Welcome back to This Person I Met! My name is Kayla and I’m the host of this podcast.

Tucked in a quiet corner of Ann Arbor, Michigan, The Safehouse is a refuge for any who may be facing intimate partner violence. At the head of the Safehouse is Christine Watson, who has long been an advocate for the protection and understanding of victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and other forms of intimate partner violence. Despite resources like The Safehouse being readily available, many misunderstandings still plague our knowledge of how to approach victims, a topic that Christine and I dive into as she discusses the careful intersection between gender, race, sexuality, and more when it comes to her work. How do you ensure all feel heard, no matter their story and background? Can you acknowledge all sides of a spectrum while still realizing that one demographic may be disproportionately affected? How do you make room for nuance in a topic as sensitive as intimate partner violence? In this episode, Christine and I discuss how she navigates her own understanding of her work and its intricacies, and more importantly, how we can change the conversation surrounding intimate partner violence to better help those without a voice.

Without further ado, here’s Christine.