Am I Broken: Survivor Stories

Deborah, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Clinical Addictions Specialist, shares her story of coming to terms with several sexual assaults as well as returning memories of childhood sexual abuse. She details her struggles with not only addiction, but disordered eating, and her success with sobriety, AA, and intuitive eating.

Support the podcast for $5/month at:
www.patreon.com/papillondeboer

Kellie, a licensed clinical mental health counselor, tells her story of intimate partner sexual violence, including severe manipulation and control behaviors by her boyfriend at the time.  We discuss her exit from that relationship, other types of abuse she has suffered, and how she found healing through EMDR and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy.

Support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/papillondeboer

Rachael, an LCSW, shares her story of returning memories at age 38, of childhood sexual abuse by her father. She describes her healing journey, including telling her family and cutting off her father, as well as finding wholeness with the support of her wife. We also discuss some of the spiritual aspects of doing healing work with sexual trauma.

Support the podcast at:
https://www.patreon.com/papillondeboer

Janitta, a life coach, shares her story of being sexually abused as a child by various family members, and sexually assaulted and harassed as police officer in adulthood. We discuss the intersection of black culture and sexual trauma, and her perspectives on the generations of trauma in her family. She describes her arc of healing through her faith in her God.

To learn more about her story, you can find her on YouTube as Janitta Nichols, on Instagram as IamJanittaNichols, and her book about her journey is "The Secrets of My Mother".

And you can support Am I Broken: Survivor Stories via patreon.com/papillondeboer

Jamie, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Certified Sex Therapist, shares her story of multiple incidents of child sexual abuse and rape as an adolescent. In addition to offering many insights and helpful terms as both a therapist and survivor, she also describes how her trauma has impacted her work, and in her view, prepared her for working with other survivors specifically.

Support the podcast at patreon.com/papillondeboer

Veronica, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, describes being sexually coerced, manipulated, and assaulted during a long term relationship. She shares how she left the relationship, and how her experiences inform her work as a therapist, including using appropriate transparency about her own trauma.

Mark, a licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, describes being groomed for years by a teacher, and growing out of the abuse rather than ending it. He shares his own healing journey, including a powerful EMDR therapy session which provided major insight and growth.

Carey, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, shares her story of extensive childhood sexual abuse, amidst a chaotic family environment exacerbated by two addicted parents. She describes her healing journey, including sobriety, and how the therapeutic modalities she first encountered as a client inform her work with trauma survivors now.

Grey, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, shares their story of childhood sexual violation by an older neighbor, and how they attempted to keep it a secret until sharing with a family member, who reported it to Grey's mother. Grey describes their healing journey in reclaiming and understanding their own story, and how that experience impacts their work with clients.

Eric, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (and more, including addictions and sex therapy) shares his story of covert incest, and how he was confronted with his own trauma and worked to heal it. In this episode, he shares a number of valuable resources for recognizing and healing from covert and emotional incest, which he uses in his work with love- and sex-addicted men.