How Writing Heals: From Trauma to Psychological Thriller | Lauri Schoenfeld

The laughter of her three children stopped her from taking the next step. Lauri Schoenfeld—author, host of The Enlightenment Show, and radiant beam of light—joins Dara Levan to share her profound journey from childhood abuse and codependency to self-love and healing. Growing up in the LDS Mormon Church in Utah, Lauri learned early to be what everyone else needed while never connecting to herself. At 30, sitting in her bathroom consumed by depression, her children's laughter reminded her of the cycle she was determined to break. She shares how writing became her safe space, how she forgave herself for the moments she didn't choose herself, and why throwing plates in a parking lot became part of her healing practice. Now an author of the psychological thriller Little Owl and the forthcoming YA novel Voiceless, Lauri reveals how she mothers her own inner child, navigates estrangement from her parents, and teaches her children to love themselves by example. This conversation is a masterclass in breaking generational trauma and choosing yourself.

Keywords: Lauri Schoenfeld, codependency, childhood abuse, healing, self-love, inner child, forgiveness, Little Owl, Voiceless, The Enlightenment Show, psychological thriller, PTSD, generational trauma.

0:00 - Intro
3:00 - Bathroom moment & children's laughter
5:30 - Childhood abuse & LDS upbringing
6:58 - Codependency & parentification
10:27 - Defining codependency
13:08 - Inner child work
15:56 - Writing as healing
18:55 - Voiceless YA novel
20:04 - Singing & performing background
23:04 - Sharing stories to help others
27:22 - Self-forgiveness journey
31:00 - Marriage & healing evolution
36:52 - Healthy anger expression
43:32 - Where to find Lauri
44:15 – Outro

• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.instagram.com/laurischoenfeld/

QUOTES:
"Writing has always been my space where I felt safe with putting my voice on paper, which I haven't always at times felt safe sharing my voice."
– Lauri Schoenfeld

"I don't believe any of our experiences, especially our bad ones, there are reasons behind them if we choose to really water our own gardens and bloom."
– Dara Levan