Initiated Survivor

This topic is very common on social media...but no one really tells you how to do that. People tend to mistake “white-knuckling” through something when what we truly mean is sitting in/processing emotions. Today I am going to give you some steps to achieve our goal of allowing them to happen and pass through us without it overtaking us. If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share...

Tune in to today’s episode as we dive even further into what exactly trauma is, why we must be specific in diagnosing it, and why we need to work towards supporting people by helping them understand what they’re actually going through. Topics/Triggers: The three different usages of the term trauma : Traumatic Exposure, Traumatic Response, and Ongoing Traumatic Symptoms. Why pain does not have to b...

Former guest and survivor Jessie is back and today she is sharing her own survivor story as your host Kelsey also shares more of hers. Jesse was one of the first people to truly inspire Kelsey to accept and take power back after her assault and after today you will absolutely feel the same!  The goal for today’s episode is to make any other survivor see the similarities in these stories and k...

We kick things off with a centering invocation today before we get started, and then former guest Sarahi Gutierrez and I are discussing patients’ assumptions of clinicians, on both sides of the table. And how survivors are positively affected by holding these to be true. Sarahi Gutierrez is a licensed clinical social worker out of San Diego. She has a master’s from Columbia with an emphasis on DBT...

Find a quiet place to sit back and relax today with Kelsey's guided meditation on The Four Points. No matter your circumstances, taking these short eight minutes to check in with your body and self will prove essential for your 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 r...

Did you know Gaslight was a 1944 movie about a husband who convinced his wife she was losing her mind in order to get out of their marriage? In modern times this term is used to describe deliberate and conscious efforts to make someone question their reality. Today we are going to thoroughly explore it, how it operates, how it interferes with survivors’ recovery, and what exactly you can do about...

In today's Skills Spotlight, we are going to discuss different simple ways you can self-sooth. Whether it be before, during, or after a stressful event, or just a way to make your day a little calmer.  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 anyon...

Guest Lauren Von Bernuth joins Kelsey to continue the conversation on the many reasons survivors don't report an assault. The goal of these conversations is to figure out how we can create a more supportive environment as a whole for any trauma survivor.  Topics/Triggers: The difference between shame and guilt when it comes to survivorship How debilitating trauma can be in terms of day to day...

In today’s solo episode, we are covering the common misunderstanding survivors and those closest to them grapple with: reporting. And why they often chose not to. Topics/Triggers: How the request for “taking actions” with something like a report, is coming from a place of love and care from those who mean well, but it can actually come off as pressure for survivors. “Why didn’t the report sooner”...

We’re getting very literal today for our first Skills Spotlight episode. These are some simple tricks to use your body’s natural survival mechanism, the Mammalian Dive Reflex, deliberately. This is most useful to regulate emotions in acute distress, high anxiety, flashbacks or trouble sleeping. Note: if you have a heart condition, blood pressure issues, or any eating disorders, this is best avoide...

Today your host Kelsey is joined by guest Olivia Pepper. Olivia is a star poet and hereditary Tarot reader, a practicing mystic and ritualist, and a community organizer building communities of justice through reconnection. Topics/Triggers: The transition from victim to survivor The concept and term survivor itself, why it can be powerful but why it can also be limiting. Restorative justice and how...

Episode 5 is all about assumptions, the very best kind. 10 constructive assumptions about survivors. These can help us be more effective at understanding the survivor experience to meet them where they are and potentially help aid in the recovery process. And to enable ourselves to take steps and actions to make a change. Topics/Sneak Peak: The base truths we can lay as the foundation to respect a...

Today I meet with my good friend Sarahi Gutierrez, a licensed clinical social worker out of San Diego. She has a master’s from Columbia with an emphasis on DBT. She draws from her professional experiences and from her personal experiences as well. We discuss internalized gaslighting and how this presents for survivors and what to do about it. Topics/Triggers: What it looks like, what it means, wha...

Find a quiet place to sit back and relax today with Kelsey's guided meditation on Finding Your Center. No matter your circumstances, taking these short eight minutes to check in with your body and self will prove essential for your 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...

Your host Kelsey is sharing her personal survivor story.  Why is this important? Ultimately we want to end rape and all rape culture. And calling it out as it is is the first step. Topics/Triggers: Who helped her along the way, who she couldn't turn to and why. How working with a psychiatrist and using prescribed meds aided in her recovery. The simplest ways her friends showed up for her in t...

We Believe All Survivors Kelsey and guest + fellow survivor Jesse discuss how and why survivor belief and understanding is pivotal not only to recovery but also ending rape culture in our world today. Topics/Triggers: The baseline for believing survivors How idolized figures often get free passes when it comes to rape culture The unspoken limits put on women in a male-dominated society Simple tool...

Kelsey delves deep into her understanding and beliefs on why she believes all survivors of any type of harassment or attack. Topics/Triggers: The importance of this topic. Calling it out and naming it takes away some of its power. Reducing and eliminating the gaslighting the survivors feel. Restoring power too pressed communities and oppressed people. What a false allegation is and why it is terri...

Survivors of sexual assault face unique challenges in recovering from trauma and re-entering their lives. Clinical psychologist and survivor Kelsey Harper speaks directly to survivors and offers practical skills to reclaim their life. In this podcast, you will learn new skills to build a resilient life and gain inspiration from the community of survivors sharing their stories of grit and power. PO...