The Survivors Speak Interview series is dedicated to amplifying the voices of survivors by providing a platform to share our stories and connect us through experiences and healing. Read stories of childhood trauma as survivors share their pain, their hope, and their healing.  Kimberly’s Story – Texas, USA Please share what inspired you to share your story. I need to get this out and let it go. It has taken control over my life and I feel that if I don’t get it out, I am going to explode. I have ruined so many things in my life because of a series of events that I had no control over. I wa ..read more

Thoughts Over Coffee with Shanon Last year I brought EMDR back into my therapy. I needed deeper help untangling and processing how my childhood abuse continually crosses paths with my real-time life experiences. I began my EMDR by first focusing on the belief that I am not a good person & can’t be trusted. I started here due to a situation last summer where I was fully aware that I was fearful of speaking up for myself or asking for accountability after an injury I sustained at a hotel. Instead I assumed blame. Exploring this led me to early memories of being punished for lying. The Memor ..read more

Daily writing prompt Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it? View all responses Oh boy, I might embarrass myself with this one, but I’m going to share anyway. First a quick back story … My Blankie When I was very young, I had a blankie that I slept with; it was cotton with a cool satin-like fabric for the border. When I was in my younger elementary years one of the borders came undone and I used to bunch it up in my hands as I would fall asleep. There was something about the smooth feeling of the fabric that comforted me to sleep as I curled it into my ..read more

Daily writing prompt Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why? View all responses Would you believe that learning how to think about my past and about my future is something I had to learn how to do in my 30s? Shanon My life has been full of dissociation which leaves no room for past, present, or future. I’ve experienced years of only speaking to the future and of mental health crisis as childhood flashbacks threw me into my past. Now, I’ve reached a place where I can exist in the present, I can remember the past, and I can look to the future. Let me explain. Childh ..read more

Journaling is a doorway inward.  Focused journaling/writing is one of my primary practices in my healing journey. Of course the occasional unfettered dump into my diary is necessary, but when I began to combine my love of writing with the focused intention of personal exploration and processing, I found a powerful tool.  Speaking Up It’s hard to speak up when speaking up has always been dangerous. When we grow up having our emotions weaponized against us, our needs neglected, and our wants either mocked or completely ignored – we learn to feel nothing, need nothing, and want nothing ..read more

The Survivors Speak Interview series is dedicated to amplifying the voices of survivors by providing a platform to share our stories and connect us through experiences and healing. Read stories of childhood trauma as survivors share their pain, their hope, and their healing.  Molly’s Story, Florida USA Please share what inspired you to share your story. The MeToo movement really helped me to be heard and supported. Before that I would talk about my abuse, but no one would reply. No one would converse with me about it. No one would do anything either. Now that Epstien and Maxwell have been ..read more

He didn’t protect me, he made me available. He didn’t love me, he used me. He didn’t teach me, he frightened me. I cried silently, so he wouldn’t hear. Still, I wanted to stay with him forever. When I needed him as a child, his priorities conflicted. When it mattered the most, he betrayed me. A witness for the defense, he took his side, and protected my abuser. Still, I loved him and needed his love in return. I left at 14, seeking haven with other loved ones. He told me I was a gold-digger. He called me a meal ticket. He told me to go to hell. Still, I cried for him often. He stopped talking ..read more

Thoughts Over Coffee with Shanon from Surviving Childhood Trauma. Join me for a cup of coffee and some real talk about complex PTSD and trauma healing and recovery. I slept like shit last night.  I wonder if I had a similar night’s sleep 28 years ago on the eve of the day I was scheduled to take the stand against my grandfather for molesting me.  According to court records, it had been 9 months of investigation that culminated into the two-day trial that was cut short by my grandfather’s suicide. He knew what he had done. The Betrayals My father agreed to be a witness for the defens ..read more

The Survivors Speak Interview series is dedicated to amplifying the voices of survivors by providing a platform to share our stories and connect us through experiences and healing. Read stories of childhood trauma as survivors share their pain, their hope, and their healing.  Anonymous Survivor Story Please share what inspired you to share your story. My heartbeat is to help people. If I can lead one person who has been through the same trauma as me, or any trauma for that matter, to the one who heals, it is worth everything. Introduce yourself: tell us about your passions, interests, fam ..read more

Through a Healing Lens is a Q&A segment on Surviving Childhood Trauma where I address questions and inquiries from you, the survivor living in the aftermath of your childhood and trying to make sense of your healing journey. In these Q&As I will share my experiences and the tips and tricks I have picked up along the way and to aid in moving my healing forward. Question: My childhood abuse caused me to have a severe overactive fight or flight response. I’m wondering how I can overcome this since it’s a huge hindrance in every day life when I’m faced with the smallest confrontation and ..read more