Living The Red Life with Rudy Mawer

Episode: Forensic Psychologist on Rewriting Your Life After Trauma

Date: March 9, 2026
Guest: Dr. Dion Johnson
Host: Ray Gutierrez (guest host for Rudy Mawer)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into personal transformation and overcoming trauma, featuring Dr. Dion Johnson—a forensic psychologist, speaker, and now political candidate. Dr. Johnson shares her journey through profound personal adversity, her methods for rewriting her life after trauma, and actionable insights on embracing new chapters. The discussion emphasizes resilience, the power of mindset, and the importance of authentic service.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Survival, Transformation, and the 'Act 2' of Life

• Dr. Johnson discusses major life upheavals: divorce, loss of a child, her mother’s illness, and the intense emotional toll ([02:48–03:22]).
  • “Life just kind of happened, you know. Got a divorce, lost my baby. My mother almost died...I was just ready to check out and sit down.” — Dr. Johnson, [02:48]
• She views her life now as the "beginning of Act 2" and stresses that everyone has unseen battles behind their so-called “highlight reel.”
  • “It’s the same me, but just a different iteration.” — Dr. Johnson, [03:14]

2. The Realities of Healing: Rituals and Struggling Through the Darkness

• Dr. Johnson is candid about sleepless nights, grief, panic attacks, and physical pain during her lowest moments.
  • “My body feeling in pain. Crying, weeping, wailing. A lot of sleepless nights, feeling like my tear ducts were going to burst.” — Dr. Johnson, [03:32–03:48]
• She credits meditation, prayer, learning to listen, and accepting not knowing as essential tools.
• “Leaning into the chaos…eventually I just said, okay, I give up. This, what we gonna do? And so that is actually when the pivot happened.” — Dr. Johnson, [05:20]

3. Letting Go, Acceptance, and Evolving Relationships

• Letting go of old relationships and former methods was painful but crucial for growth.
  • “If certain relationships were still in place, I wouldn't be where I am now.” — Dr. Johnson, [06:09]
• On transformation: “Sometimes people want you to stay the old you. They’re not ready for the new version of you… I just needed to survive it, that really helped me.” — Dr. Johnson, [06:35–06:45]

4. From Survival to Thriving

• Dr. Johnson says she is now in "thriving mode," having moved beyond mere survival.
  • “Not playing mental gymnastics with myself…recognizing that I overcame all this other stuff. I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor. I’m an overcomer.” — Dr. Johnson, [07:16–08:01]
• The host, Ray, invites discussion on next steps, prompting Dr. Johnson to reveal a major new chapter.

5. Entering Political Life & Service

• Dr. Johnson announces she is running for Assemblywoman in her New Jersey district ([08:44]–[08:56]).
  • “I’m running for political office. This is midterm season in Jersey…I never thought I’d be doing that either.” — Dr. Johnson, [08:44–09:00]
• Emphasizes service: “When people vote for me, that’s telling me I trust you…I take that trust very humbly and I never want to bastardize that.” — Dr. Johnson, [12:20]

6. Healing the Healers: Seeking Her Own Support

• Addresses the challenge therapists face in seeking help themselves.
  • “When the helpers actually need the help. That has been so sobering for me…” — Dr. Johnson, [10:14]
• Praises her own therapist for calling her out and helping her update strategies: “You can’t go into a new place or new season with old methods, with the old mind.” — Dr. Johnson, [10:49]

7. Daily Rituals and Mindset Foundation

• Mornings are for meditation, reading, and listening to motivational leaders (Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Les Brown, T.D. Jakes).
  • “Before I pick up the phone…before I flip those open, I literally, I put on some Jim Rohn. I love Jim Rohn.” — Dr. Johnson, [14:56]
• Daily grounding enables her to handle the chaos that follows: “I find that once I stabilize me differently, I can handle what comes throughout the day.” — Dr. Johnson, [15:39]

8. Modern Marketing as an Act of Service (and Reluctance!)

• Admits she dislikes technology, TikTok, and digital marketing, but realizes their necessity to reach people.
  • “I don’t like technology…But Bishop Jakes has said that you have to go where your audience is and you have to go where your customers are…So I try to produce quality content…with my ministry. I try to give people something to just kind of interrupt the endless, mindless scrolling.” — Dr. Johnson, [16:04–17:28]

9. Words of Wisdom: Empowerment and Inner Strength

• Dr. Johnson’s final advice is a powerful affirmation of inner sufficiency:
  • “You have everything you need already inside of you to live the life you want to live…I’m here to just help clear the path here and here, to help you tap into what you already have on the inside of you…Life will come and life will test you. But the test, I have found…and I’m a living witness, are there to show you what’s on the inside of you and to help to shift you into position.” — Dr. Johnson, [17:54–18:48]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Living Beyond the Highlight Reel:
  “Just because you see people at the finished product in your mind, what they look like…the highlight reel, there’s a whole other backside to their process.” — Dr. Johnson, [02:03]
• On Acceptance and Surrender:
  “Leaning into the chaos…because no matter how much I tried to control it, it just got louder…eventually I just said, ‘Okay, I give up, this what we gonna do?’” — Dr. Johnson, [05:20]
• On Updating Methods:
  “You can’t go into a new place or new season with old methods, with the old mind. What worked before, that worked then; that’s not where we’re in now.” — Dr. Johnson, [10:49]
• On Legacy and Service:
  “When people vote for me, that’s telling me I trust you…I take that trust very humbly and I never want to bastardize that.” — Dr. Johnson, [12:20]
• On Empowerment:
  “You have everything you need already inside of you to live the life that you want to live.” — Dr. Johnson, [17:54]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:48] – Dr. Johnson details her “Act 2” moment and major life losses
• [03:32–04:38] – Candid discussion of sleepless, painful nights and rituals for healing
• [05:20–06:07] – Surrender and the moment of pivotal change
• [07:16–08:10] – Shifting from survival to thriving
• [08:44–09:00] – Announcement: running for assemblywoman
• [10:14–11:39] – On the importance of support even for psychologists
• [14:56–15:39] – The importance of morning rituals and mindset
• [16:04–17:28] – Hesitance and necessity of social media for impact
• [17:54–18:48] – Empowering closing advice for listeners

Closing Thoughts

Dr. Dion Johnson’s journey is a testimony to the relentless human spirit and the value of vulnerability. She consistently underlines that healing is messy but possible, and that the capacity to rebuild a life—and leave a legacy of service—resides within. Listeners are left with practical insights for their own transformations, regardless of their role or field.

Connect with Dr. Dion:

• Website: drdion.com
• Instagram: @therealdoctordion
• TikTok/Facebook: @drdion
• “I try to give people something to just kind of interrupt the endless, mindless scrolling…something with meat and legs on them that they can take with them and put into practice.” — [16:04–17:40]