In this episode, a survivor breaks decades of silence to expose what happened inside the Huntington, New York YMCA.

Between the ages of 9 and 12, they were repeatedly raped by three male YMCA employees. The abuse wasn’t isolated—there were dozens of child victims. For years, the truth was buried, protected by an institution that failed the children in its care. Nearly 50 years later, everything changed.

Time Stamps:

00:00:00 — What does it mean when childhood trauma shapes an entire lifetime?

00:01:07 — What was it like growing up in a large working-class family in the 1960s?

00:03:27 — Why do certain childhood memories feel magical before everything changes?

00:06:49 — How can switching mentors or teams quietly alter a child’s future?

00:07:41 — What are early grooming behaviors adults often mistake for kindness?

00:09:19 — How do predators identify children who crave approval and belonging?

00:11:07 — Why would parents trust authority figures enough to allow overnight stays?

00:13:32 — How does grooming convince a child that abuse equals love?

00:15:52 — How does a child rationalize abuse when they don’t understand what’s happening?

00:18:22 — How can unaffiliated adults gain access to children through trusted institutions?

00:21:16 — Why don’t children tell their parents even when they’re terrified?

00:23:13 — How does repeated trauma begin to erase a child’s sense of identity?

00:25:58 — What does it feel like when your body knows what’s coming but you can’t escape?

00:27:35 — Can PTSD develop from childhood abuse without visible violence?

00:30:56 — What moment finally exposes years of hidden abuse?

00:34:03 — What happens when one child speaks up and the system responds incorrectly?

00:35:01 — Why do institutions relocate abusers instead of reporting them?

00:38:50 — How does untreated childhood trauma show up as rebellion in adolescence?

00:42:01 — How can sports become a lifeline after deep trauma?

00:44:39 — What happens when trauma is locked away instead of processed?

00:48:52 — Why do survivors stay busy to avoid confronting unresolved pain?

00:53:08 — Why do trauma survivors gravitate toward high-pressure careers?

00:56:56 — How does intense training or structure temporarily suppress trauma symptoms?

00:59:39 — How does purpose restore identity after years of emotional shutdown?

01:06:22 — What does it feel like when buried trauma resurfaces later in adulthood?

01:16:33 — Why can healing feel harder than surviving the original trauma?

01:26:34 — What is PTSD really like when triggers appear without warning?

01:36:41 — How can the right therapist completely change the recovery process?

01:52:40 — How does writing about trauma help the brain and nervous system heal?

01:57:43 — What’s the difference between surviving and choosing to truly live again?

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