In March of 2020, the week of the shutdown, my daughter turned 3 years old. As we showered her with birthday gifts that had been dropped at our doorstep or mailed to us by friends and family who could no longer celebrate with her in person, I came across a hard covered book that had been sent to her by my older brother. As I read…
Twenty years ago, my life was completely and irreversibly altered.
As we find ourselves approaching holidays that look and feel different, may we give ourselves…
Let’s raise awareness to counteract the isolation and darkness that abuse thrives upon.
Primary prevention is often described as preventing violence or harm before it ever occurs.
A profound and meaningful loss of control. I’ve written this definition of trauma on white boards and easels, large post-it paper, and in PowerPoint presentations. I’ve said these words out loud hundreds, probably thousands of times, to audiences ranging from a few middle school students to hundreds of clinicians and medical professionals. But these words felt so different when I said them to my colleagues recently….
If you visit REACH’s new office and you happen to walk by the Prevention office, you will see a large calendar posted on the wall with the question, “Where is Prevention?” written in Harry Potter-esque lettering above. At a Prevention team retreat last summer, I had joked that we needed the Whereabouts Clock described in the Harry Potter books to keep track of the whereabouts of…
It’s 6:35 on a rainy Monday morning. I, along with 40 others, have been practicing hard, sweaty yoga in 100+ degree heat for fifty minutes in a small room with no windows. We have finally reached the point in class where our beloved teacher, Tara, is allowing us to take our first restful pose. There are only ten minutes left of class; I can almost taste…
“You shouldn’t have been wearing high heels!” – Mother to daughter who was assaulted on her way home from work “Truthfully, I was a very sexual girl. I really don’t think he was at fault because I was just so promiscuous, he couldn’t help it.” – Adult survivor, describing sexual abuse she experienced as a five-year-old child “I’m so sorry you had to come out in…
Throughout my career, including just yesterday, I have received calls from friends and family who are concerned that someone they love is experiencing abuse. These calls often start with the sentence, “I’m looking for some advice…” and I can hear in their voices how deeply worried they are, and how much they hope that I can provide an answer for them. As I do with each of these calls,…
