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What if the life everyone thinks is beautiful actually feels like a cage?
In this powerful episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, host Christina Russell-Strong sits down with Crystal Peña—entrepreneur, domestic violence survivor and advocate, child-protection advocate, mother of four, first-generation American, business consultant, behavioral-health business owner, model, and Ms. Sublette County 2026.
Crystal opens up about a life that looked successful and secure from the outside while, behind closed doors, she was beginning to recognize patterns of coercive control and abuse.
And that is where one of the most powerful ideas from this conversation comes from:
Sometimes the cage doesn’t look like a cage.
It can be the beautiful home.
The marriage.
The lifestyle.
The business.
The life everyone else assumes you should be grateful to have.
Crystal shares how her understanding of abuse changed when she realized that domestic violence does not always begin with physical violence. Emotional abuse, manipulation, financial control, coercive behavior, isolation, intimidation, and the gradual loss of personal freedom can be much harder to recognize—especially when the person experiencing it has normalized the behavior.
Christina and Crystal also have a deeply personal conversation about what happens after someone leaves. Leaving can be an incredibly important step toward safety, but it does not automatically mean every problem disappears. Crystal discusses rebuilding her life, navigating continued conflict, protecting her children, rediscovering her identity, and finding the strength to keep moving forward.
The conversation also explores breaking generational cycles.
Crystal explains why one of the first steps toward changing a harmful pattern is simply being able to name it. When we recognize coercive control, manipulation, unhealthy relationship patterns, trauma responses, or behaviors that have been passed from one generation to another, we finally have an opportunity to change them.
Faith is also woven throughout this conversation. Crystal shares a perspective on the story of Lot’s wife that changed the way she thought about moving forward: sometimes continuing to look backward is really about struggling to let go of the life, identity, comfort, or expectations we once had.
Christina and Crystal discuss what it means to trust that there can still be something meaningful ahead of you—even when what you are leaving behind once meant everything to you.
And parents, this conversation is especially important.
One of Crystal’s strongest messages is that we have to do more than simply ask our children:
“How was your day?”
Ask deeper questions.
What happened today?
Who were you with?
What did you talk about?
How did that make you feel?
Did anything make you uncomfortable?
What kinds of behaviors are you seeing from other children or adults?
We cannot control every environment our children enter, but we can create a home where they know they can talk about what they experience.
Those conversations can help children develop emotional awareness, empathy, boundaries, discernment, and resilience—and they may also give parents an opportunity to recognize something important before it becomes a much larger problem.
Christina and Crystal also discuss how to support someone who may be experiencing abuse without embarrassing, shaming, or pushing them away. Sometimes the person you love will not recognize what is happening immediately. Staying compassionate, maintaining connection, asking thoughtful questions, and remaining a safe person for them to call can matter more than we realize.
They also dive into accountability, boundaries, healing, restoration, and second chances—including Crystal’s advocacy surrounding DUI and child-protection laws in Wyoming and her belief that changing laws and expectations can eventually help change culture.
Crystal is also working on telling more of her own story through writing, including her upcoming book, which explores her experiences with domestic violence, survival, rebuilding, and what can happen after someone makes
Listen. Heal. Break the Cycle.
CONNECT WITH CRYSTAL PEÑA
🧠 Precise Mind — Marriage + Individual Counseling
https://precisemind.com
⚖️ Protect Wyo Kids — Learn More About Crystal’s Child Protection Advocacy
https://protectwyokids.com
💼 Business Consultation / APRE Grow
https://apregrow.com/contact
📸 Crystal’s Instagram
📘 Crystal’s Facebook
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CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA RUSSELL-STRONG & RUSMIX
🌐 RusMix Website
https://therusmix.com
🎙 Breaking Curses with Excellence
▶️ YouTube
https://youtube.com/@christyrusmix
📸 Instagram Breaking Curses with Excellence
📘 Facebook
RusMix Coaching
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Music: Peachy
Musician: Rizensun
URL: https://rzznsnn.bandcamp.com/
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