Initiated Survivor

In this bittersweet farewell episode of Initiated Survivor, I reflect on the incredible journey this podcast has been and my gratitude for this amazing chapter in my life. Though the podcast is ending, my commitment to working with survivors continues through therapy, workshops, and professional trainings. I want to give a special thanks to all the courageous survivors and supporters who've contributed. As I move forward, my website drkelseyharper.com remains a resource for ongoing support and connection. Thank you for being part of this journey. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 00:09 — Finale of Initiated Survivor 00:49 — The Journey of Initiated Survivor 01:36 — Growth and Authenticity 03:35 — Building Community 04:34 — Achievements and Recognition 05:39 — Future Plans and Gratitude 06:14 — Stay in Touch! Topics/Triggers: · Survivors · Trauma Recovery · Community · Growth · Grief · Therapy · Healing ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

I have a wonderful conversation with Michelle Hirschman of Hirschman Clinical Services on the topic of vicarious trauma among helping professionals. Michelle shares her extensive experience working with a team of mobile coaches who assist clients with chronic mental health issues, eating disorders, and substance abuse. We discuss the importance of recognizing signs of burnout and the unique supports Michelle's organization offers to therapists and the recovery treatment community. Additionally, Michelle introduces her initiative to integrate holistic healing modalities for both clients and professionals. We also emphasize the significance of maintaining self-care and resilience in the face of professional challenges. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 00:49 — About Hirschman Clinical Services 02:46 — Challenges in the Field: Vicarious Trauma and Burnout 09:26 — Holistic Healing Approaches 29:38 — Professional Support and Community 32:08 — Conclusion and Final Thoughts ★ Connect with Michelle Hirschman ★ · Visit the Hirschman Clinical Services Website · Follow @hirschmanclinicalservices on Instagram Topics/Triggers: · Vicarious Trauma · Suicide · EMDR · Burnout · Holistic Healing · Addiction · Eating Disorders ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

This episode, I welcome back Meghan Goode, a fellow therapist and survivor, to discuss the intricate overlap between professional lives and personal traumas as therapists. We explore the concept of the 'wounded healer' and emphasize the importance of continuous self-care and therapy for professionals exposed to trauma. Meghan shares her journey, highlighting how her own traumatic experiences fueled her career shift, and her approach to EMDR and DBT therapy. We also discuss the challenges of vicarious trauma, the power of genuine therapist-client connections, and the impactful ripple effects of survivor stories. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 03:53 — The Wounded Healer 06:28 — Types of Therapy & Personal Healing 15:08 — The Power of Self-Disclosure 18:34 — Impact of Public Figures and Advocacy 27:10 — Honoring Survivors and Continuing the Mission 29:48 — Building Community for Survivors ★ Connect with Meghan Goode ★ · Visit Meghan’s Website here · Listen to Initiated Survivor: Survivor to Warrior with Meghan Goode Topics/Triggers: · Rape · DBT · Trauma · Vicarious Trauma · EMDR · Mindfulness · PTSD · Sexual Abuse · Sexual Assault · Suicide · Bullying ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

In this episode, I have Kelly Johnson, a writer, public speaker, and community engagement professional back on the podcast to discuss the concept of the 'palatable victim' within sexual violence narratives. We talk about societal and cultural expectations that define a 'palatable' victim, contrasting these with the reality faced by many survivors. We also highlight the struggles survivors face in being believed and heard, emphasizing the need to support all survivors regardless of these biases. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 00:24 — Defining the Palatable Victim 02:09 — Public Perception and Reporting 05:39 — Navigating the Justice System 08:55 — Societal Reactions and Victim Blaming 11:50 — Impact of Public Allegations 18:46 — Survivor Reactions and Misconceptions 23:59 — Privilege and Survivorship 30:48 — The Importance of Advocacy ★ Connect with Kelly Johnson ★ · Listen to Initiated Survivor: The far-reaching effects of trauma with Kelly Johnson · Learn About Writers for Hope created by Kelly Johnson · Follow @writersforhope on Instagram Topics/Triggers: · Rape · Sexual Violence · Palatable Victim · Strangulation · Violence · Victim Blaming ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

This episode, I welcome back Justine Cross, a BDSM consultant and dominatrix, and Rena Martine, an intimacy coach and former deputy district attorney to the podcast. Justine and Rena share their expertise in creating safe, shame-free spaces for trauma survivors to explore their sexuality. We explore the concepts of trauma-informed sexual practices, importance of consent, and taking gradual steps in intimate encounters post-trauma. We also discuss frequently asked listener questions, such as how to navigate sexual experiences post-trauma, and emphasize gradual exposure, communication, and understanding one's own desires as pathways to healing and enjoyable intimate experiences. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 01:14 — Meet Justine Cross & Rena Martine 02:24 — Understanding Trauma-Informed Sexuality 03:29 — Practical Steps for Trauma-Informed Practices 04:57 — Creating Safe Spaces for Exploration 06:44 — The Importance of Consent and Communication 07:54 — Finding Community and Support 10:14 — Taking the First Steps Towards Healing 16:03 — AD: Trauma Resourcing Skills Workshop & Trauma Informed Intimacy Skills Workshop 18:23 — Addressing Common Concerns and Questions 25:56 — The Value of Sexual Exploration and Play 38:45 — Keep up with Rena and Justine! ★ Connect with Justine Cross ★ · Connect with Justine Here · Learn More About Dungeon East · Follow Justine on IG @thejustinecross · Watch Justine's Work on YouTube · Listen to Initiated Survivor: Mistress Justine Cross on Consent, Kink Communities, and BDSM ★ Connect with Rena Martine ★ · Connect with Rena Here · The Sex You Want by Rena Martine · Follow Rena on IG @rena.martine · The Sex Drive Reset: Free Audio Guide Topics/Triggers: · Intimacy · Trauma-informed Intimacy · Sex Crimes · Intimacy Coaching · Trauma Survivors · Sex Work · Trauma Therapy · BDSM · Sexual Abuse · Rape · Spousal Rape ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

In this episode, I talk about vicarious trauma and its similarities to burnout. I will cover what vicarious trauma is, symptoms, and real-life examples of vicarious trauma in helping professionals. I’ll also share the importance of recognizing and addressing vicarious trauma to prevent the development of chronic PTSD. I’ll discuss systemic factors contributing to vicarious trauma and the impact on personal and professional lives. You can look forward to future episodes, where I will share strategies for alleviating vicarious trauma and fostering community support. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! 00:00 — Intro 00:12 — Connecting with Survivor-Focused Content 01:16 — Understanding Vicarious Trauma 06:11 — Symptoms of Vicarious Trauma 08:40 — Impact on Personal and Professional Life 10:32 — Managing Vicarious Trauma 16:24 — AD: Fall Workshops 28:10 — Challenges in the Helping Profession 30:59 — Survivor Therapists and Vicarious Trauma 33:59 — Conclusion and Future Content Topics/Triggers: · Vicarious Trauma · Burnout · Sexual Abuse · Trauma Focused CBT · PTSD · Child Sexual Abuse · Trauma Experience · Trauma Memory · Helplessness and Hopelessness · Addictions · Sexual Assault · Rape · Stalking ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

In this episode, we’re shifting from gender-based violence to the unique challenges faced by all healthcare professionals — from psychologists and therapists to emergency responders. Addressing the high risk of burnout and compassion fatigue, I’m explaining how these professionals are uniquely vulnerable due to their roles. Burnout is characterized by chronic, unresolved stress leading to significant mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, while compassion fatigue stems from witnessing the suffering of others. Moreover, BURNOUT IS NOT OUR FAULT. It is the result of systemic exploitation from late-stage capitalism and resource inequities. So how do we conquer it when it is not an individual problem? I’ll let you know my professional insights on interventions and community support, and the signs you need to look out for. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! 00:00 — Understanding Burnout in Healthcare Professionals 04:26 — The Reality of Burnout 05:05 — Symptoms and Impact of Burnout 08:13 — Causes and Risk Factors for Burnout 12:40 — Personal Experiences with Burnout 20:21 — Addressing Burnout and Moving Forward Topics/Triggers: · Burnout · Trauma · Stress · Exhaustion · Mental Health · Depression · Compassion Fatigue · Chronic Pain · Moral Injury · Isolation · Helplessness · Disassociation · Empathy · Anxiety · Anger · Capitalism · Survival Mode · Work Culture · Human Rights & Social Injustices · Neurodivergence ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

Welcome back to Part Three of Ask a Psychologist Anything! In this episode, I address the frequently asked question: 'How do I get my loved one to go to therapy?' While many people wish for their loved ones to go to therapy, the key takeaway is that you can't force anyone to go. I’ll talk about how therapy is not the only path to healing, alternative support methods, the importance of boundaries, how to help loved ones understand their options without pressuring them, and how respecting a person's dignity and autonomy is essential. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 00:32 — Understanding the Desire for Therapy 02:16 — The Reality of Therapy Accessibility 04:10 — Respecting Autonomy and Dignity 05:51 — Exploring Alternatives to Therapy 08:00 — Sharing Personal Experiences 11:22 — Avoiding Pressure and Blame 14:25 — Addressing Personal Needs and Boundaries 17:57 — Addressing Concerns & Respecting Decisions Topics/Triggers: · Therapy · Trauma Recovery · Relationships · Community · Family Relationships · Victim Blaming · Boundaries · Self Harm Behavior · Depression · Suicide ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

In this episode, I talk about the value and role of emotional support animals (ESAs) in mental health and trauma recovery. I’ll cover what ESAs are, the differences between ESAs and service animals, and the benefits of having an ESA, such as improved mental health, increased social interaction, and better routine management. I’ll also answer some common questions, like how to get an ESA, the types of animals that make good ESAs, and the legal rights of ESA owners. From my own experience, my emotional support animals have been a crucial part of my recovery and I am very thankful for them! Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 00:48 — Understanding Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) 01:40 — Differences Between ESAs and Service Animals 02:39— Benefits of Emotional Support Animals 05:32— Legal Rights and Accessibility of ESAs 10:59 — How to Get an ESA 12:02 — Choosing the Right ESA for You 16:26 — Where You Can Take Your ESA 19:21 — Personal Experiences with ESAs Topics/Triggers: · Mental Health · Emotional Support Animals · Depression · Anxiety · Isolation · Service Animals · Emotional Regulation · Trauma ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!

On this episode of Initiated Survivor, my friend and empowerment coach, April Arielli, shares her inspiring story of overcoming trauma and finding her calling as a life, relationship, and career coach. From surviving a harrowing experience to finding healing through yoga and skydiving, April's journey is a testament to resilience and reclaiming one's power. April shares how she empowers others to navigate challenging life transitions and achieve their dreams, and the impact of sharing survivor stories to create a stronger community. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 00:52 — April’s Journey: From Actress to Empowerment Coach 01:28 — The Power of Sharing and Connecting Survivor Stories 08:59 — The Struggle with Reporting and Internalized Shame 15:37 — Recovery and Reclaiming Self-Worth After Trauma 17:39 — Discovering Kundalini Yoga: A Journey to Emotional Healing 19:22 — Skydiving: A Leap Towards Healing and Confidence 26:45 — Navigating New Relationships and Trust After Trauma 30:34 — Embracing Life Coaching: A New Chapter of Empowerment 35:34 — The Impact of Sharing and Healing Topics/Triggers: · Sexual Assault · Rape · Aggressive Behavior · Violence · Trauma Recovery · Reclaiming Your Power · Healing · Creating a Community ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ★ Connect with April Arielli ★ Website: aprilarielli.com IG: @aprilarielli Take The First Step: https://bit.ly/AprilArielli **50% off 2 or 3 month life coaching package for Initiated Survivor Subscribers - Take the First Step and mention Initiated Survivor. *Limited Time Offer If you took anything away from today’s podcast, please share it with someone who may need to hear it. And if you really want to support the podcast please give us a rate/review. If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory) Find more Initiated Survivor content here and on Instagram!