Category: For Survivors

Daily Triggers: Consuming Netflix Media as a Survivor

Julia Kopala April 11, 2023 0 Comments
I’m a big fan of true crime and thriller shows and movies. Lately, I’ve been more sensitive to triggers like explicit content in these kinds of media. Hence, I rely heavily on the warnings that appear across the screen prior to starting a show or movie. Some producers do a very good job at making it clear that a certain piece of media will include depictions or mentions of sexual assault or...

Healing Old Wounds and Finding New Strength

Brina Gartner May 20, 2022 0 Comments
My name is Brina Gartner and I am very proud to say that my son is the Interim Second Vice President of this remarkable organization.  I am writing this article to begin to heal a wound that I have carried for over 30 years.  I am doing this for myself in the hopes that it will also bring some understanding to the reader about how different things are now from when I was young, and how...

Why Body Neutrality is a Better Approach for Me as a Sexual Assault Survivor

Julia Kopala September 28, 2021 0 Comments
From a very young age, I became aware of my body as an object. When my grandmother would tell me “sit up straight” or “suck in that belly,” I began to internalize this constant external scrutiny of my body. Like me, many young people are taught that we are not worthy of love, attention, and praise until we look a certain way. We are implicitly and explicitly told that we are meant to be...

Helping Survivors Learn to Love Their Bodies

Humna Imran March 18, 2021 0 Comments
We are living in the era of social media. While we are constantly connected with one another and always in-the-know, we are also exposed to an endless amount of content from seemingly perfect people with glamorous lives. Apps like Instagram constantly expose us to polished pictures that make us hyper-aware of our own insecurities. The use of social media has become a norm among preteens and...

Writing as a Form of Healing

Alyssa Henderson December 20, 2020 0 Comments
As an English major with an emphasis in creative writing, I had the opportunity to work on an honors thesis for a quarter during my senior year. While it was more common to write fiction or poetry for the project, I chose to craft a collection of personal essays dedicated to making sense of some of the most pivotal and emotional moments in my life. As challenging as it was to revisit these...