When it came to healing from her rape by Jeffrey Epstein there first had to be a realization by Jess Michaels that she was raped. Because, Jess had been taught by society and the culture of the 90's that what had happened to her must not have really been rape…she hadn't screamed, she didn't try to fight him, she hadn't even tried to push him off her—she didn't do anything that would, in her mind, have been the response of someone who was being raped; she just froze. But she knew something was wrong. She felt it. Her life routines, her world view, and her new, misunderstood feelings of fear…all reflected that she had been through a severe trauma. But she had trouble understanding any of it. None of what Jess lived through after her rape is abnormal. Millions of people experience the commonalities of rape trauma. It's part of why I am inviting rape and sexual assault victims and survivors to be on this show, so that other victims and survivors will learn that you are not alone in what you are experiencing. And it's why Jess agreed to be here with me; to share her story of both the impact of her rape, and the exhilaration of getting past it and healing to the point of being able to help others. Jess is helping bring justice to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault. And as part of that mission, Jess and her team are working to build an app called 3J's Sexual Assault First Aid Kit, providing an interactive learning experience for what to do when someone says, "me too." I want to help make Jess Michaels a name that everyone recognizes and celebrates as a person who is much, much more than just a Jeffrey Epstein rape survivor…she is a force for justice and for healing for others who have experienced rape or sexual assault. And I want people to know she is available to tell her story, and to speak out about what it means to recognize that rape and sexual assault are injuries that need to be treated with compassion, understanding, and by being believed. This approach needs to happen before victims can begin to help the criminal justice system bring offenders to justice; before they can be expected to tell their story in a concise, chronological, and focused way. Jess is available to present her story and her mission. You can find out more about Jess' speaking engagement opportunities by reading and exploring her website, which is listed below. Thank you for listening to this episode. Now, I need you to do more: share the episode with everyone you know. And keep doing your part to help bring justice to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault when you hear their story: Start By Believing. There's much to learn about this program, too, and there's a site listed below that will help you do just that. It's important because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Here are some links and sites I would encourage you to check out and support: https://youtu.be/bJtjJiWAra8 [email protected] JessMichaelsSpeaks.com [email protected] https://www.projectcallisto.org/ https://markel-consulting.com https://startbybelieving.org https://safeinharmsway.org https://thejanbrobergfoundation