Sexual Assault Survivor Stories

If you know John Stamos (yes, the multi-time Emmy nominated actor, co-star of TV's "Full House," and author of "If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir"), or if you know someone who does, please let him know there's a letter waiting for him here, written by my guest on this week's episode, Rosa: **************************************************************************************** [Dear John and Eve...

It's quite an honor to have Arci Grey come back as my guest this week as she introduces Survivor School, an online trauma-informed personal development platform designed for trauma survivors! Our discussion covers the journey of establishing the school, the diverse range of experts involved, and the various modalities offered to support healing. Arci emphasizes the importance of addressing trauma...

In this episode, I'm diving deeper than I have in the past into what it really means to be trauma informed. No guest this week—it's just you and me as we unpack the complexities of trauma and how it impacts survivors of rape and sexual assault on physical, emotional, and neurological levels. We'll revisit some core ideas from Episode 115 and take them a step further, focusing on how we can show up...

Carrie is a return guest. The last time she was on this show was in April, 2023, Episode 29. She told us her harrowing story of being adopted into a situation of childhood sexual assault (CSA) at the hands of her adoptive father. The impact was devastating. Yet, Carrie survived and became a strong, resilient woman whose goal became doing all she could to raise awareness of CSA and help bring justi...

This week's episode is an exciting example of a topic I've discussed numerous times on this show: implicit and explicit memory—what these are, and how they work together to provide a powerful impact in finding out more about a survivors rape and sexual assault experiences…IF the person doing the interview is trauma informed and knows how to ask the right questions in the right ways. The resultant...

This week's episode delves into the harrowing story of Janna, who at the beginning of this story was a young high schooler who fell prey to a manipulative groomer. This individual, initially presenting himself as a kind, attentive, and compassionate confidante, captivated Janna with his charm. Unfortunately, these qualities often mask a predatory nature, as charm can be a powerful tool for sexual...

Jeanna is one of my most loyal listeners of this podcast…when she originally found Sexual Assault Survivor Stories she was so enthralled by the content that she binge-listened to every single episode. That's impressive listening. Then, she wrote me a nice, long, kind, email telling me about some of her favorite episodes. And she told me she wanted to speak with me. So we had a great phone conversa...

The week leading up to this episode has been rather strange for me, because it included two potential guest appearances that didn't come together as planned. But that's okay, because it provided the opportunity for me to do something I had been wanting to do for months: a monologue follow-up on Episode 21 from over a year ago. Something else you should know: I'm not one of those hosts who uses the...

In this deeply moving episode, I am joined by a friend of the podcast and host of The Jan Broberg Show, none other than Jan herself, to help interview AJ, a brave survivor who shares her extraordinary journey of overcoming extensive abuse and discovering her own strength. Together, the three of us explore the vital role of community support in the healing process, with a special focus on the Thriv...

It's not at all common for me to do follow-up episodes so close together in the sequence of episodes, but this opportunity is so meaningful and appropriate this week that I just had to share it with you now, instead of sometime down the line. So, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Melissa Fairchild is back (take a listen to her first episode on the show: Episode 96!) to give us an update on her healing...

After a way too long wait for a follow-up interview with Lee Cooper, this week we finally get it done! Lee suggested a follow-up during a conversation we were having a few weeks ago…here it is! I'm thrilled to bring you this episode! In this conversation, Lee provides an update on his ongoing legal battle against his perpetrator, discussing the challenges he has faced within the UK justice system....

The abuses started early for Jeanna…she was just a young middle-school aged girl growing up in a blended family after her mother and father divorced, and her mother re-married a woman with sons who were older than Jeanna. She missed her father and tells how missing him led to her longing for acceptance from men. One of her older stepbrothers took an un-natural interest in Jeanna, and started compl...

Before getting into the specific notes of this week's episode, I want to announce that this episode, on this date, marks the 2-year anniversary of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, the SASS podcast! To all of you guests that are permanent members of the SASS family, and to all of you in the audience who listen occasionally or to every single episode, a huge note of gratitude to you from me, thank y...

It is a pleasure and an honor to re-introduce to you my guest this week for Part 2 of this multi-episode experience: Daniel John Carey. John is a renowned author, screenwriter, actor, voice actor, director, and filmmaker. John has published several books, two of which I can attest to you as being exceptional and life enhancing: Dream Your World and Dream Another Dream. All of this makes John sound...

It is a pleasure and an honor to introduce to you my guest for the next several episodes of this multi-episode experience: Daniel John Carey. John is a renowned author, screenwriter, actor, voice actor, director, and filmmaker. John has published two books (which I read portions of almost daily as part of my personal life-enhancing journey) All of that makes John sound refined and polished and ext...

This show has become a beacon, an inspiration, and a platform for many victims and survivors to have a safe place to tell their rape and sexual assault experience. This episode, featuring Kevin Taylor, a clinical therapist, is a prime example of what it means to gain strength, support, and growth from disclosing one's own story of rape or sexual assault. I don't have any more to say about this epi...

I'm proud to bring you this week's episode of SASS. Proud because I have the honor of introducing you to Shannon Hough, the CEO and co-founder of Shield of Sisters, and host of the companion podcast, Invisible No More: Lady Vetrans' Stories of Military Sexual Trauma. Shield of Sisters is a non-profit organization dedicated to "helping sister service members overcome military sexual trauma." (https...

Ashley and I made our acquaintance when she reached out to me 7 months ago; she was making an inquiry about a criminal case that she was involved with regarding the rape report she had made with her local law enforcement agency. She was discouraged with not only how difficult it was to make the report to an investigator who was skeptical about her version of the experience, but also with how dishe...

Before anything else, I'm going to encourage anyone who is reading these episode notes to go back to these SASS episodes and listen to the venerable Arci Grey: https://traffic.libsyn.com/sexassaultsurvivorstories/Episode_16.mp3 https://traffic.libsyn.com/sexassaultsurvivorstories/Episode_17.mp3 https://traffic.libsyn.com/sexassaultsurvivorstories/Episode_20.mp3 https://traffic.libsyn.com/sexassaul...

For those of you who have been following this show since the beginning almost 2 years ago, or who have had the opportunity to go back to listen to some of the early episodes, you'll recognize this weeks' guest: Mac McDonald. Mac was one of the four people who were on a panel of rape survivors who had been assaulted on their respective college campuses in New York state. Each of them has a gripping...

I'll start these notes off by providing you some important information about my guest this week, Sergeant Major Aaron Stone, US Army, Retired. This information is taken directly from Aaron's website, https://18winters.com/#about 18 Winters – Shattering the silence I am a retired Combat Medic in the United States Army, and I have completed multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Bosnia; none of th...

In the deeply insightful podcast episode featuring Lynn Stroud, listeners are immersed in a profound exploration of what it truly means to be trauma informed. Stroud, a renowned advocate and expert in trauma recovery, eloquently guides us through the multifaceted layers of this crucial concept. At its core, being trauma-informed is not merely a set of techniques or protocols but a profound shift i...

It's quite the honor to be hosting a podcast that has reached the 100th episode landmark, especially because hitting this commemorative occasion is a testament to the loyalty of you, my listeners, and because of the privileged circumstance of having made it this far. It's a lot of work, but for me because of the amazing guests I've had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing, it's been more than...

Here's some information about Nicole, in case some of you are new to Sexual Assault Survivor Stories. Nicole is a frequent guest on this show, and I want you to know some information about her. This information is published by Force Science, Nicole's employer, on their website: https://www.forcescience.com/instructor/nicole-florisi/ "Nicole Florisi, PsyD Candidate, LEO Director of Curriculum & Con...

Tracy endured and survived 23 years of domestic and spiritual abuse in a marriage to a prominent minister. For years she lost her voice and agency, living in silence as her spirit was bruised behind closed doors. In the early 80s, when emergency shelters were scarce and conversations about unhappy marriages were taboo, she struggled to even recognize her suffering as abuse. When she finally escape...