Dear Katie: Survivor Stories

"Even just the honoring of 'it happened' ... is just so important."

Halli Lou Faulkner is a somatic therapist and trauma-informed trainer who specializes in creating healing spaces for sexual assault survivors. Drawing on body-based practices, mindfulness, and compassionate presence, she supports individuals and communities in reconnecting with their bodies and restoring a sense of safety, agency, and wholeness. Through her trainings and programs, Halli Lou helps women cultivate resilience, deepen embodiment, and build pathways toward collective healing. She loves reality TV, swimming in the ocean, and riding bikes with her six-year-old daughter.

For more information on Halli Lou Faulkner and her work, look here:

https://www.emdrandpsychotherapy.com/about/ 

Trying to keep his head down after breaking the rules as a new Coast Guard officer, Julian is on his best behavior when he is invited to drink with some other officers. Trusting his new friends, he is drugged and raped, floating back to his room in a haze. Julian represses these memories for years, until a class brings old memories to the surface, and he shares his story openly with the instructor, beginning his healing journey. 

Julian Bell is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer with 23 years of service and the founder of Safe Waters, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault and harassment in military communities. During his career, he served as a victim advocate and worked to elevate survivor voices and push for greater accountability within institutional systems. After witnessing the gaps in support for many survivors, he helped build Safe Waters to provide peer connection, resources, and community-centered healing. Julian is now preparing to pursue a graduate degree in counseling psychology so he can continue supporting survivors through trauma-informed care. He lives in California with his wife and children and remains deeply committed to advocacy, healing, and cultural change.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Trying to keep his head down after breaking the rules as a new Coast Guard officer, Julian is on his best behavior when he is invited to drink with some other officers. Trusting his new friends, he is drugged and raped, floating back to his room in a haze. Julian represses these memories for years, until a class brings old memories to the surface, and he shares his story openly with the instructor, beginning his healing journey. 

Julian Bell is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer with 23 years of service and the founder of Safe Waters, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault and harassment in military communities. During his career, he served as a victim advocate and worked to elevate survivor voices and push for greater accountability within institutional systems. After witnessing the gaps in support for many survivors, he helped build Safe Waters to provide peer connection, resources, and community-centered healing. Julian is now preparing to pursue a graduate degree in counseling psychology so he can continue supporting survivors through trauma-informed care. He lives in California with his wife and children and remains deeply committed to advocacy, healing, and cultural change.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

'What good would it do? I heard that over and over.'

Today’s guest is Leslie Crowe, a writer, advocate, and survivor who brings honesty and compassion to difficult conversations. Leslie is the proud mom of two sons and a longtime autism advocate who founded NeedQuest to help families navigate resources for children with special needs. She is also a breast cancer survivor and a fierce advocate for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. After many years of silence, Leslie found the courage to release her shame and speak openly about her experiences, using her voice to challenge silence and create space for healing, truth, and accountability.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

'What good would it do? I heard that over and over.'

Today’s guest is Leslie Crowe, a writer, advocate, and survivor who brings honesty and compassion to difficult conversations. Leslie is the proud mom of two sons and a longtime autism advocate who founded NeedQuest to help families navigate resources for children with special needs. She is also a breast cancer survivor and a fierce advocate for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. After many years of silence, Leslie found the courage to release her shame and speak openly about her experiences, using her voice to challenge silence and create space for healing, truth, and accountability.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

'This is the only purpose I have.' 

Dawn Jackson is a justice-impacted advocate, public speaker, and survivor whose life is a testament to resilience and transformation. After serving more than 25 years in prison, she received clemency in 2024 and now uses her voice to uplift survivors of sexual and domestic violence. A wife, mother of 11, and grandmother of 22, Dawn combines lived experience, education, healing, and faith to inspire others to reclaim their power. She is the founder of From Darkness to Dawn, LLC, and the author of the forthcoming memoir Suppressed Secrets. Dawn speaks nationally, reminding audiences that their past chapters do not define their future.

Host: Katie Koestner 

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

'This is the only purpose I have.' 

Dawn Jackson is a justice-impacted advocate, public speaker, and survivor whose life is a testament to resilience and transformation. After serving more than 25 years in prison, she received clemency in 2024 and now uses her voice to uplift survivors of sexual and domestic violence. A wife, mother of 11, and grandmother of 22, Dawn combines lived experience, education, healing, and faith to inspire others to reclaim their power. She is the founder of From Darkness to Dawn, LLC, and the author of the forthcoming memoir Suppressed Secrets. Dawn speaks nationally, reminding audiences that their past chapters do not define their future.

Host: Katie Koestner 

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Inheriting a familial military legacy, Rachel joined the CIA after working a career in male-dominated spaces such as startups and as a military contractor. Discussing her experiences as a military family member, to living through a war in service, she shares a rare perspective on military life, culture, and survivorship.

Rachel Cuda made history as the first-ever CIA officer to approach Congress about the Agency’s treatment of sexual assault victims, advocating for systemic change. Leading generations of other survivors, she helped share their stories and was the first of only two CIA officers selected to testify before Congress under oath in closed-door hearings. In just eleven months, her efforts culminated in landmark legislation being passed as part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that mandated reforms such as requiring the CIA establish a dedicated Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention office, improving reporting mechanisms, enhancing victim support, and ensuring independent investigations to address sexual misconduct more effectively. Previously anonymous to the public, Rachel came forward in Fall 2024, sharing her name and story with the world.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Inheriting a familial military legacy, Rachel joined the CIA after working a career in male-dominated spaces such as startups and as a military contractor. Discussing her experiences as a military family member, to living through a war in service, she shares a rare perspective on military life, culture, and survivorship.

Rachel Cuda made history as the first-ever CIA officer to approach Congress about the Agency’s treatment of sexual assault victims, advocating for systemic change. Leading generations of other survivors, she helped share their stories and was the first of only two CIA officers selected to testify before Congress under oath in closed-door hearings. In just eleven months, her efforts culminated in landmark legislation being passed as part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that mandated reforms such as requiring the CIA establish a dedicated Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention office, improving reporting mechanisms, enhancing victim support, and ensuring independent investigations to address sexual misconduct more effectively. Previously anonymous to the public, Rachel came forward in Fall 2024, sharing her name and story with the world.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Pursuing her dreams of becoming an actress, Kaila takes many auditions that expose her to the dark exploitation of Hollywood. Unsure of what's normal and living a double life, she's pushed beyond the point of comfort and videotaped in a vulnerable position. Kaila spends years feeling like damaged goods, breaking through the shame with therapy and finding a path to healing.

Kaila Yu is an author based in Los Angeles. Her debut memoir, ‘Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty,’ was published in August 2025. She is also a luxury travel and culture writer and on-camera correspondent with bylines in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Bon Appétit, Conde Nast Traveler, and many more.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader 

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang