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!

This episode, I have special guest Brialynn Massie on the podcast to discuss the creation of their upcoming film 'I Need You To Stay'. The film aims to tackle the Hollywood stigma and misconceptions surrounding BPD through the story of its protagonist, Kira, who is in remission from BPD. We touch on themes such as the systemic issues of misogyny and white supremacy in the diagnosis and treatment of BPD, the pervasive stigma in media and healthcare, and the cycle of victimization. Additionally, we’ll talk about the importance of creating a community and safe spaces for individuals with BPD, the impact of therapy, and the potential for legislative changes to improve access to mental health care. Brialynn also highlights the efforts to maintain a trauma-informed culture on set and the partnership with Hire Survivors Hollywood to combat predatory behavior. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! 00:00 — Unveiling the Stigma of Borderline Personality Disorder 00:39 — Brialynn’s Journey: From Diagnosis to Filmmaker 00:57 — Combating Hollywood's Stigma: The Making of I Need You To Stay  01:31 — The Impact of Media and Misogyny on Mental Health Stigma 06:30 — Bridging the Gap: The Mission Behind the Movie 16:51 — The Power of Representation: Changing Narratives and Building Communities 30:13 — The Fight for Accessible Mental Health Care and Legislative Change 31:32 — Exploring the Complexities of Borderline Personality Disorder 32:44 — The Impact of Early Diagnosis and Access to Healthcare 35:01 — Navigating Relationships and Self-Validation with BPD 39:13 — The Dangers of Fetishization and Exploitation 50:30 — Healing, Hope, and Building Community Topics/Triggers: · Borderline Personality Disorder · Suicide/Suicidal Ideations · Addiction · Abuse · Medical/Workplace Abuse · Gaslighting · Victim Blaming · Child Abuse · CPTSD · Hire Survivors Hollywood · Community · Trauma · Self-Validation ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ★ Connect with Brialynn Massie ★ Follow @ineedyoutostaymovie on Instagram Explore I Need You to Stay Website Email: [email protected] 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 of Initiated Survivor, I’ll discuss the vital role of social support and community in the process of recovering from trauma. I will talk about the innate human need for connection, and how isolation exacerbates feelings of insecurity and depression, while the sense of belonging fosters healing and a sense of safety. I will share practical ways those in recovery can find and integrate into communities, especially after experiences of trauma, and navigate the challenges of connecting authentically with others. I will also share a few of my personal experiences with finding community and connection, the importance of self-validation, and the continuous, life-long journey of finding belonging and support in community. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Intro 00:27 — The Power of Social Support in Mental Health Recovery 01:08 — Understanding Our Social Nature and Its Impact on Recovery 03:23 — Creative Expression and Community 07:54 — Navigating Social Connections as Adults: Challenges and Strategies 13:11 — Exploring Personal Values and Building Community Connections 14:37 — GROUP THERAPY AD:  https://www.drkelseyharper.com/dbt-skills-group-for-lgbtq 24:38 — Embracing Vulnerability and Growth in Community Engagement 31:05 — Finding Peace and Purpose Through Community Topics/Triggers: · Abusive Realtionships · Sexual Assault · Community · Creative Expression · Self-Worth · Self-Validation · Trauma Recovery ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 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 power of group therapy and community for those recovering from traumatic experiences. I’ll discuss the emotional isolation people often experience in the aftermath of traumatic events, and how this can be exacerbated by societal factors. I’ll share some personal experiences on how participating in group activities, such as restorative yoga classes and virtual workshops served as a healing mechanism and a stepping stone towards building relationships and community. Additionally, I will talk about the benefits of group therapy in cultivating listening, speaking, healing, and social skills while maintaining a safe, validating space for participants. I am also excited to be offering two new groups starting in April which include: DBT Skills Group for LGBTQ+ and a Trauma Recovery Skills Group! Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! 00:00 — Intro 00:59 — The Struggles of Isolation and Anxiety 03:12 — The Comfort of Home and the Challenge of Leaving 04:01 — Overcoming Agoraphobia and Building Connections 05:51 — The Power of Solitude and Self-Care 07:04 — The Role of Community Activities in Recovery 10:09 — The Impact of the Pandemic and Virtual Groups 12:37 — Group Therapy Ad: https://www.drkelseyharper.com/dbt-skills-group-for-lgbtq 17:50 — The Benefits of Group Therapy 21:39 — Personal Experiences with Group Therapy 22:12 — Upcoming Group Therapy Opportunities 23:55 — The Healing Power of Groups Topics/Triggers: · Rape Culture · Victim Blaming · Agoraphobia · Anxiety · Trauma · Trauma Recovery · Virtual Groups and Community · CPTSD · Group Therapy ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 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 delve deep into Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma. We discuss the stigma associated with these conditions, their links to past trauma, their effects on personality and social behavior, and how they are often misunderstood. I’ll talk about the traits and symptoms of BPD, the relationship between BPD and complex trauma, and the intersections of these with PTSD. I’ll also cover the importance of trauma-informed care and discuss effective treatments like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and other trauma interventions. 00:00 — Introduction to Borderline Personality Disorder 01:50 — Understanding the Nature of Borderline Personality Disorder 03:35 — Traits and Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder 11:45 — The Connection Between BPD and Trauma 13:18 — AD: Group Therapy: https://www.drkelseyharper.com/dbt-skills-group-for-lgbtq 14:49 — Understanding Complex PTSD and its Relation to BPD 21:07 — Treatment Options for BPD and Complex Trauma 23:41 — Conclusion and Future Discussions Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! Topics/Triggers: · Dialectical Behavior Therapy by Dr. Marsha Linehan · Suicide and Suicidal Ideation · PTSD · Trauma · Emotional Overload and Overstimulation · Intrusive Memories ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 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!

As survivors, we understand the experience of being wronged and the desire to make a positive impact in the world. With so much happening at this moment, it can feel overwhelming. However, one effective tool we have in our fight for a better future is activism. By standing up for our values within our local community, we can create meaningful change. In this episode of 'Initiated Survivor', we explore the role of activism in the healing process for trauma survivors. We discuss how engaging in collective actions that align with our personal values can foster a sense of community and serve as a powerful tool for change and recovery. I also provide various strategies for incorporating activism into our recovery journey, such as connecting with long-term goals, emphasizing community-building, and supporting local organizations that make a tangible impact on our daily lives. Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! 00:00 — Introduction 01:37 — The Power of Activism 03:20 — Activism and Emotional Expression 05:00 — AD: Individual Therapy: https://www.drkelseyharper.com/trauma-therapy 05:42 — Mindfulness in Activism 08:42 — Sensory Needs in Activism 09:40 — Titration and Exposure in Activism 11:05 — Emotional Support, Expressive Activities, Self Care 16:20 — AD: Group Therapy: https://www.drkelseyharper.com/dbt-skills-group-for-lgbtq 17:40 — Engaging in Pleasant Activities & Personal Values 19:15 — Different Ways to Engage in Activism 22:23 — Local Organizations 24:50 — Providing Direct Services in Activism 26:01 — Utilizing Personal Skills in Activism 27:15 — Conclusion: The Power of Activism in Healing Trauma Topics/Triggers: · Titrating · Self-care · Community Engagement · Trauma Processing · Self-soothing Habits · Physiological Regulations · Mindfulness · The Power of Activism · Vicarious Trauma · Engaging in Expressive & Pleasant Activities · Our Values & Goals · Abortion Bans · Success Stories Prison Feminism · Supporting NonProfit Organizations · Grassroots Activism · Ask a Psychologist Anything ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 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!

Diet culture permeates every facet of our lives. We have to eat food to live, but when our relationship to food becomes complicated, we can quickly lose control and fall into disordered eating habits due to the societal pressures all around us. In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing the incredible Devon Cole, RD, MS, a registered dietitian specializing in intuitive eating and trauma recovery. We delved into the world of intuitive eating and explored how it goes beyond just fueling our bodies. Devon shared valuable insights on how intuitive eating allows us to embrace pleasure, connection, and celebration when it comes to food. We discussed the harmful effects of diet culture and the mental gymnastics it imposes on us when trying to fit into unattainable beauty standards. Throughout the episode, Devon shared her expertise and provided practical advice for survivors of trauma and anyone seeking a healthier relationship with food. Join My Trauma Skills Workshop — 12 Weeks of one-on-one Small Group Trauma Skills Therapy Starting in April 2024! Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! Topics/Triggers: · Diet Culture · Disordered Eating · Chronic Dieting · Intuitive Eating · Health at Every Size · When to See a Dietitian · Binge Eating · Calorie Restriction · Common Questions & Concerns with Dieting · Food & The Need for Control · The Binge-Restrict Cycle · Unattainable Beauty Standards · Maintaining Our Agency · Coming Home to Your Body · Food as Culture Rather than Just Sustenance · Maintenance Phase Podcast · Health & Healthy Eating · Weight · How Parents Can Help Their Children with Weight · Why Our Relationship to Our Bodies Affects Our Relationship with Food Connect with Devon Cole: · Website: https://devoncolerd.com/ · Instagram @devoncolerd https://www.instagram.com/devoncolerd/ · Email: [email protected] ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 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!

We are back for another round of Ask a Psychologist Anything. In this episode, I dive into various topics related to trauma, vulnerability management, therapist-client relations, and the balance between triggers and optimism. We discuss the balance between pushing for change and taking care of ourselves, the concept of the window of tolerance, and how it affects our emotional well-being. Join me as I provide insights, practical advice, and compassionate guidance on navigating trauma recovery and fostering mental well-being. Whether you're a survivor, a mental health professional, or simply interested in these topics, this podcast aims to create a supportive and informative space for everyone. Join My Trauma Skills Workshop — 12 Weeks of one-on-one Small Group Trauma Skills Therapy Starting in April 2024! Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! Topics/Triggers: · Trauma Related Grief · EMDR · How to Cope · Politics · Following Through on Goals · Neurodivergence · Hypervigilance & Apathy · Activism & Triggers · Politics and Therapy · The Client-Therapist Relationship · Trauma · Mental Health and Community · The Meaning of Rest · Vulnerability Management · Support Systems · Initiated Survivor: Poet Kate Burns on The Power of Creativity for 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!

We've got something special for you on Initiated Survivor for the Holiday Season! Join us as we revisit a past episode called "Holiday Survival Skills." I know that the holidays can be a bit overwhelming, especially with all the family dynamics, financial pressures, and cultural stressors. But we've got some practical strategies to help you handle it all. We'll show you how to take care of yourself while also actively participating in positive change. It's all about finding those moments of connection, celebrating your values, and staying grounded during tough times. We're here to support you as you create meaningful memories and navigate the end of the year with resilience and joy. Enjoy this replay, and happy holidays! Join My Trauma Skills Workshop — 12 Weeks of one-on-one Small Group Trauma Skills Therapy Starting in April 2024! Topics/Triggers: • Seasonal Energy Shifts • Dark Moon Phase of the Year • Heightened Sensitivities around Triggers During the Holidays • Radical Acceptance & Mindfulness • Living in the Moment Without Judgement. • How to Practice Mindfulness Daily • Giving Yourself Permission to Remove Yourself from Toxic Situations • The Value of Setting & Enforcing Boundaries in Relationships • Treating Our Time & Energy as Finite Resources • Giving Yourself the Gift of Prioritizing Your Own Needs • Self-Care During the Holiday Season • Private Distractions During Events • Finding Connection • Tara Brach • Self-Soothing (Listen to Initiated Survivor Bonus Ep "Skill Spotlight - Self-Soothing" for more information!) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 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 had the honor of interviewing Kate Burns, a survivor and poet. We delved deep into her healing journey and the importance of community support. Kate shared her experiences of initially struggling to trust men and the significance of allowing survivors to fully own their feelings without judgment. She also discussed the creation of her emotional emergency care kit and the power of reaching out to trusted friends for support. We explored the transformative impact of writing letters to oneself and receiving affirmations from others. Kate's resilience and fierce determination to create a safe space for survivors were truly inspiring, and she leaves us all with a touch of her wisdom by closing out the interview with a reading of one of her poems in her book, "All My Favorite Men Are Dead." Listen in as we explore healing, community, and finding strength in vulnerability. → Watch the Full Video Podcast Here! 00:00 — Intro 00:18 — Kate's Survivor Story 03:19 — Creativity & Healing 10:17 — Making Poetry Active 11:54 — Kate's Recovery 16:10 — How to Get Started in Poetry 22:04 — Effective Healing Strategies 28:14 — Emergency Emotional Care Kit 33:42 — Community & Trust 38:53 — A Reading of Kate's Poem "Me Too" Topics/Triggers: • Using a Pseudonym • Sexual Assault from a Male Friend • Finding Community • Asking for Help • Suicide • Healing through Creativity • Emotional Self-Care • Attachment Wounds • Trust • Feeling Safe in Your Body • The Power of Poetry Connect with Kate: — Website: https://www.kateburnspoet.com/ — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateburnspoet/?hl=en — Links: https://linktr.ee/kbpoetry ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 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!