Dear Katie: Survivor Stories

Maria Bryan is a trauma-informed storytelling trainer. She is the host of the When Bearing Witness® podcast and facilitates the When Bearing Witness® Trauma-Informed Storytelling Certification Program. Her work helps nonprofit leaders tell powerful and impactful stories that resist harm. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Phoenix's pattern started early: as a teenager, she identified gaps in her own school's education system and set out to fix them. That instinct carried through her Air Force career, where she became the youngest Suicide Intervention Skills Instructor. That leadership turned into reigniting a student veteran association, founding veteran organizations, and serving the two oldest civil rights organi...

Phoenix's pattern started early: as a teenager, she identified gaps in her own school's education system and set out to fix them. That instinct carried through her Air Force career, where she became the youngest Suicide Intervention Skills Instructor. That leadership turned into reigniting a student veteran association, founding veteran organizations, and serving the two oldest civil rights organi...

Breaking negative emotional circuits is a challenge for many survivors of trauma. This week, we sit down with Laurel Mellin to discuss strategies for rewiring the brain and sitting with negative experiences to emerge into states of joy.  Dr. Laurel Mellin is a health psychologist and founder of emotional brain training (EBT), a method for rewiring trauma that can be integrated into self-care as we...

Breaking negative emotional circuits is a challenge for many survivors of trauma. This week, we sit down with Laurel Mellin to discuss strategies for rewiring the brain and sitting with negative experiences to emerge into states of joy.  Dr. Laurel Mellin is a health psychologist and founder of emotional brain training (EBT), a method for rewiring trauma that can be integrated into self-care as we...

Returning to the Dear Katie Podcast, Dr. Winnie Li shares more insights on activism, advocacy, and healing.  Dr. Winnie M Li is an author, activist, and educator. A former filmmaker, Winnie’s life and career trajectory were severely disrupted at the age of 29, when she became the victim of a violent stranger rape in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her debut novel Dark Chapter (2017) is a fictional re-i...

Returning to the Dear Katie Podcast, Dr. Winnie Li shares more insights on activism, advocacy, and healing.  Dr. Winnie M Li is an author, activist, and educator. A former filmmaker, Winnie’s life and career trajectory were severely disrupted at the age of 29, when she became the victim of a violent stranger rape in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her debut novel Dark Chapter (2017) is a fictional re-i...

'I went in there to be safe... I couldn't protect myself.' Partying on spring break as teenagers do, Carissa seeks safety among friends after drinking too much. She is taken advantage of in her vulnerable state, assaulted by the group, and recorded. Getting through her healing journey one day at a time, today she advocates and lobbies state legislators to lift the statute of limitations for sexual...

'I remember so much of it... In my previous traumas, I blacked out a lot of the very traumatic stuff... but this one was different.' Today, we're joined by Lizzy Fowler, an ultra-marathon trail runner and award-winning documentary filmmaker. After finding her own passion for running while exploring the neuroscience of the "flow state" in her film work, Lizzy has gone on to complete grueling races...

'I remember so much of it... In my previous traumas, I blacked out a lot of the very traumatic stuff... but this one was different.' Today, we're joined by Lizzy Fowler, an ultra-marathon trail runner and award-winning documentary filmmaker. After finding her own passion for running while exploring the neuroscience of the "flow state" in her film work, Lizzy has gone on to complete grueling races...

Isolated from her family and friends, Jenna finds herself on the receiving end of abuse from a serial cheater. Prompted to leave by her mother-in-law, she packs up in the night and gets back up on her feet with the help of Section 8. Today, she has dedicated her life to helping others get the second chance she did.  Jenna Ghisolfo is the Founder and CEO of Housing Consultants of America, a nationa...

Isolated from her family and friends, Jenna finds herself on the receiving end of abuse from a serial cheater. Prompted to leave by her mother-in-law, she packs up in the night and gets back up on her feet with the help of Section 8. Today, she has dedicated her life to helping others get the second chance she did.  Jenna Ghisolfo is the Founder and CEO of Housing Consultants of America, a nationa...

'Today, if I had to change course, I would still choose the Navy.' Stephanie Gattas is a U.S. Navy veteran and mission-driven marketing and communications leader based in San Antonio, Texas. She’s the Founder and Executive Director of The Pink Berets, a nonprofit supporting women veterans and first responders through trauma-informed, holistic wellness programs. She’s also the CEO of Tactical One,...

'Today, if I had to change course, I would still choose the Navy.' Stephanie Gattas is a U.S. Navy veteran and mission-driven marketing and communications leader based in San Antonio, Texas. She’s the Founder and Executive Director of The Pink Berets, a nonprofit supporting women veterans and first responders through trauma-informed, holistic wellness programs. She’s also the CEO of Tactical One,...

Surviving incredible normalized violence from a young age, Adama Nyama Bah lives in incredible pain in silence as her suffering is celebrated. Sharing her harrowing personal journey finding freedom after being repeatedly victimized, she finds power and healing by speaking up and fighting for the voices of fellow survivors. Adama is a strong advocate for survivors of sexual violence and aims to pro...

Surviving incredible normalized violence from a young age, Adama Nyama Bah lives in incredible pain in silence as her suffering is celebrated. Sharing her harrowing personal journey finding freedom after being repeatedly victimized, she finds power and healing by speaking up and fighting for the voices of fellow survivors. Adama is a strong advocate for survivors of sexual violence and aims to pro...

"Even just the honoring of 'it happened' ... is just so important." Halli Lou Faulkner is a somatic therapist and trauma-informed trainer who specializes in creating healing spaces for sexual assault survivors. Drawing on body-based practices, mindfulness, and compassionate presence, she supports individuals and communities in reconnecting with their bodies and restoring a sense of safety, agency,...

"Even just the honoring of 'it happened' ... is just so important." Halli Lou Faulkner is a somatic therapist and trauma-informed trainer who specializes in creating healing spaces for sexual assault survivors. Drawing on body-based practices, mindfulness, and compassionate presence, she supports individuals and communities in reconnecting with their bodies and restoring a sense of safety, agency,...

Trying to keep his head down after breaking the rules as a new Coast Guard officer, Julian is on his best behavior when he is invited to drink with some other officers. Trusting his new friends, he is drugged and raped, floating back to his room in a haze. Julian represses these memories for years, until a class brings old memories to the surface, and he shares his story openly with the instructor...

Trying to keep his head down after breaking the rules as a new Coast Guard officer, Julian is on his best behavior when he is invited to drink with some other officers. Trusting his new friends, he is drugged and raped, floating back to his room in a haze. Julian represses these memories for years, until a class brings old memories to the surface, and he shares his story openly with the instructor...

'What good would it do? I heard that over and over.' Today’s guest is Leslie Crowe, a writer, advocate, and survivor who brings honesty and compassion to difficult conversations. Leslie is the proud mom of two sons and a longtime autism advocate who founded NeedQuest to help families navigate resources for children with special needs. She is also a breast cancer survivor and a fierce advocate for...

'What good would it do? I heard that over and over.' Today’s guest is Leslie Crowe, a writer, advocate, and survivor who brings honesty and compassion to difficult conversations. Leslie is the proud mom of two sons and a longtime autism advocate who founded NeedQuest to help families navigate resources for children with special needs. She is also a breast cancer survivor and a fierce advocate for...

'This is the only purpose I have.'  Dawn Jackson is a justice-impacted advocate, public speaker, and survivor whose life is a testament to resilience and transformation. After serving more than 25 years in prison, she received clemency in 2024 and now uses her voice to uplift survivors of sexual and domestic violence. A wife, mother of 11, and grandmother of 22, Dawn combines lived experience, edu...

'This is the only purpose I have.'  Dawn Jackson is a justice-impacted advocate, public speaker, and survivor whose life is a testament to resilience and transformation. After serving more than 25 years in prison, she received clemency in 2024 and now uses her voice to uplift survivors of sexual and domestic violence. A wife, mother of 11, and grandmother of 22, Dawn combines lived experience, edu...

Inheriting a familial military legacy, Rachel joined the CIA after working a career in male-dominated spaces such as startups and as a military contractor. Discussing her experiences as a military family member, to living through a war in service, she shares a rare perspective on military life, culture, and survivorship. Rachel Cuda made history as the first-ever CIA officer to approach Congress a...