Initiated Survivor

Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Intro

00:27 — The Power of Social Support in Mental Health Recovery

01:08 — Understanding Our Social Nature and Its Impact on Recovery

03:23 — Creative Expression and Community

07:54 — Navigating Social Connections as Adults: Challenges and Strategies

13:11 — Exploring Personal Values and Building Community Connections

14:37 — GROUP THERAPY AD:  https://www.drkelseyharper.com/dbt-skills-group-for-lgbtq

24:38 — Embracing Vulnerability and Growth in Community Engagement

31:05 — Finding Peace and Purpose Through Community

Topics/Triggers:

· Abusive Realtionships

· Sexual Assault

· Community

· Creative Expression

· Self-Worth

· Self-Validation

· Trauma Recovery

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

00:00 — Intro

00:59 — The Struggles of Isolation and Anxiety

03:12 — The Comfort of Home and the Challenge of Leaving

04:01 — Overcoming Agoraphobia and Building Connections

05:51 — The Power of Solitude and Self-Care

07:04 — The Role of Community Activities in Recovery

10:09 — The Impact of the Pandemic and Virtual Groups

12:37 — Group Therapy Ad: https://www.drkelseyharper.com/dbt-skills-group-for-lgbtq

17:50 — The Benefits of Group Therapy

21:39 — Personal Experiences with Group Therapy

22:12 — Upcoming Group Therapy Opportunities

23:55 — The Healing Power of Groups

Topics/Triggers:

· Rape Culture

· Victim Blaming

· Agoraphobia

· Anxiety

· Trauma

· Trauma Recovery

· Virtual Groups and Community

· CPTSD

· Group Therapy

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

13:18 — AD: Group Therapy: https://www.drkelseyharper.com/dbt-skills-group-for-lgbtq

14:49 — Understanding Complex PTSD and its Relation to BPD

21:07 — Treatment Options for BPD and Complex Trauma

23:41 — Conclusion and Future Discussions

Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

Topics/Triggers:

· Dialectical Behavior Therapy by Dr. Marsha Linehan

· Suicide and Suicidal Ideation

· PTSD

· Trauma

· Emotional Overload and Overstimulation

· Intrusive Memories

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

00:00 — Introduction

01:37 — The Power of Activism

03:20 — Activism and Emotional Expression

05:00 — AD: Individual Therapy: https://www.drkelseyharper.com/trauma-therapy

05:42 — Mindfulness in Activism

08:42 — Sensory Needs in Activism

09:40 — Titration and Exposure in Activism

11:05 — Emotional Support, Expressive Activities, Self Care

16:20 — AD: Group Therapy: https://www.drkelseyharper.com/dbt-skills-group-for-lgbtq

17:40 — Engaging in Pleasant Activities & Personal Values

19:15 — Different Ways to Engage in Activism

22:23 — Local Organizations

24:50 — Providing Direct Services in Activism

26:01 — Utilizing Personal Skills in Activism

27:15 — Conclusion: The Power of Activism in Healing Trauma

Topics/Triggers:

· Titrating

· Self-care

· Community Engagement

· Trauma Processing

· Self-soothing Habits

· Physiological Regulations

· Mindfulness

· The Power of Activism

· Vicarious Trauma

· Engaging in Expressive & Pleasant Activities

· Our Values & Goals

· Abortion Bans

· Success Stories Prison Feminism

· Supporting NonProfit Organizations

· Grassroots Activism

· Ask a Psychologist Anything

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Join My Trauma Skills Workshop — 12 Weeks of one-on-one Small Group Trauma Skills Therapy Starting in April 2024!

Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

Topics/Triggers:

· Diet Culture

· Disordered Eating

· Chronic Dieting

· Intuitive Eating

· Health at Every Size

· When to See a Dietitian

· Binge Eating

· Calorie Restriction

· Common Questions & Concerns with Dieting

· Food & The Need for Control

· The Binge-Restrict Cycle

· Unattainable Beauty Standards

· Maintaining Our Agency

· Coming Home to Your Body

· Food as Culture Rather than Just Sustenance

· Maintenance Phase Podcast

· Health & Healthy Eating

· Weight

· How Parents Can Help Their Children with Weight

· Why Our Relationship to Our Bodies Affects Our Relationship with Food

Connect with Devon Cole:

· Website: https://devoncolerd.com/

· Instagram @devoncolerd https://www.instagram.com/devoncolerd/

· Email: devoncolerd@gmail.com

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Join My Trauma Skills Workshop — 12 Weeks of one-on-one Small Group Trauma Skills Therapy Starting in April 2024!

Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

Topics/Triggers:

· Trauma Related Grief

· EMDR

· How to Cope

· Politics

· Following Through on Goals

· Neurodivergence

· Hypervigilance & Apathy

· Activism & Triggers

· Politics and Therapy

· The Client-Therapist Relationship

· Trauma

· Mental Health and Community

· The Meaning of Rest

· Vulnerability Management

· Support Systems

· Initiated Survivor: Poet Kate Burns on The Power of Creativity for Healing:

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

We've got something special for you on Initiated Survivor for the Holiday Season! Join us as we revisit a past episode called "Holiday Survival Skills." I know that the holidays can be a bit overwhelming, especially with all the family dynamics, financial pressures, and cultural stressors. But we've got some practical strategies to help you handle it all. We'll show you how to take care of yourself while also actively participating in positive change. It's all about finding those moments of connection, celebrating your values, and staying grounded during tough times. We're here to support you as you create meaningful memories and navigate the end of the year with resilience and joy. Enjoy this replay, and happy holidays!

Join My Trauma Skills Workshop — 12 Weeks of one-on-one Small Group Trauma Skills Therapy Starting in April 2024!

Topics/Triggers:

• Seasonal Energy Shifts

• Dark Moon Phase of the Year

• Heightened Sensitivities around Triggers During the Holidays

• Radical Acceptance & Mindfulness

• Living in the Moment Without Judgement.

• How to Practice Mindfulness Daily

• Giving Yourself Permission to Remove Yourself from Toxic Situations

• The Value of Setting & Enforcing Boundaries in Relationships

• Treating Our Time & Energy as Finite Resources

• Giving Yourself the Gift of Prioritizing Your Own Needs

• Self-Care During the Holiday Season

• Private Distractions During Events

• Finding Connection

• Tara Brach

• Self-Soothing (Listen to Initiated Survivor Bonus Ep "Skill Spotlight - Self-Soothing" for more information!)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Kate Burns, a survivor and poet. We delved deep into her healing journey and the importance of community support. Kate shared her experiences of initially struggling to trust men and the significance of allowing survivors to fully own their feelings without judgment. She also discussed the creation of her emotional emergency care kit and the power of reaching out to trusted friends for support. We explored the transformative impact of writing letters to oneself and receiving affirmations from others. Kate's resilience and fierce determination to create a safe space for survivors were truly inspiring, and she leaves us all with a touch of her wisdom by closing out the interview with a reading of one of her poems in her book, "All My Favorite Men Are Dead." Listen in as we explore healing, community, and finding strength in vulnerability.

→ Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

00:00 — Intro

00:18 — Kate's Survivor Story

03:19 — Creativity & Healing

10:17 — Making Poetry Active

11:54 — Kate's Recovery

16:10 — How to Get Started in Poetry

22:04 — Effective Healing Strategies

28:14 — Emergency Emotional Care Kit

33:42 — Community & Trust

38:53 — A Reading of Kate's Poem "Me Too"

Topics/Triggers:

• Using a Pseudonym

• Sexual Assault from a Male Friend

• Finding Community

• Asking for Help

• Suicide

• Healing through Creativity

• Emotional Self-Care

• Attachment Wounds

• Trust

• Feeling Safe in Your Body

• The Power of Poetry

Connect with Kate:

— Website: https://www.kateburnspoet.com/

— Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateburnspoet/?hl=en

— Links: https://linktr.ee/kbpoetry

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Dedeker Winston was last on the podcast to discuss her somatic practitioner training and how somatic experience can help you on your recovery journey. Today, she shares her story of surviving domestic violence in one of her romantic partnerships. Dedeker talks about what it was like leaving an abusive relationship, the challenges and rewards of practicing non-monogamy, and the importance of community support in healing from trauma. We discuss the harmful stereotypes surrounding victims and perpetrators of abuse and the need for a more nuanced understanding of these dynamics. Dedeker also shares her perspective on the power of embodied experiences of safety and security in healing from trauma. Join us for this powerful conversation on healing, community, and the importance of breaking out of societal norms to find new ways of relating and connecting with others.

Connect with Dedeker:

• Website: https://www.dedekerwinston.com/

• Multiamory Podcast: https://www.multiamory.com/podcast-summary

Topics/Triggers:

• Consensual Non-monogamy

• Domestic Abuse

• Intimate Partner Violence

• The Feeling of Paralysis

• Cognitive Dissonance

• PTSD

• The Image of an Abuser

• Telling Your Partner About Your Trauma

• Finding a Safe, Secure Attachment

• Shame

• Polyamory

• The Variety of Responses from People in Your Life

• Signs of Abuse in a Relationship

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

In this episode, I delve into the topic of connecting with our inner wildness, specifically through the archetypal figure of the wild woman and the symbolism of wolves. Drawing from my personal experiences and insights gained from the book "Women Who Run With the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, I discuss the importance of reclaiming our wildness to heal from trauma and reconnect with our true selves. I also cover the work of the nonprofit organization Wolf Connection, which rescues and cares for wolf dogs and offers programs for underserved communities to connect with the wisdom of wolves. As always, be mindful of cultural appropriation and spiritual bypassing in our attempts to connect with animal symbolism and archetypes. Join me as I share my own journey of reconnecting with my inner wildness and explore ways to embrace your own wildness.

→ Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

· The Wolf Connection

· "Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype" by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

· Follow Simon Moya-Smith

Topics/Triggers:

• Wolf Connection

• Our Inner Wildness

• Lack of Freedom in a Patriarchal Capitalistic Society

• Reclaiming Power

• Listening to the Call of the Wild

• The Wolf Connection & Retreat

• How You Can Connect to Your Inner Wolf

• Cultural Appropriation & Animal Spiritualism

• Life, Death, and Experiences

• Mindful Approaches to Animal Archetypes

• Survivors & the Wisdom of the Wolf

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

→ Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

Topics/Triggers:

• Trauma Anniversary

• PTSD

• Witch Practices to Heal: Germanic Paganism, Norse Paganism, and Scottish Druidism

• Heightened Anxiety & Emotional Sensitivity

• Taking Care of Yourself

• Reaching Out to Your Support System

• Flight, Fright, Freeze, Appease

• Acknowledging & Honoring Your Survival

• Gratitude Practices

• Manifestation and Goals

• Our Unconscious Mind

• Ceremony & Ritual

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Rena Martine, a women's intimacy expert and ex-sex crimes Deputy District Attorney, about the intersection of trauma and sexuality. We discussed how coaches can work towards a more inclusive and less colonized approach to supporting survivors, as well as the healing potential of BDSM and Kink. Rena shared her insights and expertise on how survivors can reclaim their sexuality and overcome triggers through exposure therapy and restaging traumatic events while normalizing conversations around sexual fantasies and desires. If you're interested in learning more about Rena's work, check out her Shameless program on her website or send her a DM on Instagram!

→ Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

Topics/Triggers:

• Being a Sex Crimes Deputy DA

• Sexuality & Healing

• Monogamy & Nonmonogamy

• Sex Positivity

• Savage Lovecast

• Marriage and Divorce

• Consensual Nonconsensual Fantasies

• Examples of Guiding Clients Through Sexual Trauma

• Exposure Therapy

• Reclaiming Intimacy as Women

• Purity Culture

• DDLG & DS

• SA Survivors and Kink

• Repairing the Relationship between Ourselves and Our Bodies

Connect with Rena:

— Website: https://www.renamartine.com/

— Instagram @_rena.martine_ : https://www.instagram.com/_rena.martine_/

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

• Kaleigh's Website

• Listen to Initiated Survivor Episode 55: "Kaleigh Cornelison on Gender Based Violence for Adolescence: Teen Dating & Violence"

• Listen to Initiated Survivor Episode 58: "Mistress Justine Cross on Consent, Kink Communities, and BDSM"

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Subscribe to the Initiated Survivor YouTube Channel!

Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

· Connect with Justine Here

· Learn More About Dungeon East

· Follow Justine on IG @thejustinecross

· Watch Justine's Work on YouTube

· Justine's Website & The Kink Negotiation Worksheet

Topics/Triggers:

• Kink Communities
• Negotiations, Consent, and Boundaries
• The Power of Reclaiming Your Sexuality
• Why Abstinence Education Fails Us
• Survivors & Consensual Experiences
• Rape Culture
• How The Heteronormative View of Sex Minimizes Pleasure
• Aftercare
• Safe Words
• Checking In With Your Body
• Gender Pay Gap & Systemic Inequality
• Empowering Women to Have Agency
• BDSM (Bondage and discipline, domination and submission, sadism and masochism)
• SSC (Safe, Sane, and Consensual)
• RAC (Risk Aware, Consensual Kink)
• PRICK (Personal Responsibility Informed Consensual Kink)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Watch the Full Video Podcast Here!

Topics/Triggers:

• Repressed Memories
• EMDR
• Somatic Experiencing
• False Memories
• Traumatic Memories
• CBT Prolonged Exposure
• Body Sensations
• Unethical Therapeutic Practices
• Re-traumatization
• Sensory Processing Disorders: OCD, ADHD, Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, Autism
• Visual Processing Disorders: Dyslexia, Reading Dyscalculia, Visual Spatial Type of Processing
• Supporting a Friend
• Being an Ally

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Kaleigh Cornelison, LMSW, LCSW, specializes on working with teens, educating them on dating violence, sexual assault, bystander intervention, and consent. In this episode, Kaleigh shares her expert knowledge on the way that sexual assault and gender based violence is effecting the youth of today. She covers the various forms of intimate partner violence that teens are most susceptible to, how teens give her hope for the future, and what we can do as adults to be allies to the young people of today.

Topics/Triggers:

• Gender Based Violence for Adolescence
• Intimate Partner Violence: Physical, Emotional, Mental, Financial, and Digital
• Bystander Intervention
• Consent
• Breaking Generational Cycles
• Teen Sexual Assault
• How Adult Allies Can Help
• The Belief that Love equals Jealousy
• "Mutual" Abuse
• Breakups as Teens

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

• Survivor Love Letter by Tani Ikeda
• Denim Day by Peace Over Violence
• Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory By Sarah Polley
• Francesca Lia Block's Writing Workshops
• Reclaiming What Was Taken
• Eat Predators
• Treating Our Body Well

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Kristen Hogan was last seen on the podcast in "Good, Strong, and Brave with Kristen Hogan" where she recounted her experience with surviving intimate partner violence. As a founder of Good.Strong.Brave, Kristen wants to empower other women to feel good enough as they are. Part of that is having the resiliency to go on in spite of the trauma we as survivors have endured. It is from our pain that we gain wisdom about who we are and what the world is. But that wisdom can hold uncomfortable truths, and Kristen and I speak on how our worldviews changed after our encounters with sexual violence and why resiliency helped us stay on the path of healing.

Topics/Triggers:

• Resiliency
• Generational Trauma
• Sexual Assault on College Campuses + Consent
• Peter Levine, Ph.D's Somatic Experiencing
• Wisdom from Recovery
• The Desire to Change the World
• The Gateways to Surrender
• Path to Acceptance
• Being a Good Ally
• The Power of Words
• Dismantling the Patriarchy through Community

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

• Authenticity + Honesty
• Trauma
• Relationships
• Prioritizing the Needs of Others Over Our Own
• The Vulnerability of Being Yourself
• Survival Mode and Placating Others
• Flight, Fight, Fawn, and People Pleasing
• What We're Saying with Radical Genuineness
• How We're Saying Things with Radical Genuineness
• Accurate Expression
• Stephen King on the Important Things

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Barb Jenkins was last on the podcast in 2022, in the episode "Reclaiming Justice". Now, she comes back on to share all that she has done to find a way back to herself again. Part of what she lost in her attack was the joy she had in her hobbies like volunteering. While she will never be the same person she used to be, she has found new ways to help other survivors and even make a change with perpetrators of sexual violence by going into prisons and educating them on rape culture.. She has reclaimed so much of her power, and now hopes to inspire others to continue on even if all hope seems lost.

Topics/Triggers:

• Reclaiming Hobbies
• Legal System Biases Against Survivors
• Finding Community
• Sharing Recovery Journeys
• The Supreme Court
• Finding Our True Selves Again
• Jane Doe No More
• JDNM Survivors Facebook Group
• "Burying Jane Doe: A Journey of Courage and Strength" by Barb Jenkins

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

You may remember Bobbie Becerra from her previous episode on Intimated Survivor, where she recounted her life and childhood abuse. She opened up about how she broke her own generational chains, and stopped her cycle of trauma. One of the essential steps in that was to let go of the societal pressure placed on survivors to forgive their abusers. Instead, Bobbie has adopted a method of reconciliation, where she recognizes the multiple truths she is living at one time. We share how our religious upbringing instilled the notion that to forgive was our duty, why our trauma interfered with that ability to forgive, and the natural human emotion that is anger.

Topics/Triggers:

• Christianity and Catholicism
• The Pressure to Forgive
• Childhood Abuse and Familial Sexual Assault
• Anger
• The Power of Reconciliation

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Kat McGinty was last on the podcast to share her recovery journey and how she went from survivor to thriver. Since then, Kat has created her own female-led production company to provide a safe space for other survivors in the entertainment industry. She takes us through her decision to start a business, her perspective on the Me Too movement from an insider's perspective, and what survivors can do for fellow survivors.

Topics/Triggers:

• Rape Culture
• Brett Kavanaugh, Harvey Weinstein, and The Me Too Movement
• Protecting Survivors First
• Sexual Assault in the Entertainment Industry
• Why Uma Thurman is Angry 
• The Connection Between Gender, Survivors, and Perpetrators
• Creating Our Own Safe Spaces
• Using Privilege to Aid Others

Check out and support Kat's new production company, Wandering Kat Media, here!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

In episode 44, Olivia Pepper spoke on the heavy gifts that survivors receive throughout the "after". It made me look back on the first year of the podcast including my previous thoughts on believing all survivors — episodes 1 and 2 of Initiated Survivor, "Why I Believe All Survivors" and "We Believe All Survivors". In these early episodes, the strategies I spoke about were primarily on an individual level. But when believing all survivors takes the dismantling of far-reaching systemic injustices, what can we as individuals do? Listen to the full episode to find out.

Topics/Triggers:

• Rest & The future of this podcast
• The realities of trauma recovery
• Reclaiming our power and community
• The myth of false reports
• The status quo of misogyny
• How rape culture responds to allegations of sexual assault
• The pathologizing of survivors
• White female privilege
• Why some believe sexual assault is an "anomaly"
• The trauma of reporting to a carceral state

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Olivia Pepper is returning to Initiated Survivor after their previous episode, "Nurturing Trauma Through Community", where they spoke about their transition from victim to survivor. In this episode, Olivia has returned to tell more about their recovery journey and how the process of healing themselves has led them to activism for others. We speak on community, the work of those that came before us, and how to best show up for survivors. They share with us their vision of the future, why they have been driven to action, and what they want other survivors to know.

Topics/Triggers:

• Childhood sexual molestation
• Recovering lost memories
• Fear of sexual relationships
• Date rape
• Intimate partner violence
• Rape culture
• Take Back the Night Foundation
• Political activism and systemic change
• Taboos
• Supreme Court nominations and rulings
• Tori Amos, the first national spokesperson for the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, RAINN

Find out more about Olivia here! 

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

• Why we need to vote both locally & federally to protect survivors’ rights
• Abortion Rights & Women’s Liberation
• What having abortion resources meant for my own recovery story
• The implications of exceptions for incest and rape
• How the government is infringing upon a survivor’s right to privacy & body autonomy
• Success Stories Program

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Amy Malin is the creator and CEO of Trueheart, which serves as an in-between of Hollywood and philanthropy. A survivor of sexual assault and human trafficking, Amy founded Trueheart during her recovery process. Alongside her husband/business partner Scott Malin, Amy has raised thousands for a wide variety of causes including Domestic Violence, Gender Equality, HIV/AIDS, Homelessness, Human Trafficking, Hunger, LGBTQ+ Rights, Poverty, Racial Equality, The Arts, The Environment, Women’s Empowerment, and more. Today, she shares how she came to be so passionate about helping others and why she chooses to live her life leading with hope, light, and love.

Topics/Triggers:

• Domestic violence
• Sexual assault
• Human trafficking
• Hope
• Suicide
• The difference between abusive relationships and healthy relationships
• Depression, PTSD, and Anxiety
• Mirroring Work and Affirmations
• Hot Yoga
• The healing nature of tattoos
• Being Unbreakable
• Authenticity and Vulnerability

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Kim Mecklenburg survived childhood sexual assault from family as well as at the hands of her commanding officers during her time in the Marine Corps. Taking us through how she was able to recover due in part to the aid of psychedelics, Kim shares what it means to finally feel free in her body once again. She has also taken what she learned about survival and recovery and turned it into Kim Chi Wisdom, where she helps to dismantle rape culture by performing "Life Intelligence™ For Leaders" Workshops. She also helps other survivors with their recoveries through neuroscience-backed methods — letting them overcome and leverage past trauma.

Topics/Triggers:

• Sexual abuse from father and brother
• The neural rewiring that happens after rape
• Disassociation
• Marine Corps silencing sexual assault and protecting predators
• Letting go of control
• Narcissistic Abuse
• Establishing boundaries with others
• Finding people to trust again
• Using neuroscience to tackle trauma
• Psychedelics and understanding your own brain
• High-achieving people with trauma
• Why "boys will be boys" is a damaging phrase
• Overcoming feelings of unworthiness and shame

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

• Childhood sexual abuse
• Being raped by a friend
• Forced oral penetration
• Shame and fear paralysis
• "What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing" by Dr. Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey 
• The way the mind is change by trauma
• Hyper sexuality and hyper sensitivity
• Substance abuse
• Being dismissed by the police
• Rape kits
• Hoffman Institute 
• PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, and other illness that correlate to surviving sexual assault
• Julian Walker: Mind-Body Practice 
• Dr. Dan Allender 
• The Hunting Ground Documentary 
• Joyce Meyers' books 

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

• Being sexually assaulted in a crowd
• Dismissive comments from friends
• Anonymously reporting to the police
• Date rape drugs and rape
• The social conditioning that creates victims
• Minimization of sexual assault and rape
• How to be an ally to sexual assault survivors
• EMDR (Listen to our episode here to find out more)
• Coping with panic attacks
• Mental health and eating disorders
• Re-learning that things can be good

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Kelly Johnson is a writer, public speaker, community engagement professional, and survivor of sexual violence. She has her masters in Public History from American University and is extremely passionate about literature. She created a Writers for Hope, which seeks to raise money for The Every Voice Coalition and the Lambda Legal Fund through the annual auctioning of books, writing advice, and story-based items. Today she comes onto the podcast to share her story of survival. Early one morning, Kelly was brutally beaten and violated by a stranger who was waiting outside her home. In what she calls the shattering of her mind, Kelly takes us back to that morning and the far-reaching effects that her trauma has on her life.

Topics/Triggers:

• The cultural and societal systems that cultivate rape culture
• Retelling of the sexual assault, including being beaten and raped in her apartment
• The response from her local police and medical professionals
• Dealing with the shared trauma of her best friend and loved ones
• The myth of what survivors are "supposed" to do
• Defense mechanisms
• STD prevention post-assault
• The powerful motivator of anger
• Choosing not to forgive

Follow Kelly on Twitter to stay up to date with all she does for survivors! ​

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

This is Kristen Hogan's mantra — one that she has lived by throughout her recovery journey. Now a mental health and intimate partner violence advocate, Kristen has turned her mantra into a platform, Good.Strong.Brave, to help empower young women in the face of trauma. Lacking any sexual education from her school or family, Kristen shares the shock that came from realizing she had been assaulted and drugged by her then-boyfriend. Kristen's story is important and more common than many believe, with current statistics from RAINN showing that 8 out of 10 rapes are committed by someone known to the victim. She takes us through her survivor story, why she chooses to share it, and what brought her into advocacy.

Topics/Triggers:

• Sexual assault on college campuses
• Intimate partner violence
• Date rape drugs
• Spiked drinks
• Domestic violence
• Suicidal ideation
• Substance abuse
• The importance of sexual education
• How society shapes perpetrators and victims alike
• The decades-long impact sexual assault has on survivors' lives
• Peace Over Violence
• "Amy Purdy: The Power of Visualization" on Oprah's Super Soul

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Bobbie Becerra is the author of Learning to Take It: How I Learned to Accept Abuse  where she recounts her life and the childhood abuse that impacted her journey. A Los Angeles native raised by her mother, Bobbie thought it was normal for her and her brother to suffer through physical and sexual abuse. She talks about how difficult it was to become aware of the generational trauma and actually break the cycle of trauma. It was only after 30 years of being trapped in a constant state of abuse that she found a way out through writing her memoir. Now a motivational speaker and storyteller, Bobbie hopes to spark change through open discussion and personal connection. You can follow her on her website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Topics/Triggers:

• Childhood abuse, both sexual and physical
• Generational trauma and being in a trauma cycle
• How the brain and body holds memories and experiences
• Reconnecting with her brother and fellow survivor through writing
• Dealing with trauma triggers without shame
• Confidentiality vs. Secrecy
• Grooming, and how an abused child can grow into an abused adult
• The foster system
• Mandatory reporters
• The fear of being taken from your family

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

• Her assault, what happened after, and compartmentalization
• Shame and guilt due to being drunk and being bullied
• Substance abuse
• Suicide attempt
• Reconnecting with her bullies and abusers decades later due to social media
• The statute of limitations
• Her journey to becoming a therapist and beginning her EMDR certification
• Interferences to her recovery
• Legal Cases Mentioned: Steubenville, Stanford, and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Barbie Jenkins is a fierce, brave survivor who chose to stay true to herself after a lifetime of abuse. Now a part of the Survivors Speak Outreach Team at Jane Doe No More, Barb joins the podcast today to share her experience as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and being an adult rape survivor by a man she had sought to help. She takes us through the process of going to court, the effect of realizing that she was on trial rather than her attacker, as well as the fear she felt towards losing her family and reputation. Barb also shares a few sentences from her Victim Impact Statement, and speaks to us about how the Justice System failed her.

Topics/Triggers:

• Child sexual abuse
• Surviving being attacked by a man who went from a lost soul she sought to help to her assaulter, stalker, and rapist
• Barb's immediate reaction during/after the attack
• Why there are more bystanders than perpetrators or victims
• Learning to accept what the body does in order to survive
• Barb's experience as a victim in the Criminal Justice System
• How "Jane Doe" stole her identity and spirit
• Revictimization at the hands of the Montana Supreme Court

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

• Stalking
• Living In Fear for Your Life
• Public Backlash Against Domestic Violence Survivors
• Having Then Losing Our False Sense of Security
• Lucky by Alice Sebold
• An Abuser's Mentality vs. A Victim's Mentality
• The Inflammation of Rape Culture
• How Misogyny Manifests in Our Reactions to Victims
• The Myth of the Vindictive Woman

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Despite what we may have been taught by the media and TV, there is no one way to be a victim. Following up on our examination of the public backlash that domestic violence survivors face, today we are discussing the vast intricacies of domestic abuse relationships and what it means to be a "true victim". From power imbalance and gaslighting to love bombing and psychological disorders, these situations are never as simple as they seem.

Topics/Triggers:

• What domestic violence really looks like
• What people often get wrong about domestic violence relationships
• The concept of reactive abuse
• Control and power
• Lundy Bancroft's book Why Does He Do That?
• Psychological and emotional abuse
• What "love bombing" is and how it contributes to why people stay

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

I know that I said I was taking a break from solo episodes due to burnout, but after all that is happening on the news, I needed to share my thoughts with all of you. If you're like me and you're struggling with the public response to a very public trial involving domestic violence, sexual assault, and defamation, I want you to know that you are not alone. Whenever a survivor is attacked, every single one of us is affected. So in this bonus episode I'm sitting down to talk about how the public backlash to this trial is a perpetuation of rape culture — and what we can do to continue to support our fellow survivors despite it all.

Topics/Triggers:

• Coming forward and not being believed
• How allegations against public figures, celebrities, or athletes immediately cause hatred toward the survivor
• Men's reputations vs. women's lives
• How rape culture is embedded into our society
• Gender based violence
• "Mutual abuse"
• Histrionic Personality Disorder/Borderline Personality Disorder
• Actively practicing how to believe all survivors
• Dismantling the rape culture beliefs we may not know we have
• Jessica Yellin of News Not Noise

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

• What burnout is
• Why burnout is a deeply emotional experience
• Signs of burnout to look out for
• What causes burnout + why self-care can't prevent it
• Upcoming changes to the podcast to mitigate future burnout
• Burnout Skill Spotlight
• Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Please sign Aarefah's Change.org petition to stop the cover-up of rape and sexual assault by Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, CA and all School Administrations.

Topics/Triggers:

• Islamophobia, Sexism, and Racism
• Human rights laws
• Being sexual assaulted/raped at a college campus
• The failings of the legal system
• How seeking justice led to retraumatization + compounding trauma
• Invalidation and denial at the federal level
• Why she decided not to go to the Supreme Court
• Refusing to let the legal system define what happened
• Where she is with her healing + grieving her youth
• Toxic masculinity
• Gender-based discrimination
• Equal Rights Amendment
• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, or the Treaty for the Rights of Women)
• The legal consent loophole
• Implicit, prejudicial expectations for proof
• PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, and a lack of joy
• Holding space for hope

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Georgia Durante has been inspiring women for decades. A Rochester native, Georgia's life was transformed after being raped at 17 by her brother-in-law, narrowly escaping with her life. While she started her childhood as "The Kodak Girl", her journey to recovery found her becoming a getaway driver for the Mafia. Continuing her will to survive, Georgia escaped to California with her daughter and used her skills to become a stunt driver in the entertainment industry. Now armed with her own stunt driving company Performance Two, Georgia continues to share her story in an effort to help others believe in themselves and know that when there is a will, there is a way.

Topics/Triggers:

• A detailed retelling of her sexual assault and how she escaped
• What happened when she did not address her trauma
• How a car accident while filming made her realize that she viewed her life as worthless
• Having an alter ego to act as protector for the vulnerable parts of her inner self
• Speaking at prisons + seeing the impact of her story
• Finding meaning + value in life following the worst thing that could happen
• Learning to believe in ourselves
• Domestic violence
• Georgia's book The Company She Keeps
• Coming soon: Georgia's podcast based on her book

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

There are various definitions about what constitutes as stalking, as well as different laws in place to try and protect victims of stalking such as the Violence Against Women Act. In this episode, we are deep-diving into what stalking is, the different motives behind stalking someone, and the effects of stalking trauma.

Topics/Triggers:

• Details about my attacker stalking me after my rape both online and in person
• Not feeling safe in crowds or out in the world
• Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn reactions
• Stockholm Syndrome and other Reactive Attachment Responses
• Learning to deal with confrontation, with Conflict Is Not Abuse serving as a good resource
• The different degrees and intensity of stalking — including its ties to harassment, intimidation, and coercion
• Different types of stalkers such as: Intimate partners, professional contacts, celebrities, intimacy seekers, incompetent suitors, and predatory stalkers
• Erotomania in stalkers
• Personality disorders that lead to stalkers and why many are not psychotic
• The various laws in place to criminalize stalking and protect potential targets of stalking before violence occurs
• The immense value of emotional support animals

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

CITATIONS

https://initiatedsurvivor.com/references

• Being a male survivor
• Reclaiming power and fighting against the status quo by being refusing to be silent
• Detailed recount of being raped at 8 years old by his brother and what his family dynamics were
• Going through therapy — and then multiple therapists — before finally finding someone that worked for him
• Psychologists vs. Therapists
• How he came to share his story after internalizing it for so long
• Authenticity + Vulnerability restoring his sense of self
• Internalization of shame, grief, and despair when coming face-to-face with the abuse
• Battling a chronic lack of self-worth with journaling, writing, and reading (Esp. "The Mastery of Love" by Don Miguel Ruiz)
• Why the term "survivor" is too limiting and stagnant
• The importance of reaching out to someone you trust

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review.

If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!