Genesis The Podcast

Learn about the 3-day, 12-hour training for mental health clinicians and attorneys working to support adult and child victims and survivors of coercive control offered by Dr. Christine Cocchiola, a licensed clinical social worker and intimate partner abuse advocate researching the topic of Coercive Control, including child maltreatment and trauma. Additional training options for coaches and those...

Death is a part of life. But how we deliver the news of loss is a complicated situation that requires compassion and skill. We spend time with Russell Strand who explains the human side of sharing devastating news with families and loved ones, and his unique training method for compassionate death notification.  Senior Special Agent (Retired) Russell W. Strand is the owner and creative visionary o...

In this episode, survivor Janine Rees from Brisbane (AU), shares her harrowing story of living with and leaving an abusive partner after 3 decades of abuse. This episode includes details of sexual violence, domestic violence, and other forms of abuse. For 30 years Janine Rees endured unspeakable abuse from her partner. Her journey is an odyssey of experiences and emotions that many survivors will...

Jan Langbein, CEO of Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support and Tracy Matheson, founder of Project Beloved, discuss updates from the 88th Legislative Session in the State of Texas where bills were filed to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. In this episode, we explore topics related to state funding, housing needs, ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program), CODIS (Combin...

Can yoga help to heal trauma? Some experts believe it can and are incorporating trauma-sensitive yoga into services for survivors. To learn more about what trauma-sensitive yoga is and how it helps we talk with Myra Strand, a trainer and yoga instructor who has been working with survivors of trauma since 1995. Part 2 of our conversation explores how to reconnect with the body through yoga, mindful...

Can yoga help to heal trauma? Some experts believe it can and are incorporating trauma-sensitive yoga into services for survivors. To learn more about what trauma-sensitive yoga is and how it helps we talk with Myra Strand, a trainer and yoga instructor who has been working with survivors of trauma since 1995. Part 1 of our conversation explores an overview of yoga, what it means to be trauma-sens...

Abuse from an intimate partner can begin at any time in a relationship, and that abuse can continue later in life revealing itself in unique ways. For example, physical violence such as non-fatal strangulation over the course of a relationship can result in early-onset dementia, brain injury, and/or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs or "mini-stroke") in older adults. An abusive partner mi...

Genesis Women's Shelter & Support has an exciting announcement: the launch of the National Training Center on Crimes Against Women. Jan Langbein, CEO of Genesis is back on the show with all the details about this ground-breaking new educational center that will consolidate all training and education from both Genesis and the Conference on Crimes Against Women into one national program wit...

The idea of the "fight-or-flight" response to threats or danger was put forth over 100 years ago by Walter Cannon, an American psychologist. Cannon's work on the "acute stress response" established the foundation for what we understand today as trauma responses. Since its introduction, the work has expanded to include freeze and even fawning as trauma responses - processes...

Edy Nathan returns with even more insightful guidance about grief for survivors, sharing powerful lessons on grieving and healing, her "forgive" mantra for self-empowerment, and her poem, "Grace". Ms. Nathan also shares a sneak peek about her upcoming new book. Before you listen, grab a rubber band that fits on your wrist so you can practice a regulation exercise along with us....

Grief encountered by survivors of domestic violence, abuse, and/or sexual assault is a complex array of experiences stemming from loss, shame, guilt, sorrow, and more. Often, holidays punctuate grief, bringing to the surface confusing emotions that can seem inescapable. At Genesis Women's Shelter & Support we persist in our belief that for survivors there is hope and there is help and bot...

The Legal Services Department at Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support was founded in 2016 to address the lack of access to no-cost civil legal representation for survivors of domestic violence in Dallas County. Focused on family law and offered in conjunction with the organization’s trauma-informed, wraparound domestic violence services, Genesis’ direct representation model for survivors navigate...

Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse that includes a pattern of manipulation intended to control and diminish a victim by causing self-doubt, trust issues, decreased self-worth and a host of other trauma-inducing consequences. In this episode, Dr. Christine Cocchiola unpacks the complexities of gaslighting within domestic abuse by examining the character issues of those who gaslight, who t...

Genesis Women's Shelter & Support offers a robust program of residential and non-residential services to women and children who have experienced domestic violence. To complement those offerings, Genesis has developed the industry's foremost communications model about domestic violence: one that is client-centric, trauma-informed, and focused on raising awareness about domestic violen...

Technology, such as social media, apps, and text messaging, allows youth, teens and college students to experience relationships in vastly different ways from previous generations, as the connectedness of online relationships creates opportunities for personal development and relationship exploration. That same technology and connection also open up new possibilities for abuse that can diminish on...

Dr. Carola Salvi launched the exhibit "The Power of the Other Hand" in response to the stories of domestic violence shared with her by survivors. In this episode, we peel back the layers of these survivor experiences to reveal the raw emotions beneath the images, the artist, and the women portrayed on the canvas. Tackling some of the most challenging aspects of abuse such as the impact o...

Long-term exposure to the trauma of others can impact the well-being of families, professionals and caregivers and lead to vicarious trauma. However, with the proper tools and network of support we can transform these experiences into vicarious resilience. Monica Urbaniak, a consultant, trainer and clinician specializing in sexual assault and trauma, provides practical and effective tools for prof...

Founded with the tenet, "Muslim women for all women" the Texas Muslim Women's Foundation has evolved into a robust continuum of care for survivors of domestic abuse. While the culturally sensitive services offered by the foundation align with the principles of Islam, embracing peace in the home and condemning violence, they are available to women from all cultures. Heena Khan, LPC-S...

Every quarter, Genesis Women's Shelter & Support hosts a guest speaker for the organization's quarterly lecture series featuring timely conversations about issues related to domestic violence. In September 2022, former Dallas City Council Member Jennifer Staubach Gates joined Genesis CEO Jan Langbein to discuss the evolution of the domestic violence (DV) response in the City of Dalla...

Since 2003, the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP) has been in use by law enforcement across the United States to evaluate the risk of death in domestic violence incidents. Administered by law enforcement on the scene of domestic violence calls, this tool has 2 primary goals: to assess risk factors for lethality and to connect victims with services. Learn more about the LAP, the warning signs and...

A 2-part series with researcher, educator, and licensed psychologist Dr. Lenore Walker who coined the term "battered woman syndrome." Dr. Walker has spent more than 4 decades investigating violence against women, publishing peer-reviewed research and authoring several books including "The Battered Woman Syndrome" now in its 4th edition. Together we explore the progress and pitf...

A 2-part series with researcher, educator, and licensed psychologist Dr. Lenore Walker who coined the term "battered woman syndrome." Dr. Walker has spent more than 4 decades investigating violence against women, publishing peer-reviewed research and authoring several books including "The Battered Woman Syndrome" now in its 4th edition. Together we explore the progress and pitf...

Content advisory: This episode is a discussion about suicide and domestic violence, a topic that some may find troubling. Listeners are encouraged to consider their own needs before proceeding and to practice self-care when listening to this conversation.  Description: September marks Suicide Awareness Month in the United States, a country where 25% of female domestic violence survivors have attem...

Coercive control underlies most experiences of domestic violence and often manifests as an insidious pattern of manipulation that strips victims of their autonomy. It is also a form of child abuse that likely impacts 100% of children living with an abusive parent. In part 2 of our discussion on this topic, we unpack the impact of this form of psychological abuse upon children in the home where dom...

Coercive control underlies most experiences of domestic violence and often manifests as an insidious pattern of manipulation that strips victims of their autonomy. Dr. Christine Cocchiola joins the podcast to break down what coercive control is, how to recognize it in abusive relationships, and how to find the support needed to heal the trauma. Dr. Cocchiola is a Coercive Control Advocate, Researc...