In this video, Sr. Theresa Aletheia talks about why survivors are not problems to fix—but prophets the Church urgently needs to hear. Too often, when survivors speak the truth about spiritual abuse, we’re met with suspicion, dismissal, or silence. But survivors see systems of sin that others overlook, and our stories are invitations to healing, accountability, and renewal.If you'd like to explore this topic more, you can listen to our new audio documentary, Descent Into Light, where we explore how adult spiritual abuse happens and how we can prevent it. This work is about hope—real hope, the kind forged in darkness.If you want a Church that tells the truth and chooses courage, I hope you’ll listen with us.Listen to Descent Into Light at SistersOfTheLittleWay.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode, Sr. Danielle Victoria reflects on the true nature of spiritual direction — not as a technique or a set of rules, but as an art form rooted in dignity, conscience, and the sacred power of becoming who God created us to be. Your soul is not a problem to fix; it is a masterpiece in the making. Sr. Danielle Victoria explores how authentic accompaniment honors freedom, vulnerability, and the unrepeatable beauty of every person’s story.If you’ve ever questioned your own worth or felt pressured to “copy” someone else’s holiness, we hope this conversation brings peace and clarity.And if our work speaks to you, we'd love for you to listen to our new audio documentary **Descent Into Light**, where we share our story of spiritual abuse and the hope we found on the other side. Search *Descent Into Light* wherever you get your podcasts.

Listening to survivors is not a threat to the Church’s mission but the very key to renewing it.In this video, Sr. Danielle Victoria speaks from the heart about the crossroads the Church faces when it comes to adult abuse. She shares why Church leaders and all of us are called to choose courage over self-protection, truth over silence, and the vulnerable over institutional comfort. If you want to go deeper into this work, we invite you to listen to our new audio documentary Descent Into Light, where we explore how adult abuse happens in spiritual settings and how we can prevent it together. This is a journey of hope—honest, hard-won, and rooted in the belief that God still lights the way forward.Listen at SistersOfTheLittleWay.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Survivors often recognize danger long before anyone else does—yet their warnings are often ignored or even punished. In this video, Sr. Theresa Aletheia talks about scapegoating in faith communities, why survivors are so often blamed, and how we can build communities rooted in courage instead of silence.If you want to go deeper into this topic, we invite you to listen to our new audio documentary Descent Into Light. It explores how adult spiritual abuse happens and how we can create safer, more honest communities. You can find it at SistersoftheLittleWay.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this video, Sr. Danielle Victoria reflects on why accountability in the Church requires more than policies—it requires courage, clarity, and a willingness to act. She discusses how civil law and Church law can work together to protect people and why Bishops don’t need to wait for civil law to change to proactively build a culture where safeguarding is truly lived.If you want to go deeper into these topics, we invite you to listen to our new eight-part audio documentary Descent Into Light, where we explore how adult abuse happens in spiritual settings and how real hope is forged in truth. You can listen at SistersoftheLittleWay.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this video, Sr. Danielle Victoria reflects on how the #MeToo movement changed the Church’s understanding of adult abuse—especially the abuse of adult women religious. Adult abuse is real, complex, and deeply wounding, and safeguarding must include adults, not only children.If you want to understand how adult abuse happens in spiritual settings—and how we can prevent it, we invite you to listen to Descent Into Light, our new eight-part audio documentary on adult abuse. It’s a project born from our own experiences of spiritual abuse and from a hope forged in darkness.Listen to Descent Into Light at SistersoftheLittleWay.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this video, Sr. Danielle Victoria talks about why abuse is never just about a few “bad apples,” and why similar patterns of harm keep showing up across decades and across institutions. Drawing on philosopher Dr. Prusak’s work on institutional vice, she explores how good people can become blinded by the culture around them—and how we can build healthier communities that choose transparency, accountability, and truth.To explore this issue more, you can listen to our latest project, Descent Into Light, an audio documentary series where we walk with courage into the places where spiritual abuse happens and explore how real hope can grow even in darkness. Listen to the full series at SistersOfTheLittleWay.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Sr. Danielle Victoria shares theologian Fr. Samuel Fernández's definition of abuse of conscience—a misuse of spiritual authority that overrides our God-given freedom to discern, judge, and stand before the Lord in the sanctuary of our own hearts. She shares why this form of abuse is so dangerous, how it often precedes other forms of harm, and why protecting conscience matters for every Catholic community.If this conversation resonates with you, we invite you to listen to our audio documentary Descent Into Light, where we go deeper into how spiritual abuse happens and how real hope can be found even after deep wounds. You can find it at SistersoftheLittleWay.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Reclaiming our narrative is part of reclaiming the dignity God gave us. In this video, Sr. Theresa Aletheia shares why storytelling is an important aspect of the spiritual life and recovery from trauma—especially for those who have experienced harm in the Church. As a Sister of the Little Way, she has walked with many people who feel their voices were taken from them. If you want to go deeper into this topic, please listen to our audio documentary Descent Into Light, where we share our own story of spiritual abuse and the hope we found on the other side.00:00 The Power of Narrative in Healing Trauma01:48 Narrative Therapy Explained03:24 Spiritual Accompaniment04:47 Stages of PTSD Recovery06:29 Biblical Foundations08:45 Therese's Little Way11:12 Embracing Weakness12:58 God's Nature

In this video, Sr. Theresa Aletheia talks about why victim blaming happens in church communities and how it causes what researchers call institutional betrayal—a second wound added to the harm survivors already endured. She also shares why choosing institutional courage is the only path toward healing and real reform.If this conversation resonates with you, we invite you to listen to our new audio documentary series, Descent Into Light, where we go even deeper into how adult abuse happens in spiritual settings and how we can build safer, more courageous communities.