Overcoming Child Sexual Abuse ~ With Kathy Andersen

Today, Dr. Arielle Schwartz returns to join us—and we’re talking about her two most recent books that continue to help us overcome the impacts of childhood trauma in our adult lives. Dr. Schwartz is a renowned trauma expert, licensed psychologist, registered yoga teacher, and prolific author, and Dr. Schwartz joined us previously as a guest in season two.  

In Dr. Schwartz’s Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery Flip Chart, released in August of last year, we’re given an array of yoga, breathing, and meditative practices to balance, energize, and calm the body, especially to help overcome the impacts of trauma on our minds and bodies. 

In her just-released book, Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga: Therapeutic Practices for Emotional Health,Dr. Schwartz takes us into a deeper dive to understand the interrelationships between mind, emotions, physiology, and behavior, and introduces us to practices that aid in rewiring our nervous systems including vagal toning, conscious breathing, mindful movement, and meditation—all of which combine to cultivate a felt sense of ease and safety; enhance our capacity to handle challenges; and recover from stress and anxiety quickly and efficiently. 

When I learned of Dr. Schwartz’s new books, I couldn’t wait to work through them and to invite Dr. Schwartz to talk with us once more because I knew we would gain great new learning and new practices to help us on our continuing journeys. 

And so I’m so incredibly grateful that Dr. Schwartz has taken the time amidst her consuming schedule to join us today.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, Dr. Meg Jay returns and we’re talking about her new book that has just been released, The Twentysomething Treatment. Dr. Jay’s new book focuses on essential skills that we need to handle uncertainties—around work, love, friendship, mental health, and more. While Dr. Jay’s book and specialization focus on the "Twentysomething" age group, we share how mastering these skills is so essential for all of us to handle uncertainties through and beyond the twenty-something decade.

Throughout Dr. Jay’s book, she takes us through an array of “How To” ways to manage through uncertainties with specific skills, and advocates for “skills over pills” to deal with life’s struggles. Meg puts forward that medication is sometimes, but not always, the best medicine, and argues that most 20 somethings don’t have disorders that must be treated: they have problems that can be solved… and reading Meg’s work, you can’t help but feel that might be said for many of us across our decades.

The one big thing that struck me as I was reading Dr. Jay’s book was whether childhood trauma "blocks" some of the skill development that can and should take place during our twenty-something years. I reflected that it took me well beyond my twenty-something years to move through the "How to” skills that Dr. Jay provides. And I wonder whether many of you listening might feel the same way—finding yourself still moving through and trying to master the "how to" skills that we may have missed because we were so immersed in survival mode—and that now, we’re still catching up, if you like, on "lost years."  

And so in this podcast, we’ll talk about all of this and deep dive into Dr. Jay’s “how to” ways to move through life’s struggles and uncertainties.

Dr. Meg Jay is a clinical psychologist and an associate professor of education at the University of Virginia. She earned a doctorate in clinical psychology, and in gender studies, from University of California, Berkeley. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Psychology Today, and on NPR, the BBC and TED. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages; and her new book, The Twentysomething Treatment, is available now online and in book stores.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today we’re joined by Dr. Bruce D. Perry, M.D.,Ph.D.

​Dr. Perry's book, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, has been translated into 26 languages and has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for over 100 weeks after becoming #1 on the list in April of 2021, and has sold over one million copies.

In bold on Amazon is the statement, “This book is going to change the way you see your life.” And for all of us who have read the book, I think we would all agree. In What Happened To You?, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Perry provide a groundbreaking and profoundly powerful shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” 

In the opening of the book,  Oprah shares, “Through my work with Dr. Perry, my eyes have been opened to the fact that although I experienced abuse and trauma as a child, my brain found ways to adapt. This is where hope lives for all of us—in the unique adaptability of our miraculous brains.” …Oprah continues, “As Dr. Perry explains in this book, understanding how the brain reacts to stress or early trauma helps clarify how what has happened to us in the past shapes who we are, how we behave, and why we do the things we do. Through this lens we can build a renewed sense of personal self-worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations, and relationships. It is, in other words, the key to reshaping our very lives. 

Dr. Perry is the Principal of the Neurosequential Network, and serves on the Board of Directors of multiple organizations including Prevent Child Abuse America. 

Dr. Perry has been extensively featured across major media outlets including 60 Minutes, National Public Radio, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightline, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC and CBS News, the Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah's Super Soul. AND his work has been featured in documentaries produced by Dateline NBC, 20/20, the BBC, Nightline, CBC, PBS, as well as dozen international documentaries. Many print media have highlighted the clinical and research activities of Dr. Perry including a Pulitzer-prize winning series in the Chicago Tribune, The Sun Magazine, US News and World Report, Time, Newsweek, Forbes ASAP, Washington Post, the New York Times and Rolling Stone. 

I’m so thrilled and grateful that Dr. Perry is joining us today to talk about “What Happened to You?” and all of his profoundly powerful work to help us all on our journeys to understand and overcome our childhood trauma.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, we’ve reached our #1 most popular episode, 101 WAYS TO HEAL—PRACTICES TO HEAL TRAUMA & THRIVE, with special guest Linda Curran. 

Linda is a trauma specialist, clinician, best-selling author, film producer, and a sought after national trainer on trauma.  When I read Linda’s book,101 Trauma-Informed Interventions, I knew I needed to introduce Linda to you all because she brings together so many different tools for healing and trauma recovery that we can learn about and try out—in our time and our own space, and see which ones fit and which might be for another time. Now, 101 interventions might sound over-whelming, but it’s actually a world of possibilities for us – and this is what this podcast is all about – enabling each of us to find new ways to overcome the impact of child sexual abuse in our daily adult lives, step by step, day by day.

​

Linda is an international speaker on the treatment of trauma, and has developed, produced, and presents multi-media workshops for clinicians and clients. Linda’s multi-media projects include a four-part video program as part of The Master Clinician Series, including Trauma Treatment: Psychotherapy for the 21st Century, Power Therapies: EMDR and Beyond,  EMDR: Step by Step, Treating Complex Trauma: Beyond Competency,andAddiction, Trauma, & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Linda constantly advocates for accessible and integrative trauma treatment for all of those affected by trauma.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Welcome to the Top 10 Series. Today, we’re at our #2 most popular episode, Triggered To Heal—Experiencing Release, Peace & Growth, with Dr. Karen Baikie, PhD.

I started this podcast series in search of knowledge and experiences that can shift us beyond our abuse and trauma, because, as Maya Angelou encouraged us, “When we know better, we do better."  But, turning knowing into doing requires us to experience shifts that are deep and powerful enough to stop our habitual responses that hinder us rather than help us, and that happen faster than the speed of light when we are triggered in every day moments. That’s frustrating and it’s incredibly tiring for us all. 

In this podcast, I’m handing over the reigns to Karen to take me, and you, through three Hakomi experiences to tap into our places of safety, meet a part of ourselves that holds unresolved trauma, and gently and safety release some of the “stuckness” of that trauma that keeps us responding in old and harmful ways. It’s a journey—and I hope you experience some potentially life-shifting moments in this slightly longer podcast. By the end, I think you’ll be glad you hung in there! I was!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, we’re jumping into our #3 most popular episode, Breaking Myths and Revealing Paths to Happiness, Part 1, with Dr. Meg Jay.

Join me with the extraordinary Dr. Meg Jay PhD (Dr. Jay’s TED Talk is one of the most viewed TED Talks with almost 12 million views—that’s because she is truly an inspiration and a voice of wisdom and knowledge!). In Part 1 of this podcast episode, we’ll break myths and leap into discovery and tools to help overcome child sexual abuse: New insights that help us to understand how childhood trauma affects adults; the notion of “normal” and how that helps or harms us; and how our adult choices, not our childhood abuse, can lead to living a life that is happy and fulfilled.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, we’re leaping into our #4 most popular episode, Trauma, Betrayal & Courage—Moving from Silence to Strength, with Dr. Jennifer Freyd.

Join me as I talk with Dr. Jennifer Freyd PhD, to understand how betrayal from childhood trauma “show ups” in our adulthood, and ways we can overcome those effects. 

Dr. Freyd is the founder of The Center for Institutional Courage and Affiliated Faculty at the Women's Leadership Lab at Stanford University.  

Dr. Freyd is world-renowned for her work on Betrayal trauma, Institutional Betrayal and Courage, and for her framework (DARVO) that identifies strategies used by abusers to manipulate their victims. 

This framework is so widely-known that actress, political activist, and sexual assault survivor, Ashley Judd, referenced it when discussing the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations in an interview with Diane Sawyer in 2017. 

Dr. Freyd has also been interviewed extensively by media in relation to the Harvey Weinstein case, and is sought internationally to talk about ways individuals can overcome childhood trauma, and how institutions play a role through betrayal and courage. Dr. Freyd’s books and speaking appearances have reached millions of people around the world.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, we’re at the #5 most popular episode, Healing Sex—Beyond Sexual Trauma, with special guest, Staci Haines.

Staci is a national leader in Somatics, the field of connecting mind, body, brain, and behavior to allow us to release deep patterns of stress, anxiety and trauma that are stuck in our bodies.

Staci has been in the field of somatics and engaged in social change work for almost 30 years. Staci is the author of The Politics of Trauma: Somatics, Healing and Social Justice which is based on her work to transform the impact of individual and social trauma, and strengthen the interdependence of personal and social change. Staci is also the author of Healing Sex: A Mind Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma – which is what we’ll be diving into in this podcast.

There’s so much in this book and as Staci writes, “Many survivors have a difficult relationship with their bodies. You may struggle with body hate, feeling that your body has betrayed you or that your body is an unsafe place to live. Having a body at all may be a problem for you.”  So today, we’re going to learn a lot and experience some powerful practices to shift our bodies into healing – to heal our sexual trauma from the past and to experience sexual healing in our lives today.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, we’re at the #6 most popular episode, Breaking Myths & Revealing Paths to Happiness – Part Two, with Dr. Meg Jay (and just as a little spoiler, Part One is also coming up as we get closer to #1). 

Dr. Jay’s TED Talk is one of the most viewed TED Talks with almost 12 million views—that’s because she is truly an inspiration and a voice of wisdom and knowledge!

In Part 2 of this podcast with Dr. Meg Jay PhD, we'll break more myths, and dig deeper into insights and tools to help overcome child sexual abuse: we'll start by talking about "Naming It To Tame It” - the negative impact of keeping secrets and the freedom in sharing; then, we'll talk about depression– acknowledging it, tending to it, and overcoming it; and finally, we'll talk about the “thing” that makes your life yours – deciding what you want and fully living it!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Welcome to The Top 10 Series! Today, we’re leaping into our #7 most popular episode, Beyond Damaging Parents—Living Happily Ever After, with special guest, the wonderful Dr. Lindsay Gibson. Dr. Gibson dramatically and importantly spotlights how the “emotional immaturity” of parents can hinder and hold us back in our adulthood, and how we can regain trust in ourselves and break free from the destructive and confusing effects of negative “programming” from childhood.

 In her book, Who You Were Meant To Be, Dr. Gibson focuses on how people can reconnect with their true self and sense of purpose, especially after experiencing negative parental impacts in childhood. In her subsequent books, Dr. Gibson introduces “Emotionally Immature Parents” and provides learning and tools to overcome the impacts of these parents, and how to rely on our own emotional guidance, strengthen our self-awareness, and increase our energy to live a full, happy, and purposeful life in adulthood.

   Dr. Gibson holds a Master’s degree and a Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Psychology, and has also taught doctoral students in Clinical Psychology. She specializes in adult psychotherapy and personal growth counseling. 

   As Dr. Gibson highlights, “Your true self is so much more than your family role. Your past identity may have been formed in your relationship with your parents, but who you will become derives from your relationship to yourself.”

    We went a bit longer on this podcast because you can imagine there was a quite a lot to talk about – so if you need to break up your listening, please do – because there’s great insights through until the very end!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Welcome to The Top 10 Series! We’re taking time to step back and listen to the top ten episodes from the last three seasons before we launch into our upcoming season five. I think the value of The Top 10 is in reinforcing that trauma shows up in many different ways in our daily lives, but also in many ways that are similar. We share a lot of the same triggers, feelings of betrayal, inadequacies, relationship challenges, anxieties, and more—even if we’re functioning incredibly well in everyday life. Or, even when we put out that we’re “just fine” when we really do need a little extra help. I hope this Top Ten Series gives you that “little extra help” so that you can keep stepping beyond the trauma you experienced as a child, and tap into the power you have to thrive in all that is ahead.

Today, we’re leaping into our #8 most popular episode, The Body Holds The Keys, with special guest, Dr. Pat Ogden, PhD. Dr. Ogden is a pioneer in somatic psychology, and the creator of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy method. Dr. Ogden is founder of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute and co-founder of the Hakomi Institute; she is trained in a huge range of somatic and psychotherapeutic approaches to healing and wellness, and has over 45 years of experience working with individuals and groups.

The body holds our trauma, but it also holds the keys to our healing. 

In this podcast, Dr. Ogden shares with us how the body has the innate intelligence and wisdom to reveal where and how we need to heal trauma that is still showing up in our adult lives—and that sometimes we’re not even aware of that trauma until it’s triggered in every day, present moments. In these moments, we have the choice to listen to the signals, sensations, and suggestions from our bodies to guide our next steps and respond differently to move forward into wellness and happiness.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Welcome to The Top 10 Series! We’re taking time to step back and listen to the top ten episodes from the last three seasons before we launch into our upcoming season five. I think the value of The Top 10 is in reinforcing that trauma shows up in many different ways in our daily lives, but also in many ways that are similar. We share a lot of the same triggers, feelings of betrayal, inadequacies, relationship challenges, anxieties, and more—even if we’re functioning incredibly well in everyday life. Or, even when we put out that we’re “just fine” when we really do need a little extra help. I hope this Top Ten Series gives you that “little extra help” so that you can keep stepping beyond the trauma you experienced as a child, and tap into the power you have to thrive in all that is ahead.

Today, we’re leaping into our #9 most popular episode, Beyond Trauma & Loss, Breaking the Silence Cycle, with special guest, Katherine Barner.

Katherine is a counsellor, coach, grief & trauma expert, author, speaker, and advocate against child sexual abuse. Katherine experienced child sexual abuse when she was fourteen, and her journey through abuse and other life trauma have fueled her journey to help others in the work to which she dedicates herself. In this podcast, we’re going to talk about Beyond Trauma and Loss – Breaking The Silence Cycle. 

Katherine encourages people, “The truth is, life is tough and sometimes really bad things happen. I know because I've had my share—from abuse to divorce, to financial hardship, and loss. But one of the things you’ll hear me say frequently is, “life happens to all of us, but the true story is told in how we respond to what has happened.””

Katherine earned her BA in Psychology from Spelman College, and a Masters in Education in Counseling from the University of North Texas. She is a certified crisis responder, Clinical Trauma Specialist, and trained EMDR practitioner.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Welcome to The Top 10 Series! We’re taking time to step back and listen to the top ten episodes from the last three seasons before we launch into our upcoming season five. I think the value of The Top 10 is in reinforcing that trauma shows up in many different ways in our daily lives, but also in many ways that are similar. We share a lot of the same triggers, feelings of betrayal, inadequacies, relationship challenges, anxieties, and more—even if we’re functioning incredibly well in everyday life. Or, even when we put out that we’re “just fine” when we really do need a little extra help. I hope this Top Ten Series gives you that “little extra help” so that you can keep stepping beyond the trauma you experienced as a child, and tap into the power you have to thrive in all that is ahead.

Today, we’re starting with our #10 most popular episode, Unblocking Trauma: Releasing Stuck Pain & Coming Alive, with special guest Deanna Hansen.  Deanna is the founder of Block Therapy and Fluid Isometrics and is also a certified athletic therapist.  For over 20 years, Deanna has helped thousands of people around the world heal from physical and emotional trauma through her programs, including her new 90-Day Trauma Relief program.

I only found out about this recently, I tried it, and it’s been mind-blowing for me – so I had to share it with you.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, for the Season Finale for Season Three,  we’re joined by Linda Curran. Linda is a trauma specialist, clinician, best-selling author, film producer, and a sought after national trainer on trauma.  When I read Linda’s book, 101 Trauma-Informed Interventions, I knew I needed to introduce Linda to you all because she brings together so many different tools for healing and trauma recovery that we can learn about and try out—in our time and our own space, and see which ones fit and which might be for another time. Now, 101 interventions might sound over-whelming, but it’s actually a world of possibilities for us – and this is what this podcast is all about – enabling each of us to find new ways to overcome the impact of child sexual abuse in our daily adult lives, step by step, day by day.

Linda is an international speaker on the treatment of trauma, and has developed, produced, and presents multi-media workshops for clinicians and clients. Linda’s multi-media projects include a four-part video program as part of The Master Clinician Series, including  Trauma Treatment: Psychotherapy for the 21st Century, Power Therapies: EMDR and Beyond,  EMDR: Step by Step, Treating Complex Trauma: Beyond Competency, & Addiction, Trauma, & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) . Linda constantly advocates for accessible and integrative trauma treatment for all of those affected by trauma.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m so grateful to be joined by Elena Morgan, formerly known as Ellen Morgan and prior to Ellen, known as Hilary Foretich. Elena’s mother, Elizabeth Morgan, was jailed for over 2 years in 1987 for protecting Elena from her sexually abusive father. Why was she jailed? Because after Elena revealed that she was being sexually abused by her father, and her mother sought custody through the courts, the judge ordered Elena’s mother to allow her abusive father to have unsupervised visits of Elena at her father’s house.


Knowing Elena would suffer continued abuse, Elena’s maternal grandparents took Elena to New Zealand, defying the court order. When Elena’s mother would not reveal Elena’s whereabouts, the judge sent her to jail. Her abusive father remained free. 

In 1989, after extensive efforts, Rep. Frank Wolf introduced a bill that became the District of Columbia Civil Contempt Imprisonment Limitation Act.  As a result, in that year, Elizabeth Morgan was freed after 759 days in prison, and joined her daughter and parents in New Zealand.

In 1992, the story of the case was made into a television film, A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story.

Elena is now a physician and continues to look for ways to help overcome injustices that still confront victims of child sexual abuse.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m so grateful to be joined by Dr. Patrick Fratellone, MD. Patrick transformed my thinking and feeling about how doctors can help us heal and overcome the physical and emotional impacts of child sexual abuse in our adult lives. But that’s also because Patrick is not your conventional doctor—I hope he’ll do the same for you in this podcast!

Dr. Fratellone’s guiding philosophy is a raw, real, and highly individualized approach to health and well-being. Patrick is guided by his personal mission to serve, empower and partner with his patients on the path to wellness, transformation, and wholeness, beyond what he came to see as conventional “cookbook medicine” that can too often leave patients unhealed and hooked on medications. Born with an undiagnosed  congenital heart disease, and inspired by his grandparents’ use of herbs and plants as remedies, Dr. Fratellone become passionate about nurturing the intrinsic healing of the whole person.

As Dr. Fratellone was pursuing his more creative approach to healing, he was recruited by the late Dr. Robert Atkins, (the world-renowned physician and cardiologist, best known for the Atkins Diet) to become Chief of Medicine and Director of Cardiology at the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine. “Practice what you believe in,” were the words of advice to Patrick from Dr. Atkins, and those words committed Patrick to do just that. Following Dr. Atkins’ death, Patrick moved to Arizona to work with the now-celebrity integrative doctor, Andrew Weil, MD., where Patrick embarked on his fellowship of integrated medicine, and the pursuit of new and alternative approaches to medicine and healing that continue today through Patrick’s New York-based integrative medical practice.

Sobriety has become a cornerstone of Patrick’s own healing, not only for his physical healing, but also for his healing from childhood sexual trauma. That journey remains a source of strength for Patrick and helps him to be the best partner to his patients through an innate intuition and empathy to “get real and raw” in order to help us heal “wholly” from our deepest physical and emotional challenges.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today we’re joined by Kathy Steele. Kathy is a psychotherapist, consultant, trainer, and author.  In this podcast, we’ll be diving into skills and insights to help manage and heal the fragmented pieces of ourselves from our childhood abuse that often still sabotage us in adulthood.  Kathy’s award-winning book, Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation: Skills Training for Patients and Therapistswas Winner of the 2011 International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) Pierre Janet Writing Award.

Kathy is a Past President and Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), and has also served two terms on the Board of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). Kathy served on the International Task Force that developed treatment guidelines for Dissociative Disorders, and on the Joint International Task Force that has developed treatment guidelines for Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. She has received a number of awards for her work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from ISSTD, an Emory University Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Cornelia B. Wilbur Award for Outstanding Clinical Contributions from ISSTD.

Kathy is known for her humor, compassion, respect, and depth of knowledge as a clinician and teacher, and for her capacity to present complex issues in easily understood and clear ways. She is sought as a consultant and supervisor, and as an international lecturer on topics related to trauma, dissociation, attachment, and psychotherapy. She enjoys collaborating with colleagues around the world on clinical, educational, and research projects. Kathy has co-authored numerous book chapters, peer reviewed journal articles, and three books with her colleagues. 

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

John Callas is a Hollywood writer, director, and producer, and his work ranges from the worldwide release of feature films to motion picture trailers, national and international commercials, live action title sequences, and more.

John’s book, When The Rain Stops, tells John’s own story of a young man who rose from the ghetto and struggled against neglect and abuse to become a Hollywood director. Facing his experiences was too painful at first, so John started writing When The Rain Stops as a fictional novel, but then started over to tell his real life story. 

John has worked with actors including Mel Gibson, Walter Matthau, Jack Nicholson, Madonna, Eddie Murphy and Mel Brooks, and John's work can be seen on live action teasers for movies including Ransom, Dennis The Menace, Body Of Evidence, The Golden Child, Spaceballs, The Glass Menagerie, Cocoon II, Poltergeist III, Betrayed, My Girl, As Well As Title Sequences For The Two Jakes and A Few Good Men. 

Some of the awards John has received include THE NEW YORK CRITICS CHOICE, THE CLIO and BELDING, the prestigious BEST OF THE WEST, and an MTV AWARD.

John holds a Master Degree from Occidental College, and is a member of The Directors Guild Of America. He lives in Santa Monica, CA with his wife, Linda and has two sons, Stephan and Nicholas.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, we’re joined by Deanna Hansen.

Deanna is the founder of Block Therapy and Fluid Isometrics and is also a certified athletic therapist.  For over 20 years, Deanna has helped thousands of people around the world heal from physical and emotional trauma through her programs, including her new 90-Day Trauma Relief program.

I only found out about this recently, I tried it, and it’s been mind-blowing for me – so I had to share it with you.

Block Therapy and Fluid Isometrics are approaches to softening and relieving the connective tissue of fascia throughout our bodies where pain and trauma have been stored—sometimes for decades. The fascial system connects the body from head to toe. In Block Therapy, we lie on a small therapeutically designed and crafted block of wood for a minimum of three minutes in various positions across the body. With gravity, body weight, and diagpramatic breathing, the block sinks deeply into the root of stuck tissue and trauma, releasing layers of restrictions that show up as physical and emotional health issues in our bodies and minds.

I’ve been blocking now for only about six weeks and it has been one of the most powerful and shifting practices I have ever felt to release the illness and tension and stress that I still feel in my physical and my mental being from my childhood of sexual abuse—and that so many of us still do.

That’s why I wanted to share this with you all and have Deanna as a guest, so you can decide if this feels right for you to try as another practice on your journey of healing and growth.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today I’m so excited to be joined by Staci Haines. Staci is a national leader in Somatics, the field of connecting mind, body, brain, and behavior to allow us to release deep patterns of stress, anxiety and trauma that are stuck in our bodies. 

Staci has been in the field of somatics and engaged in social change work for almost 30 years. Staci is the author of The Politics of Trauma: Somatics, Healing and Social Justice which is based on her work to transform the impact of individual and social trauma, and strengthen the interdependence of personal and social change. Staci is also the author of Healing Sex: A Mind Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma – which is what we’ll be diving into in this podcast.

There’s so much in this book and as Staci writes, “Many survivors have a difficult relationship with their bodies. You may struggle with body hate, feeling that your body has betrayed you or that your body is an unsafe place to live. Having a body at all may be a problem for you.” So today, we’re going to learn a lot and experience some powerful practices to shift our bodies into healing – to heal our sexual trauma from the past and to experience sexual healing in our lives today.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m joined by Dr. Dionne Bates. Dionne is a licensed professional counselor who holds a B.A. in sociology, an M.A. in counseling psychology, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. 

Dr. Bates works with her clients to help them reach optimal mental health by 
teaching them to affirm themselves, affirm others, and live authentically. After almost 20 years in clinical practice, Dionne has observed that the root of much mental and emotional distress is our inability to integrate our “true” selves into various realms of our lives. 

Dionne recently published the Emotional Lifeline and Mapping Journalas a tool to help us connect with, and navigate through, our emotions; and is the author ofSix Steps to an Emerging Authentic, Affirmed Self. Dionne created a self-healing model, The Self-SOULstice Self-Affirmation Model to help us all move through an empowered process of self-healing.

Dionne has been featured on several radio shows, and has participated in discussions on human sexuality and sexual health with first year Emory University medical students. Her research has included identity development, LGBTQI plus issues, and models of affirming self and others. Her writings have been featured in the Atlanta Tribune, Blavity.com, Your Tango, Dailyworth and numerous regional, national, and international newspapers and academic journals.

Dionne was an Educational Psychologist at Georgia Southern University’s (GSU) Counseling Center where she had responsibility for the students’ mental health and provided education and support to faculty and staff. Dionne also taught graduate studies, serving as adjunct professor in GSU’s College of Education and Alabama A&M University’s Department of Psychology and Counseling. 

Dr. Bates has provided consultation to many businesses and agencies, including the award winning BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective), where she served as Senior Mental Health Advisor from 2017-2022.

The owner of Self-SOULstice and based in Marietta, Georgia, Dionne provides a range of psychotherapeutic, supervision, and consultative services. 

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m joined by the very special, Merle Saferstein. Merle is an educator, speaker, and author. Since 1974, Merle has amassed a collection of 380 journals, 359 of which have been turned into Vol 1 of her book, Living and Leaving My Legacy. Through Merle’s journaling, we experience the power of journaling to help us each move through our lives—the highs, the lows, and everything in between, through trauma, marriage, parenting, grief, career, spirituality, and so much more. Among those highs and lows, Merle shares how she moved through the revelation that her daughter was sexually abused as a child by someone trusted by the family, and the healing and growth that she and her daughter continue to experience through that.

When our beautiful mutual friend Sheryl Sandberg tragically lost her husband, Dave Goldberg, the father of their two young children, Merle’s guidance helped Sheryl journal through a horrifically tragic time, and that journey ultimately led Sheryl to write her book, Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy, with Wharton professor, positive psychologist and best-selling author, Adam Grant.

Most of Merle’s career has been in the field of education, and for 26 years, she served as the director of educational outreach at the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center in South Florida where she worked closely with Holocaust survivors to perpetuate their legacies for this and future generations.

Merle has also created Living and Leaving Your Legacy®, a program that focuses on preserving and passing along the essence of one's life. And through classes, workshops, and lectures, Merle has guided thousands of people through journaling, sacred legacy work, and writing for wellness.

Merle lives in Miami, Florida with her husband of fifty-five years and has two children and two granddaughters.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by the spirited and energetic, Bernadette Pleasant! Bernadette is a fiery and sensual speaker, somatic healer, Founder of The Emotional Institute, Creator of Femme!, a mind-body wellness program, and creator of 400 Years, a somatic-based anti-racism program. She is known for channeling her personal journeys and radical empathy into transformative, immersive experiences that support and celebrate people of all genders, colors, ages and sizes. She has transformed the lives of thousands of people around the world, inspiring them to become more self-expressed and empowered as their own, as Bernadette says, “badass selves.”

With certifications in Emotions-Centered Coaching, Somatic Healing, Integrated Energy Therapy and studies in African, Tribal, and Free Dance, Bernadette promotes emotional freedom through movement and empowerment. She also facilitates deep dialogues on emotional healing, grief, and unlearning racism.

A woman of color, Bernadette comes from a long line of natural healers who have used touch and movement to help others find peace and wellness. Her classrooms, both online and in person, welcome participants and support all to experience comfort and pleasure in their own skin.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by Heather Plett. Heather is known internationally as an expert in the art of holding space. What does it mean to become an expert in “holding space?” Well, as Heather reflects, “ In my case, it took a lot of grief and trauma and many years of fumbling…” and she says, “I think it’s true that many of us end up teaching what we most need to learn.”

I first met Heather through her online workshop, The Art of Holding Space, named after her book. Through her book and her workshops, Heather takes us through how to “hold and support ourselves” as we form a deep connection to ourselves and open ourselves to others on our journey of healing and growth.  Heather is an international speaker, facilitator, and writer whose workshops and seminars span six continents. Her writing has appeared in Harvard Business Review among other publications, and she has been quoted in multiple books, and contributed to training curriculum for nurses, hospice care workers, yoga teachers, facilitators, and military chaplains. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada, with her three daughters, and she is just a beautiful soul.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

I'm so grateful to be launching Season Three with the beautiful Agapi Stassinopoulos. I first met Agapi, and her equally beautiful sister, Arianna Huffington, when we were creating well-being programs for Arianna’s new endeavor Thrive Global. Right away, Agapi’s inner light filled every part of the room.

Agapi’s latest book, Speaking With Spirit, is a beautiful journey of deep connection to "source," and I found it a profoundly powerful experience of connecting to our innate wisdom and our power to heal and grow. Today, we journey into Speaking With Spirit and also through Agapi’s own story and spiritual journey. Agapi is a best-selling author and speaker who inspires audiences around the world, and her previous books include Wake Up To The Joy of You; Unbinding the Heart, and Conversations With The Goddesses. Our conversation today is filled with wisdom and guidance from Agapi’s life experiences and spiritual insights that help us all heal and grow and live in happiness, fulfilment, and joy. I hope you love it!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, in this finale episode for Season Two, I’m truly thrilled to be joined by Dr. Karen Baikie—all the way from Australia! I started this podcast series in search of knowledge and experiences that can shift us beyond our abuse and trauma, because, as Maya Angelou encouraged us, “When we know better, we do better."  But, turning knowing into doing requires us to experience shifts that are deep and powerful enough to stop our habitual responses that hinder us rather than help us, and that happen faster than the speed of light when we are triggered in every day moments. That’s frustrating and it’s incredibly tiring for us all. 

So, I found Dr. Karen Baikie – an expert in The Hakomi Method, which enables us to experience those deep and powerful shifts, and turn the triggers that frustrate us, into allies that help us identify where and how we need to resolve trauma, and change our present day reactions into helpful and healthy growth-oriented responses. Through the Hakomi Method, Karen helps us tap into the innate wisdom and intelligence in our bodies to safely lead us through healing and into restoration and growth.

In this podcast, I’m handing over the reigns to Karen to take me, and you, through three Hakomi experiences to tap into our places of safety, meet a part of ourselves that holds unresolved trauma, and gently and safety release some of the “stuckness” of that trauma that keeps us responding in old and harmful ways. It’s a journey—and I hope you experience some potentially life-shifting moments in this slightly longer podcast. By the end, I think you’ll be glad you hung in there! I was!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m joined by Katherine Barner - counsellor, coach, grief & trauma expert, author, speaker, and advocate against child sexual abuse. Katherine experienced child sexual abuse when she was fourteen, and her journey through abuse and other life trauma have fueled her journey to help others in the work to which she dedicates herself. In this podcast, we’re going to talk about Beyond Trauma and Loss – Breaking The Silence Cycle. 

Katherine encourages people, “The truth is, life is tough and sometimes really bad things happen. I know because I've had my share—from abuse to divorce, to financial hardship, and loss. But one of the things you’ll hear me say frequently is, “life happens to all of us, but the true story is told in how we respond to what has happened.””

Katherine earned her BA in Psychology from Spelman College, and a Masters in Education in Counseling from the University of North Texas. She is a certified crisis responder, Clinical Trauma Specialist, and trained EMDR practitioner.

When Katherine is not consulting with clients, creating content for the women she serves, prepping for a speaking engagement, or writing, you’ll find her spending time with her family and closest friends.  Katherine and her husband call Houston, Texas, home – and are parents to four adult children and one amazing granddaughter.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m joined by Naomi Halpern, Director of Delphi Training and Consulting which has achieved international recognition for its pioneering work in the fields of complex trauma, attachment, PTSD and dissociative disorders. Naomi is also co-author of the book Trauma Model Therapy,and a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.

Since 2009, Naomi has been a consultant to the United Nations developing and delivering a broad range of trauma informed programs to personnel in missions and duty stations around the world. She has a wealth of experience working with people across socioeconomic groups, faiths, and sexual orientation.

Naomi has presented trainings on complex and developmental trauma, resilience-building and workplace wellbeing through Delphi and the United Nations, across Australia, Africa, Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Thailand, and the United States.

Naomi points us to the words of Viktor Frankl in one of her favorite quotes, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

In this podcast, we dive into how we can grow and achieve our freedom as we all continue on our journey to overcome the impacts of child sexual abuse and trauma in our daily lives so we can be all we are here to be!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined once again by Dr. Clare Marriott. Clare is a Clinical Psychologist working in the U.K. In 2006, Clare completed her doctoral thesis, investigating factors promoting resilience in adults who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Clare focuses her work on recovery, and in finding things that sustain people outside of the therapy room. During her time as a Clinical Psychologist, Clare has worked with people with chronic mental health challenges and is currently Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Interim Clinical Lead for the Recovery Pathway in Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust in the UK.

Clare first joined us in Season One of Overcoming Child Sexual Abuse, and we both realized there was an important conversation to be shared on Recovery Fatigue—how we keep on our path to all we want for our lives without feeling exhausted and so tired along the way that we give up, or lose hope. Our path is here for us to experience all the happiness and meaning we desire, so today, we’re going to talk about how to move through recovery fatigue, and share some learning and practices to help us keep overcoming our childhood trauma and move forward with energy, motivation, and the power of our unlimited possibilities.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by Dr. Arielle Schwartz, PhD. 

Dr. Schwartz encourages us, “You are not broken, in need of fixing. Rather, you are deeply hurt, in need of care.” 

As a practicing clinical psychologist, Dr. Schwartz helps people navigate the difficult challenges we have in our lives by focusing on the whole person – mind and body - to help recover from traumatic events, find relief from depression or anxiety, develop and keep meaningful and nurturing relationships, and break free from destructive habits that can derail our lives.

Dr. Schwartz is the developer of Resilience-Informed Therapy - a strengths-based, mind and body trauma treatment model that applies research on resilience to form a positive and “whole person” approach to trauma recovery that includes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (known as EMDR), somatic (or body-centered) psychology, internal parts work, and mind-body-based approaches (including therapeutic yoga and mindfulness practices).

Dr. Schwartz holds a  Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and a Master's degree in Somatic Psychology, as well as a Bachelors degree in in Psychology. 

She is a trainer for therapists internationally and specializes in PTSD, Complex PTSD, Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma, Resilience, and Post Traumatic Growth.

Dr. Schwartz’s books include: The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook, Trauma Recovery: A Mind-Body Approach to Becoming Whole, The Complex PTSD Workbook, and EMDR Therapy & Somatic Psychology, among others.

 When Dr. Schwartz is not working she loves being a mom and exploring the trails of nature. 

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, we’re joined by Timika Chambers. Timika is a thriving survivor – a lioness, as she describes herself. Timika was born in Memphis, Tennessee.  At the age of 4 ½, Timika’s mother bought one-way bus tickets for herself and her three children – all under the age of 5 – to leave an abusive marriage. But for Timika, soon after, that journey turned into what she describes as, “the dark wilderness of sexual abuse by two family members.” Timika found purpose in healing herself and others through nursing, and then, even more-so, through writing. Today, Timika shares her story of finding purpose and healing with us. Timika holds a Master’s degree as a Nurse Educator and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, and has over 20 years experience in the healthcare industry. 

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

   Today, we’re joined by the wonderful Dr. Lindsay Gibson. Dr. Gibson dramatically and importantly spotlights how the “emotional immaturity” of parents can hinder and hold us back in our adulthood, and how we can regain trust in ourselves and break free from the destructive and confusing effects of negative “programming” from childhood.

   In her book, Who You Were Meant To Be,Dr. Gibson focuses on how people can reconnect with their true self and sense of purpose, especially after experiencing negative parental impacts in childhood. In her subsequent books, Dr. Gibson introduces “Emotionally Immature Parents” and provides learning and tools to overcome the impacts of these parents, and how to rely on our own emotional guidance, strengthen our self-awareness, and increase our energy to live a full, happy, and purposeful life in adulthood.

   Dr. Gibson holds a Master’s degree and a Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Psychology, and has also taught doctoral students in Clinical Psychology. She specializes in adult psychotherapy and personal growth counseling. 

   As Dr. Gibson highlights, “Your true self is so much more than your family role. Your past identity may have been formed in your relationship with your parents, but who you will become derives from your relationship to yourself.”

    We went a bit longer on this podcast because you can imagine there was a quite a lot to talk about – so if you need to break up your listening, please do – because there’s great insights through until the very end!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by Dr. Pat Ogden, PhD - a pioneer in somatic psychology, and the creator of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy method. Dr. Ogden is founder of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute and co-founder of the Hakomi Institute; she is trained in a huge range of somatic and psychotherapeutic approaches to healing and wellness, and has over 45 years of experience working with individuals and groups.

Throughout this podcast, you’ll hear us refer to the word somatic, which just means relating to or affecting the body—and often, especially after childhood abuse and trauma, that’s what we’re most disconnected from.

The body holds our trauma, but it also holds the keys to our healing.

In this podcast, Dr. Ogden shares with us how the body has the innate intelligence and wisdom to reveal where and how we need to heal trauma that is still showing up in our adult lives—and that sometimes we’re not even aware of that trauma until it’s triggered in every day, present moments. In these moments, we have the choice to listen to the signals, sensations, and suggestions from our bodies to guide our next steps and respond differently to move forward into wellness and happiness.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I feel so deeply deeply grateful to have Dr. Richard C. Schwartz PhD with us. I was so powerfully moved by Dr. Schwartz’s work before I spoke with him, and as you’ll hear, I have been even more powerfully moved by his work—unexpectedly in this podcast! —and I hope you will find that helpful during this experience today, as well as on your ongoing journey.

In his most recent book, No Bad Parts, which features a foreword by Alanis Morissette, Dr. Schwartz shows us empowering new ways of understanding and healing the many parts that make us who we are.As Dr. Schwartz teaches, “Our parts can sometimes be disruptive or harmful, but once they’re unburdened, they return to their essential goodness. When we learn to love all our parts, we can learn to love all people - and that will contribute to healing the world.”

Dr. Schwartz began his career as a family therapist and an academic at the University of Illinois at Chicago. There, he discovered that family therapy alone did not achieve full symptom relief and in asking patients why, he learned that they were plagued by what they called “parts.” These patients became his teachers as they described how their parts formed networks of inner relationship that resembled the families he had been working with. He also found that as they focused on and, thereby, separated from their parts, they would shift into a state characterized by qualities like curiosity, calm, confidence and compassion. He called that inner essence the Self and was amazed to find it even in severely diagnosed and traumatized patients. From these explorations the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model was born in the early 1980s, and in 2000, Dr. Schwartz founded the Center for Self Leadership, now known as the IFS Institute.

IFS is now evidence-based and has become a widely-used form of psychotherapy, particularly with trauma. It provides a non-pathologizing, optimistic, and empowering perspective and a practical and effective set of techniques for working with individuals, couples, families, and more recently, corporations and classrooms.

Dr. Schwartz has been adjunct faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and has devoted his career to evolving and sharing IFS, which now is being taught all over the world. Dr. Schwartz is a featured speaker at many conferences and has published more than 50 articles and books about IFS and other psychotherapy topics. 

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Today, I’m so thrilled to have Deb Dana (LCSW) join us. Deb is a clinician, author, speaker, and consultant specializing in using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma and create ways of living that allow us to positively re-train and shift our nervous system responses. Deb’s work helps us master the skills to become more aware of our nervous system in each moment—and change the way we respond to the big and small challenges of life—especially after childhood abuse and trauma.

Do you remember a recent conversation that "set you off?" Or, a triggering moment with your partner or loved one? Or even a social media post that "over-activated" you? These interactions can cause us to react as if they are life-threatening encounters because our bodies perceived them as threats from past trauma. Deb's work on the Polyvagal approach to living shows us how we can re-train our nervous system to respond in the present with new choices, safety, and connection.

Deb developed the Rhythm of Regulation Clinical Training Series and lectures internationally on ways Polyvagal Theory helps trauma survivors. Deb is founding member of the Polyvagal Institute, and her publications include The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation; Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client-Centered Practices;and the Polyvagal Flip Chart: Understanding the Science of Safety.

Deb is the creator of the audio program Befriending Your Nervous System,in partnership with SoundsTrue.

Deb’s just-published book is a MUST READ—it’s called Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory.

Again, I'm so thrilled and grateful to have Deb join us for this podcast—there is just so much to learn and so many take-aways here!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

In this episode, I'm thrilled to be launching Season Two with the extraordinary, amazing, and so beautiful and generous, Jack Canfield. Jack is probably most famous as the creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series – and he lives his life to help others create all they desire in their lives! Jack is a Multiple New York Times bestselling author of —The Success Principles, The Power of Focus, The Aladdin Factor, Dare to Win, The Key to Living the Law of Attraction, Living the Success Principles, Coaching for Breakthrough Success, and he also featured in The Secret. Jack has taught millions of people around the world how to transform their lives and live with meaning, joy, purpose and happiness and we’re going to talk all about that today – how we can each overcome all of the bad stuff, and with our full intention and awareness and positive choices, make changes to step into all that truly makes us happy and leap out of bed each morning – we can live that life – it’s never too late – to start, to heal, and to stay on our journey to living our fullest and happiest lives — and that’s what this podcast is all about!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

In this final episode for season one, we talk about our freedom to heal and some profoundly powerful practices that can help us transform our trauma into healing. That's our freedom, and it's the choice we have. You may be surprised that practices we may have dismissed or don't fully understand, can be the keys to shifting our minds and bodies into a state of daily healing. Day by day, those small shifts can add up to "tip" us from ill-being into well-being—in our physical health and in our states of mind. I am so grateful that Dr. Dyan Haspel-Johnson is joining us to share some learnings and practices that give us the opportunity to think, feel, and heal differently. In particular, we're going to talk about how the three practices of sleep, hypnosis and somatic healing, can be keys to shifting our physical and mental well-being, and waking up each day feeling energized, at ease, and excited to journey forward into all we want for our lives. It's never too late, and it's our freedom to heal! 

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

"Not me, not now" can be one of our most limiting thoughts as we move beyond our hardships and into our happiness. In this podcast episode, I'm doing things a little differently! I'll share a glimpse into the draft of my upcoming book, Yes You, Yes Now!In particular, we'll focus on "Seeing the "All" of You in the Mirror."  As we look in the mirror, we can choose to see our unlimited selves, beyond the struggles and uncertainties we face in our lives. We'll also step into some practices, including a guided visualization, to help shift our "Not Me, Not Now" thoughts into "Yes Me, Yes Now!" As we journey together, we can be inspired by the words of Michelangelo, “I saw an angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” With each practice, you are carving a piece of the block of marble that will ultimately reveal your “all” and set you free. I hope you join this slightly "different" podcast episode and take a journey with me!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Join me and Dr. Sousan Abadian, PhD, as we talk about “cracking ourselves open to allow the light to enter,” and Sousan’s upcoming book, Free Me To Love. I first met Sousan at Harvard Kennedy School 15 years ago and I was immediately captivated by her spirit, her wisdom, and her visionary work to help communities recover from trauma in order to move forward. Over the years, I’ve come to learn so much more of Sousan’s personal story of overcoming trauma, and it is profoundly powerful, moving, and inspiring. I know it will help so many people. 

Sousan has an amazing background—she is an Iranian-born scholar who dedicates herself to the work of enhancing human capabilities and well-being. She has an independent practice teaching, speaking, and consulting internationally on leadership, collective trauma, and personal, social, and cultural change.  She earned a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University, an M.P.A. in International Development from Harvard’s Kennedy School, and an M.A. in the Anthropology of Social Change and Development, also from Harvard University. 

 In Free Me To Love, Sousan shares her story of “the day her life fell apart” and how that shockwave shattered so many parts of her life, despite her outward success—as she shares, “This is my story of how woundedness kept knocking and I ignored it, until its rap and insistence grew and cracked me open to allow the light to enter.”

In this episode, we begin by talking about our self beliefs and perceptions—overcoming the tangled childhood stories we still tell ourselves; then we talk about how trauma and wounds affect the roles we play in our adult lives—as wives, mothers, and professionals; and we end by talking about choosing and co-creating a positive and thriving future—moving through, within, and “beyond” childhood trauma.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

In this episode, I'm joined by the love of my life, Laura Kozelouzek. When we met, my life began again—beyond abuse and beyond all the things that hold us back and limit us. "Unbound" defines how Laura and I love each other, how we step into each day together, how we overcome the challenges of our past, and how we adventure forward together. When Laura and I met, we both felt a thousand lifetimes coming together as one. We both have our tragedy and trauma, and we both have our "unbinding" and breaking free. Now, unbound with each other, we are beginning life again in love.  
In this episode, we'll talk about: Growing together through vulnerability and truth; Confronting the triggers that can break us and our relationships; Sharing our traumas and tragedies (Laura reveals her family tragedy); and, Living limitlessly together "unbound," and adventurously "beginning again" in each moment!
All of us have the opportunity to live "unbound" and to "begin again" each day—with the dreams we have, the choices we make, the thoughts we think, and the actions we take. We share our story to put ourselves fully "out there," and "as is," with you on our journey—and hope you find connection between our story and yours. After all, we are all connected in this imperfect, yet perfect, experience of life, love, tragedy, trauma, and overcoming limitlessly!  

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Join me with author, Chandra Moyer, as we talk about The Courage To Confront & Heal Broken Family Relationships & Our Wounded Self.  We'll share Chandra's story and dive into three topics: 1. Finding power and peace in confronting and healing our childhood trauma, 2. The good, the bad, and the ugly of telling our mothers and family members of abuse, 3. Loving ourselves and family beyond abuse and into happiness.
Chandra is a sought-after speaker, author, life coach, and a decorated former Army officer. Chandra is also a survivor of incest who only recovered her memories of abuse later in life after a traumatic adult experience triggered memories of a childhood of abuse.  Chandra’s recent book, I Met Her Before, tells her story to help others come to terms with their truth and move forward into the full and happy life we all desire and deserve. Chandra’s story not only confronts her own shattered past, but also the broken family relationships that are part of healing and becoming who we’re fully here to be—and often healing those family relationships is just as challenging as healing ourselves. We'll dive into this together in this podcast. I know this will be a conversation that will move you and hopefully help you as we all continue to heal ourselves and our relationships on our paths to happiness.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

In this episode, join me and distinguished clinical psychologist, Dr. Clare Marriott PhD., as we talk about ways to build resilience and positive growth habits to help step beyond childhood trauma and into a life determined by our choices, not by our abuse. Dr. Marriott's work has focused on factors that build resilience among survivors of child sexual abuse. Many of us never had the chance to tap into resources to help us ~ many of us were simply in survival mode. Child sexual abuse was a topic that was taboo, and seeking help was often beyond us. Today, there is more understanding and more tools to help.  We'll talk about, 1. Building Resilience:  What we know and what we can do now in adulthood, 2. C.H.I.M.E ~ A personal recovery and growth framework to help step into a happy life beyond abuse, and 3. Leaving unhealthy coping habits behind and creating positive growth habits in our daily lives. Join us! It's never too late to overcome the impact of child sexual abuse ~ let's do it together!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Join me as I talk with Dr. Jennifer Freyd, PhD, to understand how betrayal from childhood trauma “show ups” in our adulthood, and ways we can overcome those effects.

Dr. Freyd is the founder of The Center for Institutional Courage, and Professor Emerit of Psychology, at the University of Oregon. She’s also Affiliated Faculty at the Women's Leadership Lab at Stanford University.  Dr. Freyd is world-renowned for her work on Betrayal trauma, Institutional Betrayal and Courage, and for her framework (DARVO) that identifies strategies used by abusers to manipulate their victims. That framework is so widely-known that actress, political activist, and sexual assault survivor, Ashley Judd, referenced it when discussing the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations in an interview with Diane Sawyer in 2017. Dr. Freyd has also been interviewed extensively by media in relation to the Harvey Weinstein case, and is sought internationally to talk about ways individuals can overcome childhood trauma, and how institutions play a role through betrayal and courage. Dr. Freyd’s books and speaking appearances have reached millions of people around the world.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

In Part 2 of this podcast with Dr. Meg Jay PhD, we'll break more myths, and dig deeper into insights and tools to help overcome child sexual abuse: we'll start by talking about "Naming It To Tame It” - the negative impact of keeping secrets and the freedom in sharing; then, we'll talk about depression– acknowledging it, tending to it, and overcoming it; and finally, we'll talk about the “thing” that makes your life yours – deciding what you want and fully living it!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Join me with the extraordinary Dr. Meg Jay PhD (Dr. Jay’s TED Talk is one of the most viewed TED Talks with almost 12 million views—that’s because she is truly an inspiration and a voice of wisdom and knowledge!). In Part 1 of this podcast episode, we’ll break myths and leap into discovery and tools to help overcome child sexual abuse: New insights that help us to understand how childhood trauma affects adults; the notion of “normal” and how that helps or harms us; and how our adult choices, not our childhood abuse, can lead to living a life that is happy and fulfilled.

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org

Overcoming Child Sexual Abuse is a positive and uplifting podcast series to help overcome the struggles that remain in our adult lives from experiences of child sexual abuse. In this series, Kathy Andersen, award-winning self-development author and survivor of a childhood of sexual abuse, brings together leading experts and inspiring contributors in areas including positive and clinical psychology, self-mastery and development, and trauma recovery to share practical approaches and new learnings to help adults break free from the ongoing trauma, triggers, and turmoil of child sexual abuse and create a life filled with authentic happiness. It's never too late to overcome abuse and live the life that sets you free! Subscribe today at overcomingchildsexualabuse.com and look out for the launch details for the first episode with the wonderful Dr. Meg Jay on Thursday, May 27! Let's do this together!

For more resources, visit www.OvercomingChildSexualAbuse.com and www.End1in4.org