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Guest: Tarah-Lynn Saint-Elien is the fashion editor at Cosmopolitan, host of the Dressed for Battle podcast, and founder of Adorned in Armor ministry. She was crowned Miss Black New Jersey in 2018 and just released her third book, She Reigns: Conquering Your Triggers, Fears, and Worries with God’s Truth. tarahlynnadorned.com IG:@iamtarahlynn

Guest: Sheila Wray Gregoire, author of the just released book She Deserves Better: Raising Girls to Resist Toxic Teachings on Sex, Self & Speaking Up. Sheila is also the author of eleven other books including The Great Sex Rescue, the host of the Bare Marriage podcast, and the founder of To Love Honor and Vacuum. An award-winning writer, Sheila calls the church to more than just pat answers by conducting original research to find out what advice works–and what really doesn’t. More info: baremarriage.com

Special Guest: Allie Marie Smith is the Founder and Director of Wonderfully Made (wonderfullymade.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping teen girls and young women know their true value. She is the author of Wonderfully Made: Discover the Identity, Love, and Worth You Were Created For, a podcast host and certified life coach, living in Santa Barbara County where she enjoys surfing and adventuring along the California coast. 

Guest: Sandy Phillips Kirkham, clergy sexual abuse survivor and author of Let Me Prey Upon You: Breaking Free from a Minister's Sexual Abuse. Sandy serves on the board of Council Against Child Abuse. Sandy has spoken before the Ohio Senate, a Maryland court, and appeared on a local television show in Boston. Her story, “Stolen Innocence,” was told in a documentary produced by The Hope of Survivors. Sandy works with survivors conducting victim support conferences. She has participated in The Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) panels moderated by SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), sharing her perspective from the non-Catholic point of view. More info: sandyphillipskirkham.com

Special Guest: Chris McKenna, Founder of Protect Young Eyes (protectyoungeyes.com) is with us, talking about the things related to digital safety, digital trust and offers some great practical tips for parents. Check out the blog he refers to here: https://protectyoungeyes.com/when-your-own-childhood-trauma-causes-overprotective-digital_parenting/ and his IG: @protectyoungeyes  Lastly, there are many ways to contact the Human Trafficking Hotline... 1-888-373-7888 or help@humantraffickinghotline.org  or text HELP to 233733 (BEFREE) or the online chat: www.humantraffickinghotline.org

Special Guest: Shaletha Sanders. Shaletha is a wellness coach, author, philanthropist, the Leading lady of Faith Empowerment Center, former TBN host and the founder of “Youth Empowerment Sessions" which generates leaders and role models within the community, decreasing crime, peer pressure, teenage pregnancy and drug addiction, while fostering character building and boosting self-esteem.

Kevin Sweeney joins us again with his second book "The Joy of Letting Go: How One Thing Has the Power to Change Everything" (January 2023).  Kevin was the co-founder and lead pastor of Imagine Church—an urban church in Honolulu--for the past decade.  He is the host of The Church Needs Therapy podcast.

Therapist/Educator Mandi Pierson joins Nicole and Mary for a conversation about power of the non-offending parent in the lives of sexual abuse survivors...the good, the bad and the ugly.

Guest:  Dr. Rachel Croteau, a New Hampshire physician specializing in family medicine and a certified practitioner through the Institute for Functional Medicine.

Guest: Rev. Aurelia Dávila Pratt is the lead pastor of Peace of Christ Church in Round Rock, Texas, co-host of the Nuance Tea Podcast and author of the just released book, "A Brown Girl’s Epiphany: Reclaim Your Intuition and Step Into Your Power"

Our friend, Mandi Pierson (therapist and educator), joins us for a conversation about therapy, how to find a therapist, red flags and green flags, boundaries, how to be a good client and ways to maximize the rewards found through therapy.

Guest: Diane Tarantini, author of The Brave Knight which "articulates incredibly complex child abuse grooming techniques/dynamics (ie. desensitizing physical contact, isolation from familial supports, love for perpetrators, disparity of social power), and somehow does it in an age-appropriate, non-threatening way. A brilliant, compelling, and inspiring resource for kids and those who love them.” -Robert Peters: Senior Attorney at Zero Abuse Project, founder of Shield Task Force, former prosecuting attorney, former US Marine. More info on Diane at dianetarantini.com and her new book at thebraveknight.com

Guest: Jane Epstein is a survivor of and advocate for survivors of Sibling Sexual Abuse at Complicated Courage. Jane is 
Co-Founder of both IncestAWARE.org and 5WAVES.org, an international advocacy group that
 offers information, support, and guidance about SSA. 

Special Guest: Stephen Mills, author of CHOSEN: a memoir of stolen boyhood.   "I was sexually assaulted by a highly respected member of the community. My boyhood experience is all too common. The only unusual part is that I decided to write a book about it." —Stephen Mills   At thirteen years old, Stephen Mills is chosen for special attention by the director of his Jewish summer camp, a charismatic social worker intent on becoming his friend. Stephen, whose father died when he was four, places his trust in this authority figure, who first grooms and then molests him for two years. Stephen tells no one, but the aftershocks rip through his adult life, as intense as his denial: self-loathing, drug abuse, petty crime, and horrific nightmares, all made worse by the discovery that his abuser is moving from camp to camp, state to state, molesting other boys. Only physical and mental collapse bring Stephen to confront the truth of his boyhood and begin the painful process of recovery—as well as a decades-long crusade to stop a serial predator, find justice, and hold to account those who failed the children in their care. The trauma of sexual abuse is shared by one out of every six men, yet very few have broken their silence. Unflinching and compulsively readable, CHOSEN eloquently speaks for those countless others and their families. It is a rare act of consummate courage and generosity—the indelible story of a man who faces his torment and his tormentor and, in the process, is made whole.   More info and resources at stephenmillsauthor.com

Guest bio: Melanie Sachs is a survivor of Child Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault and other traumatic events. Melanie obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and worked under the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence right after college. She served for 2 Years in National Service as a member of the AmeriCorps Victim Assistance program as a crisis center advocate and as a Shelter Advocate on the night/overnight shift located in the Imminent Danger Shelter. Melanie relocated to in 2015 to Cape Cod, Massachusetts and worked at the local advocacy center for 6 years in two roles (Family Advocate and Forensic Interviewer) helping families navigate all systems and providing support in many capacities for Families who walk through the doors of as the result of child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, witness to domestic violence or CSEC (Trafficking) along with conducting Forensic Interviews of Children for Law Enforcement and Child Protection (MDT Partners). Melanie served on the Board of Directors for SHIELD Task Force out of West Virginia for 2 years and in late 2020 Melanie accepted a position to be a part of SHIELD in a different capacity as a Training and Development Consultant and as a presenting member of their Speakers Bureau. Melanie is passionate about walking alongside others on their healing journey and since 2019 has embarked on sharing her experience with Pelvic Pain/Dysfunction on her Instagram @victoryoverpelvicpain and hashtag #victoryoverpelvicpain

Special guest Kevin Sweeney is the author of the forthcoming books, “The Making of a Mystic: My Journey with Mushrooms, My Life as a Pastor, and Why It’s Okay For Everyone to Relax,” out on May 31st, and “The Joy of Letting Go” which will be out in January 2023. He is the co-founder and lead pastor of Imagine Church—an urban church in Honolulu that is welcoming of all people, sees imagination as the key to the future, chooses authenticity over performance, substance over hype, and quality over quantity. He is the host of podcast “The Church Needs Therapy.”

In honor of Sexual Abuse Awareness Month, we are releasing a weekly series of interviews with an inspiring survivor as she unpacks with us her journey of finding her voice and stepping into healing.  From the revelation of the abuse as an adult, to the hard decisions she has made and brave steps she has taken in response, to the confrontation, to the boundary setting, to loving herself again, and the current freedom and joy found in redeeming a sisterhood that was previously stolen. 

In honor of Sexual Abuse Awareness Month, we are releasing a weekly series of interviews with an inspiring survivor as she unpacks with us her journey of finding her voice and stepping into healing.  From the revelation of the abuse as an adult, to the hard decisions she has made and brave steps she has taken in response, to the confrontation, to the boundary setting, to loving herself again, and the current freedom and joy found in redeeming a sisterhood that was previously stolen. 

In honor of Sexual Abuse Awareness Month, we are releasing a weekly series of interviews with an inspiring survivor as she unpacks with us her journey of finding her voice and stepping into healing.  From the revelation of the abuse as an adult, to the hard decisions she has made and brave steps she has taken in response, to the confrontation, to the boundary setting, to loving herself again, and the current freedom and joy found in redeeming a sisterhood that was previously stolen. 

Nicole and Mary chat with Mandi Pierson, Director at Porchlight (porchlightcolumbus.com), trainer, trauma therapist and a top facilitator of our UNLEASH virtual support groups for survivors (iamonevoice.org/unleash).