Taking the Scenic Route to Connection: Steph and Craig Salazar on How to Heal Individually Together

What happens when two first responders fall in love, face career, life, and faith crises, and embark on a radical journey of healing? How do couples navigate from survival mode to genuine connection after years of chaos and trauma?

Tony welcomes Steph and Craig Salazar, the authentic couple behind the popular podcast "The Steph and Craig Show." What begins as a reunion of newfound friends quickly transforms into a profound exploration of relationship transformation, personal growth, and the messy beauty of healing together.

Steph and Craig share their remarkable journey from meeting as a police officer and dispatcher to becoming relationship content creators who are changing lives through radical vulnerability. They don't hold back as they discuss the chaos of their early relationship—blending families, career crises, mental health struggles, and the imbalanced dynamics that nearly tore them apart.

Listen as they reveal the pivotal moments that shifted their path: Craig's life-changing men's retreat that Steph secretly feared might end their relationship, Steph's breaking point in her dispatch career and her courageous pivot to follow her dreams, and how they both found healing through therapy, spiritual practices, and even psychedelic-assisted healing experiences.

This conversation isn't about relationship experts who have it all figured out. It's about two people who've "taken the scenic route" through life's challenges, hitting every obstacle along the way, and discovering that true connection happens when we heal individually first.

Whether you're facing relationship challenges, navigating career transitions, or doing your own healing work, this episode offers profound insights wrapped in genuine, heartfelt conversation. Steph and Craig's mission to create a mirror where others might see themselves and feel less alone in their struggles shines through every moment of this unforgettable discussion.

Join Tony, Steph, and Craig for a conversation that proves we're all healing together—one vulnerable step at a time. The Steph and Craig Show is available at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-steph-craig-show/id1742462702 or wherever you listen to podcasts, as well as on YouTube. You can find the episode that Tony references on their show at https://youtu.be/n_LiTO_nt5w?si=GAmnZF3rFdh7QPFH 

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

01:07 Special Guests: Steph and Craig

01:49 The Transformative Podcast Episode

02:22 Authenticity and Vulnerability

03:35 The Journey of Steph and Craig

04:03 Career Transitions and Challenges

04:39 The Scenic Route to Healing

07:30 Magic and Connection

10:04 Meeting and Early Relationship

12:02 Navigating Careers and Personal Growth

22:28 Curiosity About Life Changes

23:32 Spiritual Awakening and Energy Healing

24:28 Journey with DreamPod and Financial Stability

25:44 Stephanie's Career Shift and Personal Growth

28:49 Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energies

33:19 Men's Retreat and Emotional Connection

44:12 Therapy and Healing Together

48:45 Current Focus and Future Plans

**Show Notes:**

- How Steph and Craig met in law enforcement and blended their families

- The career crisis that sent Craig into depression and changed their trajectory

- Why Steph thought sending Craig to a men's retreat might mean the end of their relationship

- Their journey through energy healing, spiritual awakening, and finding authentic connection

- How individual healing created the foundation for relationship transformation

- The role of therapy, MDMA-assisted healing, and psychedelics in their growth

- Their transition from couples coaching to content creation focused on vulnerability

- Tony's reflections on masculine/feminine energy and the burdens in relationships

**Keywords:** relationship transformation, healing, vulnerability, law enforcement trauma, men's work, couples therapy, psychedelic healing, content creation, authentic connection