At 17, Georgia is drawn to the independent allure of an older man. Brutalized in her new relationship, she finds herself subject to horrific sexual experiences that leave her intimidated and fearful. She bottles up her feelings, letting them sit on the back burner until she can no longer ignore them, finding herself sitting in her garage and attempting to end her own life. To pull herself out of the darkness, she throws away everything that doesn't work for her. 

Georgia Reash is a visual artist and author who uses her work to heal and prevent sexual trauma. In her #53 Vaginas and Vulvas exhibition she advocates for survivors and hopes to launch a healing arts movement

Hosts: Claire Kaplan and Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

Basking in kindness from a teacher, Aaron finds a mentor in this new friend. Grateful for his support, Aaron regularly meets with him and he becomes a father figure; but one day, this teacher rapes him. Filled with shame, Aaron lies about his experience to his mom. Today, as a parent, educator, and veteran, he speaks up about his experiences with grooming and the culture of silence around sexual violence between men. 

Check out Aaron's amazing work at 18winters.com

Hosts: Claire Kaplan and Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

'I had no context for what was appropriate behavior. At the time, it was so confusing I didn't know what was happening.'

A former circus performer, Aly shares her experiences with discrimination and sexual harassment working on a cruise ship. Facing constant targeting over the course of a year, she eventually left the ship after being diagnosed with PTSD. Today, Aly shares her journey with us, bringing to light the difficulties of working in a field where abuse and silence are normalized. 

Hosts: Claire Kaplan and Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

Chloe was in the house of the man she was seeing when his landlord came down the stairs completely naked. Their intentions were clear. “Not gonna happen,” she said, but she could tell it was all planned. The two men cornered and raped her. Like many other survivors, she repressed the memories of the abuse until they became too loud to ignore. One day, the word RAPE flashed in her head and she decided to get help.

Today, she shares her experiences living with PTSD and how trauma affected her sexuality and relationships. Now, her journey is about learning who she is and what makes her happy, whether by lying on the grass, singing opera, or supporting other survivors of trauma. 

Hosts: Claire Kaplan and Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

Neglected and abused by her parents, child Emma finds solace in the housekeeper. Her mother is violent towards her, and her father sexually abuses her; knowing that husbands and wives have sex with each other, young Emma assumes that when her parents divorce she is next in line. Her misunderstanding of sexuality and external pressure to be normal pushes her to navigate the world without boundaries and she comes into her adulthood through chaos and instability. Emma Goldman-Sherman, an accomplished playwright and holistic health coach, shares her experiences with autism and healing with us today. 

Hosts: Claire Kaplan and Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

Like any other seven-year-old, Simi teases her bus conductor and annoys him, playfully pointing out that he is unmarried. He hits her in front of other students and teachers, and she apologizes. But his resentment grows, and he later follows her into the bathroom and rapes her. Simi cleans herself up as best as she can, goes home, and goes to bed, coping with her pain in silence. Worried about her family's honor, she stays quiet, until she finds strength and support in her new friends and community. 

Hosts: Katie Koestner and Claire Kaplan

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

Meeting by chance on a flight, Katie is joined by Brad Friedel, who played all over the world for the US national soccer team as a goalkeeper. Now, he works in media and consulting for professional teams and represents players. Because of his career, Brad offers an interesting perspective on the issues facing women in sports. In this episode, he discusses the differences he witnessed for women and other minorities as players, referees, and commentators in contrast to what he lived and saw as a man.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

At 11, Margaret begins to understand and come to terms with new feelings from her childhood; during a class on child abuse, she realizes that she was molested. In a painful journey of vulnerability, she shares her experience with her parents and best friend but doesn't feel perfect enough to share her story with the world. An Olympic swimmer who sought solace in the water, Margaret eventually realizes that everyone has a right to tell their story, good or bad. Today, Margaret Hoelzer speaks out to advocate for survivors and shares her healing journey. 

Hosts: Claire Kaplan and Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

“No one ever regrets fighting the good fight, whether it is for yourself or for your children.”

In this episode, Amanda Lee (Bubbles & Bubbly in a Bottle) discusses her experience with justice. To bring an expert perspective into the conversation, we invite Michael Lesher, a lawyer and writer, to discuss the American justice system. Michael has authored publications focused on the experiences of protective parents going through divorces where the other parent is the child’s abuser. The family court might be looking out for the child's best interests, but in cases like this, conventional practices can be dangerous - whistleblowers can face incredible scrutiny from the justice system, an added trauma to the struggle to protect their children. Today, we bring to light an often overlooked aspect in the fight to prevent sexual violence and seek justice for survivors. 

Hosts: Claire Kaplan and Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

As a boy, Greg was groomed by an older friend, who showed him pornography for the first time and pushed him to engage in sexual acts. He struggled to accept that this abuse happened to him as a man and couldn’t share his experience for a decade.

As a young adult, Marcel suffered intense physical and sexual abuse after being held at gunpoint by an invader. His faith allowed him to survive the traumatizing experience that left him hospitalized. 

Greg and Marcel are bound by survivorship; today, they both are advocates for male victims of sexual assault and use their voices to shatter the stereotypes about sexual violence. In this special episode, we share two different stories to spark a discussion about the shared steps in their journeys of pain and healing.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite