Dear Katie: Survivor Stories

Leaving a successful football career for a new calling, Don McPherson has spent the last few decades challenging classic notions of masculinity. Giving us the ins and outs of 'locker room talk' and male-only spaces, he shares insights from years of lived experience and activism.  Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Fighting to be believed in the face of a famous abuser, Stacey Pinkerton left her entire life to put her experiences behind her. But as news of Bill Cosby's arrest reaches her decades later, she knows she must speak her truth. Now an advocate fighting tirelessly to make sure abusers are held accountable, she has been featured in several award-winning documentaries such as "We Need To Talk About Co...

Fighting to be believed in the face of a famous abuser, Stacey Pinkerton left her entire life to put her experiences behind her. But as news of Bill Cosby's arrest reaches her decades later, she knows she must speak her truth. Now an advocate fighting tirelessly to make sure abusers are held accountable, she has been featured in several award-winning documentaries such as "We Need To Talk About Co...

Our guest today is Danika, a Canadian author, traveler, and dance instructor who traded a conventional career path in sciences for a life of exploration and creativity. Moving abroad to teach internationally led her to unexpected opportunities—like teaching ballet in Iraq. Her travel memoir, 'One Year and a One-Way Ticket', shares her journey of self-discovery through solo travel and breaking expe...

Clare Awada is a survivor of childhood grooming and sexual abuse. Now a wife, mother of 3 boys, and forensic/SANE RN, Clare is working on spreading awareness of childhood sexual abuse and the red flags of grooming by sharing her story. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Growing up disconnected from her culture, Cher Obediah details her path to reconnect with the missing part of her indigenous background. She reflects on how colonialism and generational trauma affected her in an abusive relationship. Now, she helps others turn their “pain into purpose.” Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Tammy Valicenti, LICSW, is an international psychotherapist and speaker. With expertise in trauma recovery, she has achieved remarkable success in co-transforming various forms of trauma and has developed Transformation Soulution™, a cutting-edge synthesis of Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and other evidence-based therapies. This appr...

Tammy Valicenti, LICSW, is an international psychotherapist and speaker. With expertise in trauma recovery, she has achieved remarkable success in co-transforming various forms of trauma and has developed Transformation Soulution™, a cutting-edge synthesis of Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and other evidence-based therapies. This appr...

"I feel that the glass is both half full and half empty." Rowena Chiu is a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein. In 1998, she was sexually assaulted by him at the Venice Film Festival and was coerced into signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which silenced her for over twenty years. In 2017, a New York Times journalist came to her home and doorstepped her husband of over a decade, revealing i...

"I feel that the glass is both half full and half empty." Rowena Chiu is a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein. In 1998, she was sexually assaulted by him at the Venice Film Festival and was coerced into signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which silenced her for over twenty years. In 2017, a New York Times journalist came to her home and doorstepped her husband of over a decade, revealing i...

Brutally raped by a stranger in a hotel parking garage, Kira Wahlstrom was faced with a choice: remain nameless or speak her truth. Choosing the path of justice, she sues the hotel for failing to protect her from this man, who had raped an employee just 11 days prior. Kira elects to have her face and name associated with the case, and after 6 years of fighting, she wins, setting an incredible prec...

Sydney Searchwell-Simpson is a writer, artist, yogi, permaculture practitioner, and lover of Life whose work (and embodied life) merges spirituality and social action. Inspired by insights on her spiritual journey, her experience of sexual and domestic violence, and a lifetime of activism, Sydney’s upcoming books and podcast explore how we can love and be free through and beyond what she calls “do...

Sydney Searchwell-Simpson is a writer, artist, yogi, permaculture practitioner, and lover of Life whose work (and embodied life) merges spirituality and social action. Inspired by insights on her spiritual journey, her experience of sexual and domestic violence, and a lifetime of activism, Sydney’s upcoming books and podcast explore how we can love and be free through and beyond what she calls “do...

Missing her uniform jacket after a long work day, Kelly runs back into the bar where she works to grab it. Ready to go home, she gets ready to unlock her car when a strange man appears from the darkness. Running for her life through a parking lot, Kelly screams for help when her assailant grabs her ponytail and beats her into the pavement. Dismissed by the police and blaming herself, she finds her...

'I also understand and see that the experiences that I have survived are the same experiences that many members of our community continue to experience today, particularly young people.' Bamby Salcedo is a prominent and celebrated transgender Latina activist, known all over the world for her passionate and productive social, political, and economic influence. As the President and CEO of the TransL...

As a high school teacher, Sophie Maddocks first noticed her students engaging with technology in novel, dark ways. Determined to protect the young people around her, she went on to study how technology has shaped the landscape of sexual abuse. Today, Sophie is an expert on digital abuse with 12 years of experience working across schools, universities, and non-profits. She is passionate about colla...

Reuploaded for Spotify Making waves across the country, three activists discuss their experiences organizing Take Back the Night, sharing insights into safety, survivorship, and making a difference.  Kori Koschalk-Newmister is a higher education professional focusing on eradicating interpersonal violence. Her 20+ years in prevention education have allowed her to educate, empower, and support thous...

Making waves across the country, three activists discuss their experiences organizing Take Back the Night, sharing insights into safety, survivorship, and making a difference.  Kori Koschalk-Newmister is a higher education professional focusing on eradicating interpersonal violence. Her 20+ years in prevention education have allowed her to educate, empower, and support thousands of individuals in...

'I remember Mark being a really good friend to me.' Coping with grief after the loss of her father, Jeannie finds support among a small gathering of friends. Feeling safe enough to drink, one of her closest high school friends assaults her when she is unconscious in his bed. Recalling her sense of betrayal, Jeannie shares her journey through denial and doubt to owning her story and healing. Pourin...

In today's throwback episode, Zahabiyah Yamasaki, founder of “Transcending Sexual Trauma Through Yoga”, gives us a glimpse of her work with trauma survivors. Due to her college stranger rape at the University of California - Irvine, Zahabiyah has dedicated herself to helping others who have also experienced trauma explore their mind body connection, feeling safe in their body, and healing. In her...

With over four decades of experience,  Ann Simonton has dedicated herself to teaching media literacy, with a particular focus on exposing everyday sexism and promoting awareness of sexual abuse prevention. She has fearlessly engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience — resulting in 11 arrests — to highlight social hypocrisy, racism, corporate greed, and the perpetuation of misogyny under patriarchy...

'It doesn't go away.' 'It's there forever.' Sharing her experiences in an industry known for superficiality, actor Sarah Hodkinson navigates trust, violence, and betrayal throughout her personal journey. She brings to light the ways that denial and dismissal rob survivors of justice in the face of sexual violence, using her voice and her story to push for change.  Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan...

'I had a decision point of: either I am going to live or I am going to die.' Speaking on the internal battles survivors face, the dynamic Jean Ibanez Payne shares hidden troubles with suicidal ideation and darkness while living the seemingly perfect life. Today, Jean stands as a powerful advocate for survivors of abuse, using her voice and her story to ignite hope in others. In 2014, she left her...

Speak truth to power with the incredible Jon Vaugh and Josh Rubin in this 2024 episode of Dear Katie.  This week we share the powerful voices of Jon Vaughn and Josh Rubin. Jon Vaughn made waves around the world as one of the few to publicly speak out against the abuse of University of Michigan doctor Robert Anderson in 2020, leading over 1000 survivors in a lawsuit against the university that sett...

Rashan Legard is an International Motivational Speaker, Veteran, Storyteller, Poet, and Credentialed Survivor Advocate who strongly desires to create change in individuals and organizations. Through his company, Rashan Legard Speaks LLC, Rashan shares his message to a broader audience by providing powerful presentations and coaching infused with his personal experience to organizations around the...