I started out as a bewildered traveler when I embarked on my journey of healing from childhood trauma in August 2022. I had no idea what it would involve. There was no map and only a vague impression of my destination. Let’s just say I took the meandering, scenic route. I didn’t understand what healing […]
Tag: survivor
Coercive Control: One Woman’s Struggle With This Silent Abuse
Story contributed by Lynae Dolechek Sitting across from Lynae, I initially anticipated this personal interview to be a tale of enduring love. The kind that weathers life’s storms and emerges stronger. Instead, Lynae’s story unfolded as a narrative of coercive control that spanned decades. Initially, she, too, genuinely believed it was a love story where […]
Chasing Childhood Dreams: One Woman’s Delayed Journey of Joy
Some childhood dreams reside within us until we realize them, while others fade away as life happens. I was quite the dreamer as a child (and still am). My parents helped fulfill some dreams in my younger years. For example, I joined Girl Scouts for several years in elementary school, and I began flute lessons […]
From Survival to Summit: A Domestic Violence Survivor’s Journey
Written by: Kim Hansen If you’re reading this, you’re probably a person used to having to climb mountains to get through life. Maybe you are also a domestic violence survivor, someone who experienced childhood trauma, or you know someone who has survived these challenges. Let me just say: I am with you. It has been […]
From Ashamed to Empowered: Surviving the Shame Spiral
(TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Assault) Experiencing a shame spiral after being raped in my mid-30s was a harrowing ordeal. The perpetrator was calculated—he knew how to manipulate and hurt me, leaving bruises hidden under my clothes, except for the handprints on my neck. Afterward, in a daze of fear and confusion, I managed to gather my […]
You Are Enough: Embrace Yourself and Live From the Heart
In a world that constantly pushes you to be more, do more, and achieve more, it’s easy to forget that you are enough simply by being you. This article explores the profound message of “You are enough.” Along with its significance in our journey toward feeling free, liberated, and unburdened in our spiritual healing and […]
The Road Traveled: My Journey as a TBI Survivor
Written by: Lia Munson as told by Jeremy Schultz. In the sunlit spring of 1997, just weeks shy of completing third grade, I reveled in the freedom of bicycle rides—a passion nurtured by countless excursions alongside my father and two sisters. We often traversed a familiar 4-mile loop near our home, and those are some […]
Books as Mirrors, Windows, & Sliding Glass Doors Inspired Healing
Trigger warning: This story references sexual abuse as a child. I was unaware of the concept of books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors until I was in my Master of Education program. Understanding the idea that we need to see ourselves represented in literature helped me view my childhood and young adult life […]
My Mom Unbelievably Set up the Loss of My Virginity
This resilient story is about how my mother pressured me to lose my virginity because she thought I was too old to still be a virgin. Losing one’s virginity should be something they decide to do on their own when the time is right. Not something they feel pressured to do by others. It also […]