VSC Podcast

On this episode VSC Education Coordinator Emilie Mitchell sat down with professor of psychology at Valencia College Jorge Valladares and VSC therapy intern Alexa Andino to talk about sexual intimacy after sexual trauma. Come learn about the physical, psychological, and social impacts sexual assault can have on survivors, what approaching sex after trauma can look like, and ways we can move towards healing for ourselves and our loved ones.

Jorge Valladares, M.S., M.A., is a professor of psychology at Valencia College and teaches general psychology, developmental psychology, and human sexuality. He has master’s degrees in general psychology and clinical mental health counseling. Jorge was also a Rollins College Social Justice pre-practicum intern with the VSC in 2019.

Alexa Andino is our therapy intern here at VSC. She will be graduating with her master’s in clinical mental health counseling in December. Alexa will like to continue working with sexual abuse survivors and believes sex after sexual assault should be talked about more often. Alexa hopes to educate more survivors about embracing your own sex life after an assault and how to move towards healing.

You can listen to this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UofKq5rQyWY

You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

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Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.

On this episode VSC Education Coordinator Emilie Mitchell sat down with Title IX Coordinators from two Central FL Colleges: Sarah Laake from Rollins College and Matt Ricke from UCF. Come listen in on what Title IX really is, how these offices of equity and inclusion help support students, staff, and faculty, as well as learn about the changes to Title IX that are expected to come in the fall.

Sarah Lake, M.S. is the Director of the Office of Title IX at Rollins College, a role she has held since December 2018. She enjoys being a mom, cooking, watching sports (especially Gamecock football, Terrapin basketball, and Capitals hockey), and going to Disney.

Matt Ricke, Ph.D. is the Assistant Director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator for the University of Central Florida, where he has served since 2018. Matt has had the privilege of presenting locally and nationally on Title IX and gender-based misconduct, among other topics.

You can listen to this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FxScbx3OgWo

You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

To get connected with the Title IX office at Rollins College visit their website rollins.edu/titleix

To get connected with the Office of Institutional Equity at UCF visit their website: https://www.eeo.ucf.edu

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Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.

On this episode VSC Education Coordinator Emilie Mitchell sat down with Detective Suzanne Ellis Clouchet and VSC Crisis Counselor and Advocate Jocelyn Rayas to talk about Therapy Animals, Osceola County Sheriff Office’s very own Therapy Dog Murphy, and how dogs and other therapy animals can help survivors of sexual violence.

Suzanne Ellis Clouchet is a detective with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office in the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) working Crimes Against Children and Sex Crimes.  She has been with the Sheriff’s Office for almost 21 years, working 18 of those as a detective, and has been in SIU for 17 of those years.  Almost three years ago, Suzanne was blessed to start using her dog, Murphy, as the Sheriff’s Office first therapy dog helping to relax children that have been victims of abuse before law enforcement has to interview them.

Jocelyn is a bilingual crisis counselor/victim advocate at the VSC. Jocelyn obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and her Masters in Human Services. She recently moved down to Florida a year ago and is a huge animal lover.

You can also listen to this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ddPmtYXYvCY   

Follow Murphy on Instagram @k9murphy or on Facebook @kninemurphy

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Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.

On this episode VSC Education Coordinator Emilie Mitchell sat down with VSC Therapist Natalee Summers and VSC Therapy Intern Alexa Andindo to talk about Narrative Therapy, the power of sharing and retelling one’s own story, and how Narrative Therapy can help survivors of sexual violence.

Natalee Summers is currently a Contract Therapist with Victim Service Center specializing in Trauma Informed Care utilizing various and diverse Person-Centered interventions.  She finds connecting with others through “their story” can direct the therapeutic healing process.

Alexa Andino is our therapy intern here at VSC. She is currently obtaining her masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at UCF and would like to focus with working with survivors of sexual abuse during her clinical journey.

You can listen to this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VhQ_zkkH8UA

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Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.

On this episode VSC Education Coordinator Emilie Mitchell sat down with Valencia College’s Assistant Director in Equal Opportunity Dr. Trisha Whitmire and VSC Advocate and Crisis Counselor Orialis Sosa to talk about Dr. Whitmire’s research on stalking, cyberstalking, what we can do to help prevent it, and how we can support a loved one.

Dr. Trisha Whitmire currently works as an Assistant Director in Equal Opportunity at Valencia College and resends to allegations of discrimination, harassment, and related misconduct, including interpersonal violence, sexual assault, and stalking and facilitates trainings for faculty, staff, and students on these topics. She recently graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Ph.D. in Sociology with a focus on crime and deviant behavior.

Orialis Sosa is a bilingual Crisis Counselor and Victim Advocate at the VSC and is currently pursuing her license in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in the state of Florida. Prialis has developed and implemented a DBT Skills Group at VSC to help victims / survivors with mindfulness and emotion regulation skills. She uses a trauma-focused lens and is passionate about fostering growth and healing through self-reflection, self-forgiveness, and self-acceptance.

You can listen to this podcast on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/qXmkwqZRZB0

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Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.

On this episode VSC Education Coordinator Emilie Mitchell sat down with Planned Parenthood's Sex Educator Kathryn Ross and VSC Advocate and Crisis Counselor Emily Rivera to talk about Body Positivity, the effects it has on self-esteem and mental health, and how we can all practice it.

Kathryn Ross teaches subjects such as Birth Control, Safer Sex, Pregnancy, Healthy Relationships and more as the Sex Educator at Planned Parenthood. Everyday she gives back to the little girl in her, by giving youth the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. On her down time, she is a spoken word poet, UCF student and animal lover!

Emily is currently a Crisis Counselor and Victim Advocate for survivors of sexual assault and other traumatic events. She holds a Masters in mental Health Counseling and is a registered intern with the State of Florida pursuing licensure.

You can also listen to this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bVGYbFZmeXM 

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Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.

This week on the Victim Service Center Podcast VSC Education Coordinator Emilie Mitchell sat down with VSC Volunteer Coordinator Shannan Webster and two amazing VSC Volunteers, Dr. Erin Hanson and Diana Oakley, to chat about the benefits of volunteering, how volunteers can help the anti-sexual violence movement, and to learn how and why Erin and Diana got engaged with volunteering at VSC.

Shannan Webster is VSC’s Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator of the last 2 years and has worked as a public servant for the past 5 years. She is passionate about engaging her community and connecting people to the resources they need.

Dr. Erin Hanson is a UCF Research Associate Professor in the Biological Evidence Section of the National Center for Forensic Science at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She has volunteered with VSC since 2018.

Diana Oakley is an author, a professional speaker, and a member of RAINN’s Speakers Bureau (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), as well as a VSC volunteer and member of our Speakers Bureau. You can find her book Intended Harm: My Escape, Denial, Healing and Forgiveness here: https://www.amazon.com/Intended-Harm-Diana-Oakley/dp/1937952126

You can also listen to this podcast on YouTube:

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Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.

Earlier this month we sat down with VSC Education Coordinator Emilie Mitchell and two of VSC's Advocates Kevin Fox and Emily Collins to chat about what this year's Pride might look like. Now as we close out the month of June join us once again as we reflect on what has happened this month from BLM protests to Supreme Court rulings while talking about the importance of intersectionality and what Pride really means.

Kevin Fox uses he/him pronouns and is a Registered Mental health Counselor Intern with the state of Florida. Kevin worked as a high school teacher while receiving his Master of arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Rollins College. He worked with adolescents with substance use issues, Equality Florida for LGBTQ+ rights, and worked in the UF Health Cancer Center at Orlando Health, counseling and performing therapy with cancer patients and their families. His passion when working with clients is to help them increase their resilience and satisfaction with their everyday lives; he seeks to help clients increase their meaning from life and live more authentically and honestly.

Emily Collins uses she/her pronouns and is an LGBTQ+ Victim Advocate and Crisis Counselor in an adjunct position between two agencies here in Central Florida: The Victim Service Center and Zebra Coalition. Emily has her Masters in Clinical Social Work from Florida State University. She has experience working with trauma in various settings and currently specializes in working with the LGBTQ+ community after they experience sexual assault. Emily is also passionate about raising awareness on various social issues through training and outreach.

You can listen to our podcast on Youtube @VSCflorida: https://youtu.be/twq4kfhOU-g

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Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.

Hi everyone! We are proud to present our first Spanish episode! Three of our bilingual crisis counselors, Maria Nunez, Orialis Sosa, and Rosa Abraham will be talking about crime victimization, special considerations for the Hispanic community, and helping Hispanic victims know their rights with or without citizenship. Next week we will have an episode on a reflection of Pride in English - thanks! 

Nuestra comunidad hispana carece mucho de conocimiento acerca de sus derechos en los Estados Unidos y tristemente son expuestos muchas veces a ser victimizados.  En base a esto, queremos ofrecer un espacio para educar a nuestra comunidad inmigrante sobre aspectos como mitos y realidades de una agresion sexual, barreras y choque cultural y servicos disponibles para nuestra comunidad.

En este episodio tres de nuestras consejeras en crisis bilingues, Maria Nunez, Orialis Sosa, y Rosa Abraham estaran hablando sobre “El impacto en las victimas inmigrantes que han experimentado algun tipo de violencia en los Estados Unidos” y que no conocen sus derechos debido al temor que presentan por su estatus inmigratorio.

Rosa es una Consejera en Crisis bilingue y Defensora de Victima en el Centro de Servicios de Victimas en la Florida Central en el condado de Osceola. Actualmente Rosa esta cursando su doctorado en Psicologia Forense. Ella tambien forma parte de Florida Crisis Response Team y miembro de equipo de respuesta especializadas en Florida Central para abogar por los individuos que se curan del trauma.  Rosa es una apasionada de las artes y ha utilizados sus destrezas artisiticas en el proceso de recuperacio de nuestros clientes.

Orialis es una Consejera en Crisis bilingue y Defensora de Victima en el Centro de Servicios de Victimas en la Florida Central en el condado de Orange. Actualmente Orialis esta en proceso de obtener su Licensia en Salud Mental. Orialis ha desarrollado e implementado Grupo de destrezas para ayudar a las victimas/sobrevivientes con herramientas para manejar las emociones. En su tiempo libre Orialis le gusta reconectar con la natureza y realizar actividades en las afueras, siendo de esta forma una manera de autocuidado.

Maria es una Consejera en Crisis bilingue y Defensora de Victima en el Centro de Servicios de Victimas en la Florida Central en el condado de Orange. Maria posee una maestria en Trabajo Social Clinico y he trabajado la mayoria del tiempo con victimas del crimen. Ella cree en el poder de la sanacion individual emocional/psicologica ya que cada cual posee fortalezas que los pueden ayudar en el proceso de recuperacion. En conjuto con Orialis han ofrencen un grupo de apoyo en espanol para victimas de abuso sexual en la agencia.

Pueden escuchar nuestro podcast en el canal de YouTube : https://youtu.be/lSndEMbscpM

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En este podcast vamos a estar discutiendo temas sensitivos incluyendo agresion sexual y eventos traumaticos. Es importante tener en cuenta nuestro nivel de tolerancia mientras escuchamos. Se recomienda escuchar cuando nos encontremos en un estado emocional estable y tener al alcance recursos de apoyo emocional de ser necesarios. Nuestra linea de crisis esta disponible 24/7 para residentes de Florida Central, puede llamar al 407-500-4325. Recuerda, siempre hay alguien dispuesto a ayudar.

With the Black Lives Matter movement and protests surrounding police brutality happening around the world, we decided to open a dialogue about Transgenerational Trauma in the Black Community for our Podcast this week.

On this episode Emilie Mitchell, VSC Education Coordinator, is joined by Michelle Ilugbusi and Sarah Moore. 

Michelle is a born and raised Central Floridian as well as a recent graduate of the clinical mental health counseling masters program at Rollins College. She's an activist, mental health advocate, and anti-racism educator. 

Sarah is a former therapy intern and volunteer with the Victim Service Center and a recent Rollins College clinical mental health counseling program graduate.Her personal and clinical interests center on the role trauma, resiliency, and healing influence individual, family, and community function alike. 

You can listen to our podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4OLt2V89FI&t=6s

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Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.