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Breaking The Silence with Dr Gregory Williams
Fault Lines, Family Trauma, and the Courage to Still Stand
Dr. Gregory Williams speaks with author Tim Smith about childhood kidnapping, neglect, shame, therapy, memory, identity, and how telling the truth can turn trauma into hope, healing, and personal power.
This week's guest is Tim Smith. Tim grew up in the rural South in an environment shaped by addiction, instability and neglect--experiences that would later form the emotional backbone of his writing. His book, "Faultline" was released recently.
Guest Spotlight: Tim Smith
Tim Smith is the author of Fault Line: Still Standing, a memoir rooted in his childhood experiences of family instability, neglect, trauma, and the long process of naming what happened to him. In this episode, he discusses being taken from his father by his mother at age six, the emotional “fault line” that shaped his life, the role of therapy in recovering memory and meaning, and the hard-won belief that a person’s past can shape them without defining them.
Opening From Houston With a Message About Trauma and Truth
In this episode of Breaking the Silence, Dr. Gregory Williams opens from Houston, Texas, reflecting on birthdays, memories, and how significant moments can bring both good and painful emotions to the surface. Before introducing his guest, he continues a series of practical reflections on healing from abuse and trauma. His first point is to tell yourself the truth: admit what happened, acknowledge that it was not your fault, and stop hiding the reality of the pain. He also reminds listeners that trauma may affect behavior, triggers, and responses, but it is not the whole of a person’s identity.
Separating Identity From Experience
Dr. Williams emphasizes that what happened to someone is not the same as who they are. He tells listeners that abuse, domestic violence, neglect, human trafficking, and other traumatic experiences may shape a person’s reactions, but they do not define the person’s worth or future. He uses his own life as an example, saying that aspects of how he showers, dresses, and responds to certain situations were shaped by childhood abuse, yet those experiences are not his identity. He frames this as a key part of healing: replacing “what’s wrong with me?” with “what happened to me, and what support do I need?”
Breaking the Silence Safely
Another key lesson Dr. Williams shares is the importance of breaking silence carefully and safely. He encourages survivors to find someone trustworthy before sharing painful truths, whether that person is a spouse, counselor, pastor, teacher, friend, or another safe support. He recommends journaling as a first step, then sharing only a small portion when the time feels right. For Dr. Williams, secrets can become a prison, but safe disclosure can bring relief, healing, and resilience when the listener believes the survivor and does not push them away.
Tim Smith and the Fault Line of His Life
After apologizing for a scheduling mistake the previous week, Dr. Williams welcomes Tim Smith, author of Fault Line: Still Standing. Tim explains that the story had been inside him for years, but therapy helped him realize that what he had treated as mere facts were actually emotionally loaded experiences. The central “fault line” of his life, he says, was when his mother took him from his father at age six. He had not originally used the word “kidnapping” for the experience until his husband, who has a background in social work, pointed out that being taken against his will and hidden from his father for a year fit that description.
Memory, Music, and the Body’s Record of Trauma
Tim describes how therapy reopened memories he had not revisited for decades, almost like a dam breaking. As he began writing, sensory details returned through images, sounds, smells, songs, and scenes from childhood. He explains that, as a photographer and visual person, the pictures in his mind contain “all of the data”: emotion, sound, smell, and memory. One song, Meat Loaf’s “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” instantly pulls him back to a specific childhood scene. The conversation shows how trauma is stored not only as narrative memory, but also through the body, the senses, and emotional association.
Kidnapping, Silence, and Dissociation
Tim recounts the morning his mother took him, describing how she woke him, had him kiss his father goodbye, and led him toward a car driven by his soon-to-be stepfather. He remembers becoming immediately frightened, crying in the back seat, and later being threatened that he would be left on the side of the interstate if he did not stop. Afterward, he lived in trailer parks and became nonverbal at home for about a year, using silence as the only weapon available to him as a small child. He also describes staring out windows and mentally leaving situations he could not control, a pattern of dissociation that continued as a survival tool.
Shame, Neglect, and Reclaiming Worth
The middle section of the interview explores Tim’s childhood neglect, poverty, and shame. He remembers not being fed breakfast, being placed on free breakfast and lunch programs, and being mocked at home for his body and perceived effeminacy. He says that abuse, neglect, and homophobic shaming made him fearful and ashamed for decades. Later in life, even while working in private equity in Beverly Hills, he still had to challenge the internal belief that he was somehow less than everyone else. Through therapy, reflection, and the writing of his memoir, Tim came to see that the darkness of his past was not who he was.
Therapy, Meaning, and the Ingredients of Peace
Tim and Dr. Williams discuss therapy, trust, medication, shutdown, suicidal despair, and the search for meaning after Tim’s mother died, September 11 happened, and he lost his job in quick succession. Tim says writing the book became therapeutic, though it also brought intense PTSD moments and painful memories. When Dr. Williams asks him to imagine cooking up “peace” on a Waffle House grill, Tim names ingredients such as believing in yourself, knowing who you are, stability, routine, love, a safe relationship, dogs, and the feeling of taking a nap on a rainy Sunday afternoon. His definition of peace is simple, embodied, safe, and deeply earned.
Taking Back Power and Choosing Hope
Near the end, Dr. Williams asks Tim what he would say to listeners who have carried trauma for decades. Tim tells them to be brave, to understand that healing may require burning like a phoenix, and to remember that pain may be part of them but does not control them. He urges people to take back power from the false narratives in their heads, from abusive or neglectful parental voices, and from a past that is not their identity. The episode closes with Dr. Williams recommending Fault Line: Still Standing, sharing Tim’s website faultlinememoir.com and Instagram Tim.Smith.writes, and reminding listeners that there is always hope, no matter what happened to them.
Fault Lines, Family Trauma, and the Courage to Still Stand
Dr. Gregory Williams speaks with author Tim Smith about childhood kidnapping, neglect, shame, therapy, memory, identity, and how telling the truth can turn trauma into hope, healing, and personal power.
This week's guest is Tim Smith. Tim grew up in the rural South in an environment shaped by addiction, instability and neglect--experiences that would later form the emotional backbone of his writing. His book, "Faultline" was released recently.
Guest Spotlight: Tim Smith
Tim Smith is the author of Fault Line: Still Standing, a memoir rooted in his childhood experiences of family instability, neglect, trauma, and the long process of naming what happened to him. In this episode, he discusses being taken from his father by his mother at age six, the emotional “fault line” that shaped his life, the role of therapy in recovering memory and meaning, and the hard-won belief that a person’s past can shape them without defining them.
Opening From Houston With a Message About Trauma and Truth
In this episode of Breaking the Silence, Dr. Gregory Williams opens from Houston, Texas, reflecting on birthdays, memories, and how significant moments can bring both good and painful emotions to the surface. Before introducing his guest, he continues a series of practical reflections on healing from abuse and trauma. His first point is to tell yourself the truth: admit what happened, acknowledge that it was not your fault, and stop hiding the reality of the pain. He also reminds listeners that trauma may affect behavior, triggers, and responses, but it is not the whole of a person’s identity.
Separating Identity From Experience
Dr. Williams emphasizes that what happened to someone is not the same as who they are. He tells listeners that abuse, domestic violence, neglect, human trafficking, and other traumatic experiences may shape a person’s reactions, but they do not define the person’s worth or future. He uses his own life as an example, saying that aspects of how he showers, dresses, and responds to certain situations were shaped by childhood abuse, yet those experiences are not his identity. He frames this as a key part of healing: replacing “what’s wrong with me?” with “what happened to me, and what support do I need?”
Breaking the Silence Safely
Another key lesson Dr. Williams shares is the importance of breaking silence carefully and safely. He encourages survivors to find someone trustworthy before sharing painful truths, whether that person is a spouse, counselor, pastor, teacher, friend, or another safe support. He recommends journaling as a first step, then sharing only a small portion when the time feels right. For Dr. Williams, secrets can become a prison, but safe disclosure can bring relief, healing, and resilience when the listener believes the survivor and does not push them away.
Tim Smith and the Fault Line of His Life
After apologizing for a scheduling mistake the previous week, Dr. Williams welcomes Tim Smith, author of Fault Line: Still Standing. Tim explains that the story had been inside him for years, but therapy helped him realize that what he had treated as mere facts were actually emotionally loaded experiences. The central “fault line” of his life, he says, was when his mother took him from his father at age six. He had not originally used the word “kidnapping” for the experience until his husband, who has a background in social work, pointed out that being taken against his will and hidden from his father for a year fit that description.
Memory, Music, and the Body’s Record of Trauma
Tim describes how therapy reopened memories he had not revisited for decades, almost like a dam breaking. As he began writing, sensory details returned through images, sounds, smells, songs, and scenes from childhood. He explains that, as a photographer and visual person, the pictures in his mind contain “all of the data”: emotion, sound, smell, and memory. One song, Meat Loaf’s “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” instantly pulls him back to a specific childhood scene. The conversation shows how trauma is stored not only as narrative memory, but also through the body, the senses, and emotional association.
Kidnapping, Silence, and Dissociation
Tim recounts the morning his mother took him, describing how she woke him, had him kiss his father goodbye, and led him toward a car driven by his soon-to-be stepfather. He remembers becoming immediately frightened, crying in the back seat, and later being threatened that he would be left on the side of the interstate if he did not stop. Afterward, he lived in trailer parks and became nonverbal at home for about a year, using silence as the only weapon available to him as a small child. He also describes staring out windows and mentally leaving situations he could not control, a pattern of dissociation that continued as a survival tool.
Shame, Neglect, and Reclaiming Worth
The middle section of the interview explores Tim’s childhood neglect, poverty, and shame. He remembers not being fed breakfast, being placed on free breakfast and lunch programs, and being mocked at home for his body and perceived effeminacy. He says that abuse, neglect, and homophobic shaming made him fearful and ashamed for decades. Later in life, even while working in private equity in Beverly Hills, he still had to challenge the internal belief that he was somehow less than everyone else. Through therapy, reflection, and the writing of his memoir, Tim came to see that the darkness of his past was not who he was.
Therapy, Meaning, and the Ingredients of Peace
Tim and Dr. Williams discuss therapy, trust, medication, shutdown, suicidal despair, and the search for meaning after Tim’s mother died, September 11 happened, and he lost his job in quick succession. Tim says writing the book became therapeutic, though it also brought intense PTSD moments and painful memories. When Dr. Williams asks him to imagine cooking up “peace” on a Waffle House grill, Tim names ingredients such as believing in yourself, knowing who you are, stability, routine, love, a safe relationship, dogs, and the feeling of taking a nap on a rainy Sunday afternoon. His definition of peace is simple, embodied, safe, and deeply earned.
Taking Back Power and Choosing Hope
Near the end, Dr. Williams asks Tim what he would say to listeners who have carried trauma for decades. Tim tells them to be brave, to understand that healing may require burning like a phoenix, and to remember that pain may be part of them but does not control them. He urges people to take back power from the false narratives in their heads, from abusive or neglectful parental voices, and from a past that is not their identity. The episode closes with Dr. Williams recommending Fault Line: Still Standing, sharing Tim’s website faultlinememoir.com and Instagram Tim.Smith.writes, and reminding listeners that there is always hope, no matter what happened to them.
Ask The Angel With Rachel Corpus with Rachel Corpus
Love, Spirit, Humor, and Everyday Magic
Rachel Corpus and Edward Corpus answer listener questions about marriage, psychic gifts, soulmates, spiritual differences, parenting, haunted houses, angel numbers, oracle cards, and how love becomes a daily practice rather than only a feeling.
Guest Spotlight: Ed / Edward Corpus
Ed / Edward Corpus joins Rachel Corpus as her husband, guest, and co-host for a playful, personal, and spiritually reflective episode of Ask the Angel. Together, they discuss what it is like to be married to a psychic medium and angel incarnate, how spiritual gifts show up in family life, how they understand soulmates and twin flames, and how humor, honesty, and grounded everyday responsibilities shape their long marriage.
A Playful Opening With Rachel and Edward
Rachel opens the episode by jokingly introducing Edward as a “world-renowned author” under a fake French persona, before quickly revealing that he is actually her husband. The lighthearted exchange sets the tone for a show built around laughter, affection, teasing, and listener curiosity. Rachel explains that many viewers have asked what it is like to be married to a psychic, married to an angel, and raising a family within that spiritual framework. She invites listeners to call 888-627-6008 if they want to speak live or ask questions for spirit.
Mind Reading, Boundaries, and Intuition
The first major topic is whether Rachel has ever read Edward’s mind. Edward says yes, and says it can be “super annoying,” but he does not believe Rachel can access his thoughts all the time. He suggests people may have a kind of privacy boundary, and that Rachel seems to pick up thoughts when his guard drops, especially when he is trying to remember something. Rachel asks whether everyone has telepathic potential, but Edward is skeptical, saying people may sense emotions or anticipate thoughts within a conversation without necessarily being able to read minds.
Soulmates, Twin Flames, and Love as a Verb
Rachel and Edward then discuss whether they are soulmates. Edward says he believes Rachel is his soulmate and that they have been together across many lifetimes, created at the same time in a way Rachel connects to the idea of twin flames. They also discuss free will, the possibility of multiple soulmates, and how relationships may serve different purposes across lifetimes. Edward offers one of the episode’s grounding insights: love is not only a feeling, but a verb. For him, lasting love means choosing actions — and sometimes restraint — that serve the best interest of one’s partner.
Discovering Rachel’s Psychic Gifts
Edward recalls that he did not initially know Rachel was a psychic medium. He remembers a moment when Rachel said she had a vision in the shower involving stars or a constellation and knew she was pregnant with their daughter Olivia before it had been confirmed. He says that was his first sense that Rachel had unusual spiritual gifts. Later, Rachel began exploring psychic work with clients while still having a different career, including teaching and ministry, before fully stepping into the work she does now.
Janice’s Call About Her Daughter’s Health
The episode shifts when Janice from Iowa calls with concern about her sixteen-year-old daughter’s health after feeling unwell for more than a month. Rachel frames her response as a spiritual reading, telling Janice that her daughter’s path involves a combination of traditional medicine, holistic support, and self-healing. Rachel encourages Janice to keep supporting her daughter through appointments, food, care, movies, patience, and emotional steadiness. She also cautions that obstacles may arise, such as insurance issues or pauses in treatment, but says these should not cause Janice to lose her footing.
Spiritual Differences and Everyday Responsibilities
After the call, Rachel asks Edward whether he considers himself spiritual. Edward says yes, but describes spirituality as a long journey and admits that he can become weighed down by ordinary human responsibilities such as finances, children, health, car repairs, home repairs, and dinner. He says Rachel helps remind him that these things matter, but not as much as he sometimes thinks they do. The two also discuss how Rachel may arrive at spiritual insight quickly, while Edward often wants to examine things through science, current events, and other perspectives before accepting a spiritual interpretation.
Public Spiritual Work, Parenting, and Online Reactions
Rachel and Edward talk about what it is like for Rachel’s spiritual life and public work to be visible online and in their community. Edward says he is fully supportive and does not feel embarrassed by Rachel’s work. Rachel reflects on living in a traditional Christian community near Des Moines and says she has not seen her work negatively affect their children. She also discusses online reactions to her interviews about near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, and being an angel incarnate. Although some comments can be harsh, Rachel says the broader conversation creates space for people around the world to discuss spiritual experiences more openly.
Humor, Haunted Houses, and Ghostly Interruptions
The episode stays playful as listener questions become more personal. Rachel and Edward joke about arguments, apologies, secrets, annoying habits, popcorn, and whether their house is haunted because Rachel is psychic. Edward jokes that ghosts have interrupted intimate moments, while Rachel and Edward also talk more seriously about house clearings and spirit activity. Later, Edward recalls growing up in a haunted house, including shadowy figures, footsteps, covers being pulled off, and strange presences in different parts of the home. Rachel connects this to family stories about mirrors, ghostly faces, and unsettling voices experienced in other houses.
Oracle Cards, Manifesting, and Present-Tense Creation
Rachel pulls oracle cards for Edward using a deck by Radleigh Valentine, and the cards are “Choose a New Direction” and “Success.” She uses the reading to teach about creating reality in the present tense rather than always placing dreams in the future. Edward shares that he has felt drawn to do stand-up comedy, and Rachel encourages him to claim that identity as something already forming now. Edward then pulls cards for Rachel and the listeners: “Perfect Timing” and “You’re Ready.” Rachel interprets them as encouragement for anyone holding back from sharing a gift, publishing a project, or stepping into something they have already prepared.
Angel Numbers, Deconstruction, and Permission to Change
Near the end, Edward explains one of his tattoos: the number 856, which he says appears to him frequently in clocks, license plates, and other patterns. He understands the number as a reminder that when something in life is not working, a person already has the talent, ability, and skill needed to create a different outcome. He also reflects on leaving behind a long career as a musician, opera singer, and music professor, studying life coaching, psychology, and mental health therapy, and becoming more willing to try new things. Rachel and Edward close by suggesting that life may be less about completing every assigned lesson and more about experiencing, unlearning, deconstructing old opinions, and trusting when it is time to walk away or begin again.
Closing With Hope, Grounding, and Angelic Identity
Rachel closes by honoring Edward as her best friend, husband, soulmate, and someone who has also been understood through their spiritual work as an angel, with the angel name Magnus, while Rachel identifies hers as Genevieve. She emphasizes that they remain grounded in ordinary life even while exploring spiritual origins, paying bills, raising a family, and doing what needs to be done. Her final message to listeners is to remember that while things may be changing wildly around them, they already have what they need within them. She encourages them to hold their core, keep breathing, rest, be kind to themselves and others, and give grace to all their feelings.
Love, Spirit, Humor, and Everyday Magic
Rachel Corpus and Edward Corpus answer listener questions about marriage, psychic gifts, soulmates, spiritual differences, parenting, haunted houses, angel numbers, oracle cards, and how love becomes a daily practice rather than only a feeling.
Guest Spotlight: Ed / Edward Corpus
Ed / Edward Corpus joins Rachel Corpus as her husband, guest, and co-host for a playful, personal, and spiritually reflective episode of Ask the Angel. Together, they discuss what it is like to be married to a psychic medium and angel incarnate, how spiritual gifts show up in family life, how they understand soulmates and twin flames, and how humor, honesty, and grounded everyday responsibilities shape their long marriage.
A Playful Opening With Rachel and Edward
Rachel opens the episode by jokingly introducing Edward as a “world-renowned author” under a fake French persona, before quickly revealing that he is actually her husband. The lighthearted exchange sets the tone for a show built around laughter, affection, teasing, and listener curiosity. Rachel explains that many viewers have asked what it is like to be married to a psychic, married to an angel, and raising a family within that spiritual framework. She invites listeners to call 888-627-6008 if they want to speak live or ask questions for spirit.
Mind Reading, Boundaries, and Intuition
The first major topic is whether Rachel has ever read Edward’s mind. Edward says yes, and says it can be “super annoying,” but he does not believe Rachel can access his thoughts all the time. He suggests people may have a kind of privacy boundary, and that Rachel seems to pick up thoughts when his guard drops, especially when he is trying to remember something. Rachel asks whether everyone has telepathic potential, but Edward is skeptical, saying people may sense emotions or anticipate thoughts within a conversation without necessarily being able to read minds.
Soulmates, Twin Flames, and Love as a Verb
Rachel and Edward then discuss whether they are soulmates. Edward says he believes Rachel is his soulmate and that they have been together across many lifetimes, created at the same time in a way Rachel connects to the idea of twin flames. They also discuss free will, the possibility of multiple soulmates, and how relationships may serve different purposes across lifetimes. Edward offers one of the episode’s grounding insights: love is not only a feeling, but a verb. For him, lasting love means choosing actions — and sometimes restraint — that serve the best interest of one’s partner.
Discovering Rachel’s Psychic Gifts
Edward recalls that he did not initially know Rachel was a psychic medium. He remembers a moment when Rachel said she had a vision in the shower involving stars or a constellation and knew she was pregnant with their daughter Olivia before it had been confirmed. He says that was his first sense that Rachel had unusual spiritual gifts. Later, Rachel began exploring psychic work with clients while still having a different career, including teaching and ministry, before fully stepping into the work she does now.
Janice’s Call About Her Daughter’s Health
The episode shifts when Janice from Iowa calls with concern about her sixteen-year-old daughter’s health after feeling unwell for more than a month. Rachel frames her response as a spiritual reading, telling Janice that her daughter’s path involves a combination of traditional medicine, holistic support, and self-healing. Rachel encourages Janice to keep supporting her daughter through appointments, food, care, movies, patience, and emotional steadiness. She also cautions that obstacles may arise, such as insurance issues or pauses in treatment, but says these should not cause Janice to lose her footing.
Spiritual Differences and Everyday Responsibilities
After the call, Rachel asks Edward whether he considers himself spiritual. Edward says yes, but describes spirituality as a long journey and admits that he can become weighed down by ordinary human responsibilities such as finances, children, health, car repairs, home repairs, and dinner. He says Rachel helps remind him that these things matter, but not as much as he sometimes thinks they do. The two also discuss how Rachel may arrive at spiritual insight quickly, while Edward often wants to examine things through science, current events, and other perspectives before accepting a spiritual interpretation.
Public Spiritual Work, Parenting, and Online Reactions
Rachel and Edward talk about what it is like for Rachel’s spiritual life and public work to be visible online and in their community. Edward says he is fully supportive and does not feel embarrassed by Rachel’s work. Rachel reflects on living in a traditional Christian community near Des Moines and says she has not seen her work negatively affect their children. She also discusses online reactions to her interviews about near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, and being an angel incarnate. Although some comments can be harsh, Rachel says the broader conversation creates space for people around the world to discuss spiritual experiences more openly.
Humor, Haunted Houses, and Ghostly Interruptions
The episode stays playful as listener questions become more personal. Rachel and Edward joke about arguments, apologies, secrets, annoying habits, popcorn, and whether their house is haunted because Rachel is psychic. Edward jokes that ghosts have interrupted intimate moments, while Rachel and Edward also talk more seriously about house clearings and spirit activity. Later, Edward recalls growing up in a haunted house, including shadowy figures, footsteps, covers being pulled off, and strange presences in different parts of the home. Rachel connects this to family stories about mirrors, ghostly faces, and unsettling voices experienced in other houses.
Oracle Cards, Manifesting, and Present-Tense Creation
Rachel pulls oracle cards for Edward using a deck by Radleigh Valentine, and the cards are “Choose a New Direction” and “Success.” She uses the reading to teach about creating reality in the present tense rather than always placing dreams in the future. Edward shares that he has felt drawn to do stand-up comedy, and Rachel encourages him to claim that identity as something already forming now. Edward then pulls cards for Rachel and the listeners: “Perfect Timing” and “You’re Ready.” Rachel interprets them as encouragement for anyone holding back from sharing a gift, publishing a project, or stepping into something they have already prepared.
Angel Numbers, Deconstruction, and Permission to Change
Near the end, Edward explains one of his tattoos: the number 856, which he says appears to him frequently in clocks, license plates, and other patterns. He understands the number as a reminder that when something in life is not working, a person already has the talent, ability, and skill needed to create a different outcome. He also reflects on leaving behind a long career as a musician, opera singer, and music professor, studying life coaching, psychology, and mental health therapy, and becoming more willing to try new things. Rachel and Edward close by suggesting that life may be less about completing every assigned lesson and more about experiencing, unlearning, deconstructing old opinions, and trusting when it is time to walk away or begin again.
Closing With Hope, Grounding, and Angelic Identity
Rachel closes by honoring Edward as her best friend, husband, soulmate, and someone who has also been understood through their spiritual work as an angel, with the angel name Magnus, while Rachel identifies hers as Genevieve. She emphasizes that they remain grounded in ordinary life even while exploring spiritual origins, paying bills, raising a family, and doing what needs to be done. Her final message to listeners is to remember that while things may be changing wildly around them, they already have what they need within them. She encourages them to hold their core, keep breathing, rest, be kind to themselves and others, and give grace to all their feelings.
