RAFT

In this episode of the RAFT Podcast, we explore the Seven Domains of Rest and what they can teach us about caring for ourselves as advocates. From physical and mental rest to sensory, creative, emotional, and social rest, we talk about the types of rest we gravitate toward, what we learned from taking the rest quiz, and how we can weave small moments of rest into the workday. We also explore what it looks like to create organizations that support rest…not just as an individual responsibility, but as part of a healthier advocacy culture. Episode Time Codes 00:00 Intro 01:34 Seven Domains of Rest by Dr. Dalton-Smith Physical Mental Spiritual Sensory Creative Emotional Social 03:47 Which type of rest do you gravitate towards most often? 09:07 What was your experience of taking the rest quiz? 26:05 How can advocates practice any of these seven types of rest throughout their workday? 33:49 Joy’s Resting in Advocacy story 36:35 How can advocates practice any of these seven types of rest throughout their workday? (continued) 41:54 What works for you, listener? Let us know @raftcares 42:25 At the organizational level, what can we do to make sure that we’re encouraging and supporting team members in the seven types of rest? 47:29 Outro

The RAFT Team takes time to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments & set intentional boundaries for the current year of growth in advocacy. Episode Time Codes 00:00 | The RAFT Podcast Intro 00:47 | Welcome & Episode Overview 04:00 | RAFT 2025 Achievements 05:45 | Team Discussion begins with Achievement: What boundaries are you setting to celebrate achievements this year? How do you protect yourself without depleting yourself completely? 15:25 | Engagement: How are we setting boundaries to give ourselves time & space to feel fully engaged? 22:25 | RAFT Blog Quote: “This year asked us to adapt, question, and to care more deeply than ever before. What carried us through wasn’t perfection… it was community, courage, and the simple truth that we’re stronger when we refuse to do this work alone.” – So… 2025 Happened. Sophie Strachan, December 30, 2025 23:00 | What are you doing this year to fuel relationships that fill your cup? 32:42 | Meaning: How are you grounding yourself in deeper meaning? 40:15 | RAFT Blog Quote: “We keep circling back to the same truth. Advocates need community. They need a space that feels like an exhale.” – So… 2025 Happened. Sophie Strachan, December 30, 2025 40:50 | Positive Emotions: What boundaries are you putting into place to ensure opportunities for enjoyment in your own life? 46:36 | Final reflections & closing thoughts 49:40 | Outro Resource Links So… 2025 Happened Blog Vision Board Template PERMA Worksheet PERMA Poster Progress, Not Perfection Coloring Page

In this episode, Maegan and Joy discuss the power of presence, a topic that came along a couple years ago, when Maegan wrote a blog in haste and it just kind of blew up. So spend the next 40 minutes exploring how to be present in someone’s emotional journey rather than rushing to fix their problem. They’ll talk about how you can foster deeper connections, healing, and support by actively listening, validating, showing empathy, and resisting the urge to fix. Episode Time Codes 00:00 Intro 00:47 Maegan introduces herself and joy and introduces the topic: The Power of Presence. 03:15 What do you do first to show support? 07:46 How do you offer support when you can’t actually fix the problem? 10:12 Asking questions to clarify needs 11:26 Everyone’s support needs are different. 13:45 How do you handle the discomfort of sitting with someone else’s big emotions when trying to offer support? 19:01 How do you handle it when someone doesn’t need or want you to do anything, they just need you to listen and/or be present? 20:28 Active listening and support skills. 28:05 What do you appreciate from your support system? 31:49 Outro Links The Power of Presence: Offering Emotional Support Without Fixing

In this powerful episode of the RAFT Podcast, we bring together survivor-advocates from across the movement for an open and honest conversation about what it means to hold both identities—survivor and advocate. Join Nicole Crespi and Joy Ingram, RAFT Workshop Facilitators, along with guest Jaime Cypher from the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), as they share stories of resilience, reflection, and belonging. Together, they explore how lived experience shapes advocacy, what it takes to sustain ourselves in this work, and how community care helps us thrive. Episode Time Codes 00:00 Intro 00:44 Podcast participants and Advocate-survivors Nicole, Joy, and Jamie introduce themselves. 04:45 Participants talk about a time when they felt empowered in their roles as advocates while also being survivors. 12:18 What contributions and characteristics make us feel empowered and supportive? 25:06 What motivates us to continue advocating? 33:34 The grieving process involved in being an advocate and survivor. 37:54 What would you say to another survivor who is thinking about getting into advocacy work? 48:19 Taking a break from professional advocacy work 50:36 What does organization/movement leadership need to know/do to empower their advocate staff who are also survivors? 1:00:53 What are you enjoying? 1:07:27 Outro

Join the RAFT Team in a conversation about self-empathy and self-compassion. Jeremie, Nicole, and Joy discuss the three main components of self-compassion, the challenges of focusing on yourself, how socialization affects our views on self-compassion, and how they each practice self-compassion. Episode Time Codes 00:00 Intro 00:45 Jeremie gives definitions of self-empathy and self-compassion 01:55 RAFT Podcast team introductions 02:42 Joy discusses the three main components of self-compassion 04:12 Nicole talks about the challenges of focusing on yourself 07:03 Jeremie discusses how socialization affects our views on self-compassion 09:01 Why Joy finds self-compassion so challenging 13:16 Why Nicole finds self-compassion so challenging 17:02 Jeremie’s experience with self-compassion 23:18 How Joy practices self-compassion 28:22 How Jeremie practices self-compassion 32:46 How Nicole practices self-compassion 41:01 Team’s final thoughts 44:46 Outro

In this heartfelt episode, our founder, Indrani Goradia speaks to Ajmal Qureshi, a former diplomat and proud father about raising strong daughters, the power of education and what it means to build a lasting legacy—rooted in love, equity, and intentional parenting. Episode Time Codes 00:00 Intro 01:05 Ajmal Qureshi introduces himself 03:05 Indrani shares why Ajmal and his daughter’s story resonated with her 04:30 “What did you realize early in your career that you knew you had to teach your daughters, so they would grow up to be as strong as they are today?” 07:28 “What did you know, as a young man, about girls and women that informed how you showed up as a father?”” 13:40 Ajmal shares what he would tell other young men to help them honor the girls and women in their lives 18:10 Jeremie poses the question: “What do you do when you see someone treating women in a way that doesn’t reflect how you raised your daughters?”” 23:54 Indrani recounts a story where she chose to advocate for a young woman rather than stay silent 26:45 Ajmal’s final thoughts 29:25 Outro

In today’s episode, Jeremie Miller is talking with the authors of Ditch the Ditty: Doing What Matters Instead of Doing it All about their work and how it applies to the work of advocates. Episode Time Codes 01:28 Introductions 04:26 Can you share the story that lead to the concept of ditties and the importance of ditching them? 08:22 “Ditch the Ditty” focuses on the unique dynamics women face, can anyone be impacted by ditties? How do these hidden pressures show up differently for caregivers, first responders, and other helping professionals? And How does the book help people recognize when they’re taking on more than they should? 10:35 The four Ds: ditties, delights, duties, and deeds 14:11 Do you have any suggestions on how to make ditties a team effort? 20:43 What role do differences in power play when trying to ditch a ditty? How can I possibly ditch a ditty that my boss is handing out? Or as a leader, how can I navigate the difference between delegation, which is something I’m supposed to do? 31:20 How can colleagues and teams help each other avoid taking on unnecessary ditties? 38:26 Do you have a suggestion on how to handle people who are struggling with this new version of you both at work and family and friends? 44:39 Can you give some ideas on how an organization can work towards changing the culture of ditty distribution and acceptance of ditties in an equitable fashion? 51:39 Get more information about the book and the authors Resources Ditch the Ditty: Doing What Matters Instead of Doing it All by Lindsey Godwin, Molly McGuigan, and Miriam Novotny

In today’s episode, the RAFT team is talking about PERMA, a simple, but powerful, way to think about well-being and resilience. It comes from Dr. Martin Seligman, a leader in positive psychology, and it’s all about five key elements: Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. During the conversation, the RAFT team unpacks what PERMA looks like in our work and lives, why it matters for advocates, and how we can use it to build sustainable joy and resilience in a field that demands so much of us. Episode Time Codes 00:00 Intro 01:25 RAFT intros 02:45 What is PERMA? 05:50 The team shares personal stories and how they reflect the PERMA categories 19:27 Using PERMA at work 33:10 Final thoughts from the RAFT team 36:00 Outro Resources Advocate Resources

In this episode, the RAFT team is joined by survivor, author, and advocate Emily Bernath. She shares her survivor story, how she healed through spirituality, and how that led to her book series, Broken Lenses. Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions about sexual violence and assault, including personal survivor experiences. We encourage you to prioritize your well-being while listening. Episode Time Codes 00:00 Intro 00:25 Trigger Warning 00:55 Gratitudes 05:00 Who is Emily Bernath? 06:55 How Emily’s writing started 09:30 Emily discusses levels of healing through her advocacy journey 15:15 “How do you know that it’s love?” — How did you know who to trust through this journey 16:15 “Coincidences don’t just happen” – Emily speaks about faith leading her journey 19:10 “Freedom brings healing” 21:10 “The world hasn’t given survivors a lot of hope to report” 21:30 How Emily knew she was being sexually assaulted 23:15 “As soon as a survivor comes to me – the one thing I can not do is nothing” 25:38 Emily shares how she found her trust in her faith 33:05 “What do you believe is the biggest challenge in the sv/dv field?” 39:00 Emily speaks on trusting and obeying the voice of God. 46:15 Emily discusses a peak point of advocacy 49:50 Emily discusses her books. 52:55 Should everyone write/share their story? 57:10 Emily tells us more about her social work/grad school journey 1:00:55 “How do you stay healthy and balanced?” 1:03:35 Nicole talks about leaning into our strengths & Emily shares her individual strengths 1:11:00 What’s in the future for Emily? 1:12:55 Appreciations 1:14:35 Outro

Join Jeremie, Nicole, and Joy as they focus their conversation around human-centered workspaces, specifically what a workspace that is human-centered looks like, and how it’s done at RAFT. Episode Time Codes 00:00 Intro 01:05 RAFT’s mission statement 01:50 What is a ‘Human-Centered Workspace?’ 06:01 The 4 principles of Human-Centered design 13:10 Designing A Human-Centered Workplace: 13:35 Planning for job outcomes 21:20 Launching a collaborative work group 28:50 Learning from your employees 37:15 Designing and testing solutions 51:00 How RAFT can help you create a more Human-Centered Workplace 52:00 Outro