Guest post by Mandi Pierson For the better part of two decades, I have worked with women who have survived unthinkable trauma. I live in central Ohio where sex trafficking is being recognized, and innovative efforts are made to address the issue on all fronts, from demand to treatment and recovery. Having worked in gender
Why disclose sexual abuse? FYI: The average age of an individual who discloses sexual abuse is 52. And that’s if they disclose at all. According to the child safety organization, Darkness to Light, 60% of child sexual abuse victims never tell anyone. So why don’t the 60% disclose? In this blog post, I shared a
Healing from child sex abuse (aka CSA) is serious business. But before we even start the conversation about healing, let’s look at some statistics. CSA happens to girls, and it happens to boys. In fact, current statistics report that in the US, 1 in 10 kids will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. As a result,
There was a time I personally experienced the Bystander Effect. Keep reading. It’s a heckuva story. Trigger warning: If you’ve been bullied, this piece may make you anxious. My sophomore year of college, Jake and Wilbur lived in the same dorm as me, on the same floor. Since they both sported buzz cuts the color
“Better late than never,” as they say. In May 2022, my husband and I, and four other couples, finally made it to Scotland for a couples’ whisky tasting tour originally scheduled for 2020. I’d visited Scotland twice before, along with three of the women on this trip. Because both trips were fantastic, we decided to
Ever since the fourth grade, I’ve known two things: I’d get counseling. I’d write a book. Twenty-ish years ago I accomplished the first thing, and last year I finally accomplished the second. Honestly, I never imagined my first project would be a children’s book. I always thought it would be my memoir. Or maybe a
Have you ever wondered how to keep kids safe? In today’s guest blog post, Angie Conn–one of the bravest and coolest women I know–offers up several great ideas. Angie believes it helps to know, Every person wants to belong. As human beings, we want to have connection and family, and we want to know that
For a while now—years, actually—I’ve had a sneaking suspicion that I’ve got a fungal overgrowth situation going on. You might, too. If your gut microbiome is out of whack, your symptoms may include: cravings for carbohydrates and sweets. And/or longstanding constipation or eczema. Recurring urinary tract or yeast infections. Itching of the ears, anus, or
Do you long to experience deeper emotional intimacy with your loved ones? Try conversation questions! In recent years I’ve amped up the relational connection level with my friends and family by using a single resource: conversation questions. The first questions I tried were those found in Vertellis Card Games. To give you an idea of what
Aging well has always been my goal. In fact, for as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to live to be 100. Not just any 100, but a vibrant, satisfying kind of century-old status. I watched my father slip away—first mentally, then physically—with dementia. And I accompanied my mother as she journeyed toward her death.
