Category: Recovery

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...

I’m Movin’ Out!

Sandy Chilson March 28, 2023 0 Comments
How moving away from my hometown has helped my healing process Returning to my hometown as a survivor has been difficult. It’s where my trauma happened. It’s not just one place that triggers bad memories; it’s also my high school, the Starbucks in the center of town, the side of town where my assailant lived, the soccer fields, my own house.  The uncertainty of his presence whenever I...

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...

How Having Male Therapists Has Helped Me Trust Men Again

Julia Kopala July 5, 2021 0 Comments
By the age of 20, I was trapped in a vicious cycle of finding validation and self-worth in sexual relationships with men. The sexual abuse I had endured my freshman year of high school followed me into those later relationships. I rarely experienced joy or pleasure in these interactions. I was just trying to prove something- to those men, to society, to myself for being desirable. As I got...