What does it take to feel safe enough to be close again?

In this episode, Shannon and Lauren sit down with intimacy expert and trauma survivor Susan Bratton to unpack what rebuilding intimacy looks like after trauma. They talk about how communication builds safety, and why so many survivors struggle to feel touch without fear.

Susan shares her story of healing after childhood abuse and how she learned to turn numbness into sensation and shame into sovereignty.

It’s a conversation about presence, power, and the possibility of pleasure after pain, and a reminder that rebuilding intimacy isn’t about sex at all. It’s about coming home to yourself. Cheers!

Susan: https://susanbratton.com/

Follow Susan: https://www.instagram.com/susanbratton/?hl=en

Get Educated: www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Check out merch & more: WhatTheyDontSay.com

Got questions? Have an episode idea?

Send us an email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

There were 430,000 rapes in the UK last year. 5 in 6 women never report what happened to them. If reporting feels impossible, the system needs new paths forward. That’s why the organization, Enough, was created.

Shannon sits down with Katie White, co-founder of Enough, and Dr. Maisie Johnstone, counseling psychologist and clinical lead, to talk about how they’re giving sexual assault survivors more choice and more agency through a self-testing rape kit, an encrypted place to record what happened, and a digital recovery platform for those who can’t access therapy.

They discuss what sexual violence really looks like in the UK, the silence surrounding it, and how reframing words like “delayed realization” and “hyper-sexuality” could change the way we understand sexual assault and healing. Grab whatever’s in your glass and press play. Cheers!

Checkout Enough: https://myenough.com/Follow Enough on IG: https://www.instagram.com/enoughtoendrape

Follow Enough on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enoughtoendrape?lang=en 

Enough on Youtube: https://youtube.com/@enoughtoendrape?si=mA_Rtx-rLtQmInOj

Check out our merch: WhatTheyDontSay.com

Got questions? Have an episode idea?

Send us an email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

Life after sexual assault looks different for everyone, but no one talks about how it can change your dreams, your work, and your body’s capacity to keep going.

In this solo episode, Shannon unpacks how sexual trauma impacts careers and identity, and what it really means to meet yourself where you are in the aftermath. She talks about adjusting to a new normal, why it’s okay to have one, and what strength looks like for who you are now. Let's get cozy and talk about meeting yourself where you are. Cheers!

Get Educated: www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Tell the world that consent is hot: WhatTheyDontSay.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

In this episode, Shannon answers a few of the questions listeners have written in. Drawing from her own healing, a bit of research, and conversations with experts, she offers honest and unfiltered responses to the things survivors are often left wondering.

She gets into:

– What really counts as sexual assault (and why “gray areas” aren’t gray)

– Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn explained– Coping with dissociation

– Her honest take on therapy, including EMDR

– Red and green flags when dating again after trauma

Grab your favorite beverage and join Shannon for this survivor Q&A. Cheers!

Learn how your state defines sexual assault: https://rainn.org/take-action/fight-for-justice/state-law-database/

Check out the website (& merch!): WhatTheyDontSay.com

Got questions? Have an episode idea? Send us an email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

No one really prepares you for the first days after sexual assault. The confusion. The self-blame. The nonstop “am I crazy for thinking this?” thoughts. It can sometimes feel like your whole world is upside down, and like you’re the only one going through it.

In this solo episode, Shannon talks directly to survivors who were recently assaulted, or are just starting to process what happened. She shares why your brain might be doubting itself, why your body feels off, and why needing rest is a non-negotiable.,

If you’ve been asking yourself “Is this normal?” the answer is yes. You’re not broken, you’re not alone, and joy will find its way back to you, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.

So grab a drink, get cozy, and let’s walk through this together. Cheers!

Get Educated: www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Check out the merch: WhatTheyDontSay.com

Got questions? Have an episode idea?

Send me an email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

In Part 2 of our conversation with trauma therapist Cindie Henrie, we talk about what it means for survivors to recognize their own predatory impulses and how anger can be both destructive and productive in the healing journey. We also unpack how trauma lives in the body, how survivors reclaim power through movement and sensation, and what the cycle of abuse can look like behind closed doors—including in places like Hollywood. Cindie brings insight into the minds of perpetrators, the mechanics of trafficking, and how manipulation, denial, and control play out across systems and relationships. It’s raw, it’s honest, and you should stop reading this description and press play already. Cheers!

Los Angeles Therapy Network: https://www.latherapynetwork.com/

Get Educated: www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Check out our merch: WhatTheyDontSay.com

Got questions? Have an episode idea?

Send us an email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress Treatment, LMFT, and BCETS, Cindie Henrie joins us to explore the psychology behind sexual abuse and survival. Cindie shares her experience working with high-risk youth, sex offenders, trafficking survivors, and the LGBTQIA+ community, offering a rare and honest look at the “why” behind predatory behavior. Together, we unpack how perpetrators often carry their own trauma and project it onto their victims, how survivors internalize abuse, and she introduces the "Trauma Triangle". A model in psychology of the victim, rescuer, and perpetrator that keeps people stuck in painful cycles.

If you've ever found yourself asking, "Why did this happen?" this episode will help you start making sense of it. Strap in, this is a good one. Cheers!

Los Angeles Therapy Network: https://www.latherapynetwork.com/

Get Educated: www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Check out our website: WhatTheyDontSay.com

Got questions? Have an episode idea?

Send us an email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

We’re talking about what happens when you end up in another toxic relationship...one that looks a little too familiar. You saw the red flags. You stayed. Is that your fault?

We’re also unpacking the sticky, complicated ways survivors of sexual assault sometimes attach to people who feel safe, like comfort, like healing, like maybe they’ll be able to put us back together. (Spoiler: that’s not their job.) We share our own attachments to people we thought could keep us safe forever and fix us, and why that isn't their job.

This episode is about the patterns we don’t always want to admit, and the kind of honesty that can actually move us forward. Grab a drink, get comfy, and let’s get into it. Cheers!

Get Educated: www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Our Website: WhatTheyDontSay.com

Got questions? Have an episode idea?

Send us an email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

In this crossover episode, we sit down with Dave Markel, a retired police detective and host of the Sexual Assault Survivor Stories (SASS) podcast. Together, we explore the complexities of rape culture, the role of humor in conversations about sexual violence, and how trauma impacts the brain long after the event itself.

Dave shares insight from his years in law enforcement and his current work with survivors, helping us bridge the gap between the systems that fail and the stories that deserve to be heard. Cheers!

Check out Survivor School: https://www.survivor-school.com/free?ref=WTDS

Listen to Dave's SASS podcast:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/33U3Vn4jGkzNf5weufDnjB?si=e27e90ebc492437e

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sexual-assault-survivor-stories/id1653248814

Get Educated: www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Check out our website: WhatTheyDontSay.com

Got questions? Have an episode idea?

Send us an email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

No one really tells you what going to court for a sexual assault case is like. Not the emotional toll, the things you quietly give up along the way, or the things you gain. So… is it worth it? In this episode, we're pulling the curtain back on the process and the parts no one prepares you for. It was long, emotional, and exhausting. But it also helped us reclaim our voices and feel grounded in our stories. Whether you’re thinking about it, deep in it, or just curious, we’re sharing what we wish we knew. If you’ve ever wondered if going to court is worth it, this one's for you. So grab your favorite beverage and get cozy. Cheers!

Get Educated: www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Check out our merch: WhatTheyDontSay.com

Got questions? Have an episode idea?

Send us an email: [email protected]

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whattheydontsayofficial/

Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@whattheydontsayofficial

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs support: 1-800-656-4573 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)