bold idea for a no tech teen camp built around movement, nature, and learning how to be present again.
If any of this resonates, share the episode with someone who needs a lift, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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Shot In The Line Of Duty With Ret. Sgt. Eric Kocheran, Victoria Cuore and Michael Solomon Aug 24, 2026

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A five minute stop at the office becomes a fight for survival. Retired deputy Eric Cochran answers a knock at the back door of his sheriff’s office and ends up shot through his lung, diaphragm, and liver, facing transfusions, a medically induced coma, and a long road back. The physical scars are obvious, but the episode goes where most stories stop: what it feels like to take a life in a suicide by cop scenario, to replay the footage, to question faith and purpose, and to realize your department may not have a playbook for what comes next.
We dig into first responder mental health with zero sugar coating: PTSD, burnout, addiction as a trauma response, and the danger of telling someone to “wait eight months” for help after a critical incident. Eric shares what actually helped, including EMDR, and why safe repetition and honest conversation can keep the brain from locking up when the memories hit. He also explains the mindset shift many of us struggle with: we act tough at work, then bring that same intensity home, and that can cost a marriage and shake a family.
Then the story turns into a roadmap. Eric builds a practical model through his foundation and Cochrane Strong approach: confidential telehealth counseling, a dedicated first responder phone line, rapid assessment within 24 hours, and emergent appointments within 48 hours, with HIPAA protected privacy and only fit for duty information shared. The program expands beyond cops and firefighters to spouses, kids, retirees, corrections, nurses, and tow truck drivers, plus a simple peer habit that spreads fast: texting “checkup” to someone who might be barely holding it together.
If you care about law enforcement wellness, officer involved shooting recovery, peer support, and real mental health resources for first responders, hit play, subscribe, and share this with one person who needs it. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: what would “fast help” look like in your town?

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Faith And Fire with Victoria Cuore and Antonio Sabato Jr. Aug 20, 2026

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If you’ve ever felt like the world is getting darker while your own hope gets thinner, this conversation is a jolt of light. We’re joined by Antonio Sabato Jr, who shares what it looks like when faith becomes a real, personal relationship with God, not a public image and not a transaction. He talks about seasons of anger, doubt, and brokenness, then the shocking moment when you realize you were being strengthened the whole time.
We also get concrete about healing: self-love, dignity, and the daily choices that keep negativity from taking over. We trade stories about visible scars, survival, and why adults often carry more judgment than kids. Antonio explains why music and dancing can be a “cleanse” for the mind, and how his TikTok Live community uses that energy to reset habits, leave harmful situations, and finally feel alive again. If you’re looking for mental health encouragement, resilience tools, or motivation that doesn’t feel fake, you’ll find it here.
Then we go behind the scenes on his work making films that carry spiritual depth without being shoved into a small box. We talk Grace by Night, One Nation Under God, and the upcoming 426 inspired by Ephesians 4:26, plus why he believes great scripts and honest storytelling can reach everyone, not just a niche audience. Listen through to the end for a simple practice to “let it out” and stop letting it back in, then subscribe, share this with someone who needs a reset, and leave us a review with the one line that hit you hardest.

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How Dancing And Self Love Break The Dark Cycle with Victoria Cuore and special guest Antonio Sabato Jr Aug 20, 2026

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The Math Shirt Moment Aug 18, 2026

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The fastest way to understand our show is to hear us do what we do: laugh hard, pivot fast, and still land somewhere real. We start with a brand-new side business and a T-shirt that probably should not be worn around polite company, then we slide into the kind of honest marriage banter that only works when there’s trust underneath it. Along the way, we share a recovery check-in after spinal surgery, talk about visible bruising weeks later, and how a bold hair change becomes a quiet line in the sand: I get to choose who I am now.
Then the surprises hit. We talk about why we treat celebrity status like a job title, not a personality, and we tease an upcoming conversation with Antonio Sabato Jr. That opens the door to a bigger theme: character over notoriety. A simple ice cream stop turns into a meaningful connection, a reminder of responsible choices, and a real example of paying it forward when strangers decide to help strangers.
We also widen the lens to heavier topics: a powerful 9/11 volunteer survivor perspective, fears about school shootings, and the uncomfortable reality that violence is starting to feel “normal” in the news. We wrestle with what’s changing in education, what fundamentals kids still need, and what community support can look like when systems feel strained. We wrap with updates on StrongerThanAMountain.com, custom apparel options, and the peer-to-peer support work we’re building.
Subscribe for more honest conversations, share this with someone who needs a laugh and a lift, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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From 9/11 Responder To Patient Advocate And Trauma Coach with Michael Mackniak, Victoria Cuore and special guest Craig Sotkovsky Aug 16, 2026

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Daniel Ryan Cotler, Victoria Cuore and Michael Mackniak Explains Why Narcissistic Abuse Leaves No Bruises Aug 10, 2026

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Abuse does not have to leave a mark on your skin to change the way you think, remember, and trust yourself. We sit down with Daniel Ryan Cotler, author of *Voiceless No More* and founder of the Heal Loudly movement, to name what so many survivors struggle to explain: coercive psychological abuse that feels like love at first, then turns into confusion, isolation, and relentless self-doubt. If you have ever wondered why smart, capable people stay, or why the pain gets dismissed as “just a breakup,” this conversation puts clear language to a reality that often gets minimised.
We unpack why the term “narcissist” is both common and often misused, and why that matters for survivors of narcissistic abuse, coercive control, and gaslighting. Daniel describes the early “indoctrination” phase many people call love bombing, how abusers “data mine” your fears and dreams, and why trauma bonding can feel like an addiction to the person they pretended to be. We also confront the darkest edge of this pattern: the way extreme psychological warfare can push people toward suicide while the abuser stays calm, credible, and protected by the story they tell first.
From smear campaigns to post-separation abuse, we talk about how friends, family, law enforcement, courts, and even treatment systems can get it wrong when the survivor looks hysterical and the abuser looks composed. Daniel shares his push for legal reform through the Voiceless Justice Act and the Frankie Initiative, aiming for real accountability and better recognition of psychological abuse harms. If this resonates, share it with someone who needs language for what they are living, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a review so more survivors can find the help they deserve.

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Real Talk On Respect with Victoria Cuore and Michael Solomon Aug 10, 2026

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Somebody can be laughing with you one minute and quietly fighting shame the next and that whiplash is real. We start with our usual marriage banter (dogs, treats, and a brand-new tattoo), then slide straight into the bigger topics people dodge: weight loss, body dysmorphia, and what it feels like to step out of a 20-year comfort zone and finally wear the clothes you avoided out of fear.
From there, we talk about respect in public and why “checking someone out” can turn into humiliating, dehumanising behaviour fast. A night out at a family restaurant turns into a lesson on how young men treat servers, why women are not “on the menu”, and what we should be teaching our kids about basic decency.
We also share a parenting moment that surprised us: Monster High. What looks like a silly show becomes a powerful message about bullied kids, rejection, differences, and building a group that supports each other. That launches a bigger conversation about raising confident kids, telling them the truth about their worth, and creating a home that feels safe.
Then we get honest about advocacy and recovery after spinal surgery, including the reality of chronic pain, limitations, and how exhausting it is when people only reach out because they want something. We close with a reminder to stay humble, show up for people in the hospital, and choose kindness even when it’s easier to perform it than live it. If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with the biggest takeaway you’re holding onto.

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This Is What It Takes with Michael Mackniak and Victoria Cuore with Special Guest Alison Graham Aug 05, 2026

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“Bounce back” sounds motivating until you’re living with chronic pain, a major diagnosis, or a life event that permanently changes the map. We sit down with speaker, author, and resiliency expert Alison Graham to talk about what resilience looks like when the old path is gone and your capacity is stretched thin. If you’ve ever felt burnt out, stuck, or quietly overwhelmed while still trying to perform, this conversation gives you language and tools that actually match real life.
We get honest about the healthcare experience too: the gaps between specialists, the pressure toward symptom treatment, and how exhausting it is to repeat your story while you’re already depleted. Alison shares how she uses AI research summaries to support self-advocacy with doctors, plus a grounded perspective on pain management and when medication can help without becoming the problem. Victoria adds hard-won insight from CRPS and decades of navigating surgery, recovery, and relentless work demands.
The core takeaway is a simple framework that changes everything: separate your stress into tasks, obstacles, and adversities. Tasks get done with less friction, obstacles get solved with clear options, and adversities get honoured with space, grace, and healing rather than forced “fixing.” If you want practical stress management, burnout recovery strategies, and a smarter definition of resilience, press play. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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