Sexual Assault Survivor Stories

210. Rory: Raped, Pregnant, and Forced to Co-Parent; A Survivor Fights Back When a survivor of rape becomes pregnant as a result of the assault, the trauma can extend far beyond the crime itself. In some cases, the survivor may face years of custody disputes, court proceedings, and unwanted contact with the person responsible for the assault. But a new California law is changing the legal options available to survivors and their children. On September 30, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1364, introduced by State Senator Caroline Menjivar. The legislation addresses parental rights, custody, and visitation when a child is conceived through sexual assault. One of its most significant provisions allows a family court to make certain findings based on clear and convincing evidence, without requiring a criminal conviction. This is a different standard from the proof beyond a reasonable doubt required in criminal court. The law establishes a presumption against awarding custody to someone found to have committed sexual assault resulting in the child's conception. It also expands legal pathways for challenging parentage and terminating parental custody and control under specified circumstances. These protections are not automatic. They require judicial findings, and different provisions contain different legal requirements and exceptions. The legislation addresses an important reality: the absence of a criminal conviction does not necessarily mean a sexual assault never occurred. Survivors should have meaningful opportunities to seek protection through the civil legal system, even when criminal prosecution has been unsuccessful or never occurred. This week's guest, Rory (not her real name), helped bring attention to that very issue. Rory is a survivor who has chosen to share her experience under an assumed name. Her willingness to tell her story to California State Senator Caroline Menjivar helped initiate the effort that ultimately contributed to SB 1364 becoming law. Rory's connection with Sexual Assault Survivor Stories began when she discovered the podcast while looking for understanding and support in her own healing journey. Through listening to other survivors and learning more about sexual assault and trauma, she began finding helpful insights and a sense of community. That connection eventually led Rory to reach out to SASS, not simply to tell her own story, but to help others who may be struggling with similar experiences. For survivors whose pregnancies resulted from rape, the consequences can be extraordinarily complicated. Alongside the trauma of the assault, they may face difficult decisions surrounding pregnancy, parenting, personal safety, custody, and their relationships with the people who harmed them. The possibility of being legally required to share parenting responsibilities with a perpetrator can create additional challenges, particularly when a survivor is trying to establish safety, stability, and independence. Rory wants other victims and survivors to understand that they are not alone in confronting these circumstances. There are advocates, legal resources, survivor communities, and organizations working to help people navigate these difficult situations. Her involvement in bringing this issue to a state legislator also illustrates something important: survivors can contribute to changes that extend far beyond their individual experiences. And California's legislation offers a potential model for other states. Lawmakers elsewhere can examine SB 1364, evaluate their own custody and parental-rights statutes, and consider legislation that permits family courts to act on clear and convincing evidence rather than requiring a criminal conviction in every qualifying case. Survivors, advocates, attorneys, and community organizations can help advance those conversations by sharing experiences, educating legislators, supporting proposed legislation, and participating in the legislative process. Each state must address its own legal framework, but the underlying questions about child safety, survivor protection, and appropriate standards of proof are relevant nationwide. For Rory, sharing her experience is about more than what happened to her. It's about helping others find information, support, and possibilities they may not have known existed. Episode 210 is a conversation about the lasting consequences of sexual assault, the importance of survivor voices in shaping public policy, and the hope that can emerge when personal experiences help bring about meaningful change. Above all, it's a reminder that healing does not have to happen in isolation, and survivors deserve to know that help, community, and hope are available. For additional information: California Senate Bill 1364: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1364 RAINN, National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673) RAINN: https://rainn.org Sexual Assault Survivor Stories continues its mission to normalize the conversation surrounding rape and sexual assault, encourage understanding, and remind survivors that their voices matter. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some other critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://www.thestrongsurvivor.com/ https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

What happens when a sexual assault survivor refuses to be silenced, even when the institutions responsible for protecting him seem determined not to listen? In Episode 209 of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I welcome author and publisher R. Greg Adams, whose new memoir, Strong Survivor: Strong Victim, recounts his experience of being sexually assaulted by his physician in 2015 and the extraordinary decade-long battle for accountability that followed. Greg describes the resistance he encountered from law enforcement, medical regulators, and other authorities, along with the profound personal consequences of his pursuit of justice. His experience exposes troubling questions about institutional betrayal, the treatment of male sexual assault survivors, and the additional trauma that can result when survivors are denied meaningful support. This conversation is about far more than one man's experience. It's about the responsibility of institutions to respond appropriately to sexual violence, the importance of believing survivors, and the tremendous human cost of systems that fail the people they're supposed to protect. Greg's story deserves to be heard, and his book provides an important opportunity to continue a conversation our society can no longer afford to avoid. Learn more about Greg and his book at https://www.thestrongsurvivor.com. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some other critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://www.thestrongsurvivor.com/ https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

My guest today is Dr. Anne Aspler, an emergency physician, professor, researcher, humanitarian, survivor, advocate, and author whose voice has become increasingly influential both within medicine and across social media. Anne brings an unusual and important perspective to conversations about sexual violence: she has treated trauma professionally while also carrying the lived experience of sexual and family violence herself. The timing of this episode could not be more appropriate. Today, October 6, 2026, marks the release of Anne's new memoir, Rise After Silence: An ER Doctor and the Patients Who Healed Her. The book brings together stories from Anne's years in emergency medicine with her own journey through trauma, motherhood, medicine, identity, and healing, while confronting the profound consequences of violence that takes place behind closed doors. Our conversation moves between medicine, criminal justice, trauma, memory, and survivor advocacy. We talk about trauma informed interviewing, why survivors may never enter the justice system, and the gaps that remain between healthcare, law enforcement, the courts, and survivor care. We also explore something Anne's life demonstrates powerfully: lived experience and professional expertise do not have to exist separately. Brought together, they can become an extraordinary force for understanding, advocacy, and change. Anne's official sites are Rise After Silence and Anne's website. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some other critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

Cassie Nicholas returns to Sexual Assault Survivor Stories for her fourth appearance. Listeners first met Cassie in Episode 36, followed her continuing healing journey in Episode 81, heard the story of attempted trafficking concealed as an offer of help in Episode 182, and came together for her during a special edition episode after a devastating car fire took her transportation, shelter, and belongings. In Episode 207, Cassie shares another part of her story: what it meant to grow up as a "glass child," the sibling of someone with profound disabilities, while learning to suppress her own needs in an effort to preserve stability within a complicated family system. We talk about parentification, emotional adaptation, domestic violence, self-erasure, and how becoming invisible can begin as a survival response and remain long after the original danger has passed. Cassie also talks about reclaiming her voice through advocacy, storytelling, and writing. Her recent work includes the short story "The Hall of Prisoners" and "Meet Me in the Mountains," written in memory of a friend who passed away. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Love Brought You Here, where she explores trauma, family systems, healing, survival, and the experiences that shape who we become. Cassie's story is not one of pain neatly resolved or trauma permanently placed in the past. It is the story of a woman continuing to understand what happened to her, refusing to disappear, and learning that her voice belongs to her first. Connect with Cassie and explore her work: The Hall of Prisoners Meet Me in the Mountains The Cassandra Voice Linktree The Cassandra Voice on YouTube Love Brought You Here Podcast: [email protected] An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

After a week off, I'm joined by Cat Wilson, a survivor, advocate, and outspoken voice in the movement to end violence against women. Cat is a HASSL Pro Ambassador and serves as the organization's country representative for Scotland. Cat speaks with an honesty that is direct, unapologetic, and deeply personal. She shares her lived experience, the difficult realities of survival and healing, and what it means to reclaim your voice after someone has tried to take it from you. Her story also challenges the expectation that survivors should remain quiet, agreeable, or responsible for making other people comfortable with the truth. Through her work with HASSL, Cat is helping challenge the attitudes and cultural norms that allow harassment and violence against women to continue. HASSL's approach is simple and critically important: stop asking women to carry the burden of preventing violence and start addressing the people, behaviors, and beliefs responsible for it. Cat's voice is part of that change, and I'm honored to help her share it. Follow Cat on Instagram: @cat_hasslx Follow HASSL: @hasslofficial Learn more about HASSL and its global ambassador community: HASSL An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. —Dave

Vanessa Wulff was working toward a future in chiropractic care when she became the victim of multiple sexual assaults and rape. In this episode, she shares what happened during that period of her life and the effects those experiences had on her education, her sense of safety, and her ability to move forward. Vanessa's story reflects a reality that is often poorly understood: trauma does not always produce a clear, predictable, or easily explained response. Survivors may continue attending school, going to work, interacting with others, or trying to maintain the appearance of an ordinary life while privately carrying fear, confusion, shame, and the lasting effects of what was done to them. This conversation is also an important reminder that repeated victimization never makes a survivor responsible for the crimes committed against them. Each assault results from an offender's decision to violate another person's autonomy and consent. The responsibility belongs to the perpetrator, every time. By sharing her story, Vanessa gives listeners an honest look at the effects of multiple sexual assaults and the strength required not only to survive them, but to find the language and courage to speak about them. Follow Vanessa on Instagram: @vwulff1 An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow @SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with your time zone and a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you and hearing your input on the stories and guests featured on this show. Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://thevocalmin.com https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-vocal-minority https://goldinthecracksofficial.com https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

Jeff Kohler enlisted in the United States Navy immediately after graduating from high school in 2005. Two years later, he received orders attaching him to the Army's 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, and deployed to Iraq for 341 days. He served his country honorably, returned home, earned a degree from The Ohio State University, and began trying to build the life he had expected to have after his military service. But Jeff's story is also one of sexual assault, institutional betrayal, and the devastating consequences that followed when the people and systems responsible for protecting him failed to do so. In this episode, Jeff talks openly about what happened to him, the struggle to be heard and believed, and the extraordinary toll that silence and institutional self-protection can take on a survivor. Jeff has now written his story in his memoir, The Vocal Minority. The title speaks directly to what he endured: the experience of telling an uncomfortable truth when powerful institutions and others would prefer that truth remain hidden. His book documents not only what was done to him, but what happened when he tried to prevent others from suffering the same fate. It is an unflinching account of persistence, identity, and the price a person may be forced to pay simply for refusing to disappear. Jeff's story is a powerful reminder that service, courage, and integrity do not guarantee protection from abuse or institutional betrayal. Sometimes the greatest test of courage begins after the uniform comes off, when a survivor must decide whether to remain silent or risk everything to tell the truth. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you and hearing your input on the stories and guests featured on this show. Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://thevocalmin.com https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-vocal-minority https://www.amazon.com/Vocal-Minority-Jeffrey-Kohler/dp/B0H73VLN9Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=9NC2904SRD3G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.U-C9T6AqR8aeu2-A2PvevZBJeQnhYCqkSWCdfYa_tGSGkZR0y2tcCssyCEwOrAXxjaYeglAQVJ-RVKQc9jITtgy3u74kXp75kniBf_3twH3GFE2LLnfHqjQp_weNCLZDESau_kcRjhKoTyu3H-5wr_r2JKMDpdfCPM7TLrIdeJgkzpvkX57Ok-rt4HJs_4EK85KCcvOE5feH1jowEfkmqQ.2RWV4FyTWfcNcZKa_38OC1gs8_yJ3en7OtaZbaMFHMQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+vocal+minority&qid=1787699694&sprefix=the+vocal+minority%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1 https://goldinthecracksofficial.com https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

For twenty-five years, Dr. Peter Verdin carried the truth of his childhood sexual abuse largely in silence. During those years, he became an accomplished athlete, playing four seasons for the University of Georgia and being drafted by the Washington Nationals. He later earned a doctorate in human and sport performance and worked as a coach and educator. His achievements were real, but they could not protect him from the trauma that continued to affect his mental health, physical well being, relationships, and sense of identity. In this episode, Peter speaks candidly about grooming, manipulation, fragmented memory, complex PTSD, and the toll of trying to keep painful experiences contained. He describes entering EMDR therapy, reconnecting with the detective who helped bring his abuser to justice, and beginning difficult but necessary conversations with his parents. He also explains why writing became an essential part of his recovery and allowed him to look at his life with greater understanding and far less shame. That writing became Peter's forthcoming memoir, Gold in the Cracks: A Memoir of Silence, Performance, and Repair. Inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, the book does not present healing as the erasure of damage. It recognizes the possibility of rebuilding a life while allowing its history to remain visible. Peter's story is deeply personal, but his decision to tell it offers recognition to survivors who have spent years appearing strong while privately carrying far more than anyone knew. Learn more at Gold in the Cracks. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you and hearing your input on the stories and guests featured on this show. Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://goldinthecracksofficial.com https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

Several of my recent guests have described sexual assault that occurred within an intimate relationship and was accomplished through coercion rather than immediately recognizable physical force. Some of the responses I received to those conversations made me realize how deeply misunderstood this form of sexual violence remains. In this episode, I draw upon my experience as a former detective and longtime trainer of sexual assault investigators to examine what coercion actually looks like and why the absence of visible force should never be mistaken for the presence of consent. Coercion rarely exists within the boundaries of one isolated sexual encounter. Its meaning may be found in the history of the relationship, where previous threats, intimidation, retaliation, financial control, or violence have already established what refusing will cost. Once an offender has created that environment, very little may need to be said in the moment. A gesture, a change in tone, or a few seemingly ordinary words can carry a meaning that is unmistakable to the person who has learned what comes next. I also explore the neuroscience behind coercive abuse, including the brain's ability to recognize patterns of danger, the effects of chronic stress on the nervous system, and the ways trauma can influence attention, memory, perception, and decision making. This understanding is especially important for investigators and other professionals who may otherwise misinterpret delayed disclosure, fragmented memory, continued contact with the offender, or the absence of physical resistance. Coercive sexual assault cannot be understood by examining the victim's response while ignoring the conditions the offender deliberately created. The central issue is not whether a victim resisted visibly or forcefully enough. It is whether fear, intimidation, threats, or an established pattern of coercion deprived that person of the freedom required to make a genuine sexual choice. An intimate relationship does not diminish that violation. It makes the betrayal more intimate. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you and hearing your input on the stories and guests featured on this show. Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

This week I conclude my three-part conversation with Hannah King. What began with the night she was drugged and violently sexually assaulted has become a much larger story about everything rape can leave behind. Hannah speaks from where she is now, still carrying profound pain while trying to find her way forward. Her journey reminds us that survival can contain grief, anger, uncertainty, courage, and hope all at once, and that a survivor's voice matters even before every wound has healed. Hannah is blunt and forthright. She's honest and transparent. Her strength is unmistakable and commendable. She's all of this, all at once. I hope you take the time to listen to all 3 of her episodes, because what she says and how she says it is powerful and healing. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you and hearing your input on the stories and guests featured on this show. Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave