i believe you

This week, we talk with Karen about her story of surviving abuse at the hands of her stepfather. The idea of that to be loved means to experience abuse was a common story told to her not only by her abusive stepfather but by religious leaders.  Karen has had to reframe her story to become one about love for herself, how the abuse is not her shame to carry and  the work she is doing in  finding self love and grace. 

In this episode we are joined by Amanda as she talks us through her stories of survival, why she has kept her stories silent  and how she ended up in litigation against a powerful ride share company. This episode is a wonderful example of how we can still be in our pain and going through it and know that when we talk to safe people they will believe and see us, not shame and silence us.  There is no perfection or finished when it comes to processing an assault, so sometimes we just have to start talking and know that our community will help carry the weight of what happened with us.

You are not alone and if you need help or want to talk to someone please reach out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline,  Available 24 hours: 1-800-656-4673

It is never easy to find your voice or feelings when a story feels outside of you. We talk with Will, a secondary survivor who is on a journey of understanding the impact that abuse has had on his mother's life and their relationship.  As he feels his own pain through knowing what she want through, he is finding new ways to connect with her, empower her and help her break her silence even further. The biggest thing we can do as secondary survivors is to create the space for ourselves and the survivor to talk through the experience if and when they are ready.

This week we chat with Lori Poland, Executive Director of EndCAN and author of I Live Here: learning to heal through embracing your own story

When Lori was kidnapped at the age of 3, her world and the world of others turned upside down. Her journey has been one of finding her voice in a tragedy that was mostly told to her and trying to understand what it means to have "joint custody" of your story. We don't always get to choose what our story means to others or even to ourselves, and sometimes the process of healing means feeling the mess and the wonder simultaneously.

If you would like to learn more about the work EndCAN does please go to their website 

In this episode, we change things up as  Alli gets interviewed for the first time. Brittany, Alli's wife, helps Alli explore her stories and how they have influenced her in creating Breaking Silence. We walk through how Alli sees her stories of abuse today, what she continues to struggle with and what she hopes this podcast and Breaking Silence brings each of you!

Alli sits down with Cody to learn about his experience of surviving a sexual assault at a pivotal time; when he was defining his identity and sexuality. Cody guides us through his experience of meeting an older man online who violated his sense of safety, his sense of community and his sense of self. We talk through believing in the power of his words and how this moment sent him on a journey of healing and growth

In this episode we talk with Anaya who walks through his story of being sexually assaulted by his partner, in which the assault ends in a pregnancy.  At 16, Anaya knew that having a child that resulted from a rape was not what he wanted so he sought abortion as a step in his healing process. We talk through this process, the significance of inclusive language especially in the abortion space for those that identify as trans and how being a little kinder with our words and energy changes the world.

Alli and Max, a gay male who worked in the escort sex work industry  sit down to debunk the stereotypes of the industry, how access to safe sex can strip down our shame, and the power of consent. 

We hope this vulnerable and honest conversation will start the conversation around the sex work industry so that we can all be better informed and more empathetic   

In this episode, Tanya, a treatment provider for those who have committed sex offense sits down with us to talk through what that treatment looks like, the roll that accountability plays in her work and how we can all be a part of the healing process for those in our lives.

In this episode, Alli sits down with Katie a survivor of rape. Katie tells us her story of surviving the assault at the hands of a friend, the price of healing, and how she is working to build a community where all survivors are heard and supported.

If you or anyone you know needs further support please visit our resources page or reach out to the rape crisis hotline directly at 1-800-656-4673

Voice Actor, Rapper, Music Producer Joseph (J. Etienne) Harrison serves God and loves his wife above all things. That lens is what fuels and informs his art. He approaches writing from the standpoint of "if I had only one message to tell people before I die, then this is it." Music should inform people. It should cause them to think, to self-reflect. Challenge them to be different. To grow. He is based in Atlanta, GA. 

Find more of Joseph:

Instagram: @jharrisond2d 

Twitter: @jharrisond2d

Website: https://www.josephetienne.com/

A statement from Joseph:

"All Glory be to God!"

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Created during a time of quarantine in the global Coronavirus pandemic, A Moment Of Your Time’s mission is to provide a space for expression, collaboration, community and solidarity. In this time of isolation, we may have to be apart but let’s create together. 

Created by CurtCo Media

Concept by Jenny Curtis

Theme music by Chris Porter

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sexual Violence. There, we said it. Not a fun topic and one we would rather not discuss, even better if it didn’t exist. However, unfortunately it does exist and since the many victims of this horrific crime can’t ignore it, neither will we. In today’s episode we interview *Linda, a survivor of rape. Linda bravely speaks to us about her experience and shares her story of healing. During the follow-up conversation we attempt to put the scope of the problem in perspective with information taken from the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network; www.rainn.org) website. Please send comments on today’s podcast to: 

earringsoff@gmail.com.

*Name has been changed to protect the victim’s identity.