The R Word

Send us Fan Mail Content warning. This episode contains details of sexual abuse. In this episode, I speak to Mel, she was invited to a BBQ by a friend, and happily accepted the invitation as she had no reason not to. She trusted this man, but he spiked her drink and what followed what an horrific r***. Supported by a friend, who worked in drug and alcohol counselling  , and recognised the signs as...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I speak with Jenna, an expert in recovering from narcissistic abuse. She had a very tough start in life, but at 14 made a decision she wasn't going to be beaten by that start, and that her children would never feel how she felt. She is an incredible mum, a successful, empathetic teacher, and is now an expert in healing after trauma caused by abusive relationsh...

Send us Fan Mail This is a particularly harrowing episode, so please take care if you plan to listen. You might need tissues to hand.  Carol bravely tells us in detail what happened when she was attacked by 2 strangers when she was walking to meet friends in her local pub. The horror didn't end there, she was also treated abhorrently by her then partner, and when one of her perpetrators was i...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, Sarah talks about her experience of reporting to the police after an attack on her by a colleague. Sadly it wasn't a positive experience. We also discuss opening the conversation wider and how we need to include everyone in it to hopefully facilitate change, education and more understanding of what happens to victims of this crime. We are not pitt...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I speak with Adele from Lancashire Women, a charity who does what it says on the tin, supports ladies in Lancashire with many different services. And this year it is celebrating it's 40th Anniversary. They offer a whole person approach to supporting women which is trauma informed and can be accessed directly by women themselves and / or through a referral:  Th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Jacqueline shares more than one experience of the 'r' word, as a young woman, and in a marriage. She has carried this alone for over 30 years, and it has taken it's toll, but she is coming out of the other side now, and is a brilliant business woman. She also talks about how her friends tried to help, but it made her situation worse, and learned to k...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to The R Word. In this episode, Meg talks about abuse on more than one occasion, which sadly, isn't uncommon. She talks in depth about her experiences, assaulted on different occasions, by different men as a teenager and we discuss consent within marriage, a topic which seems to be a bit of a grey area for many of us. We also hear how far she has come since, and creat...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode I speak with Louise, who describes her experience of nipping to a friend's house for a quick coffee, someone she trusted, and how it took a malevolent turn. She describes what happened to her, the aftermath, and how supportive her husband was, when many years later, she shared the news with him. She also describes her experience of reporting histor...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I speak with Rie Pearson. She has a wealth of experience from working on domestic abuse crimes as a serving police officer for may years.  Since leaving she has made it her life's mission to educate girls, women, everyone about the red flags which can lead to, or show, that someone is living in an abusive situation, and what to do about it. She has written a b...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I speak with Debi, a very strong woman, whose story it utterly shocking, by her partner who metered out the most shocking abuse but also by the authorities who should have got justice for her. This is a raw, unedited episode, she speaks with honesty and I'm amazed by the woman she is after this experience. Her story started 26 years ago, and still affects her...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the introduction to The R Word . Before we begin, I need to give a content warning: this episode contains adult topics, including sensitive discussions about domestic abuse and trauma. This episode shares the reason this podcast came into being, as a direct result of personal experience. I'm shocked it is needed, but so many people, men and women have said it is an...