Dear Katie: Survivor Stories

S7E19 On the Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors of Sexual Violence

Dr. Nicole Bedera is a sociologist and author of the book On the Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors of Sexual Violence. Her research broadly focuses on how our social structures contribute to survivors’ trauma and make sexual violence more likely to occur in the future. Her scholarship has influenced sexual violence prevention programming across the country and her work has been featured in many popular outlets, including The New York Times, NPR, Time Magazine, and Teen Vogue. Nicole puts her work into practice as an affiliated educator at the Center for Institutional Courage and co-founder of Beyond Compliance Consulting.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S7E18 The Authority Gap: Researching the Roots of Gender Inequities

Mary Ann Sieghart is a journalist, broadcaster, author, TED speaker, and consultant. Her bestselling book, The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It came out in 2021 and has struck a chord around the world, resonating with many women devalued in working spaces. She is a Visiting Professor at the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London and was Chair of the Judges for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2022. Her mission is to close the authority gap in as many workplaces as possible, and she has now set up The Authority Gap Consultancy to help organisations do just that.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S7E17 Iceland's Wonderwoman of Survivorship

Svava Brooks is a survivor of child sexual abuse and the co-founder of a nationwide child sexual abuse prevention and education organization in Iceland called “Blátt áfram.” She is also a certified instructor and facilitator for Darkness to Light Stewards of Children, as well as a certified Crisis Intervention Specialist, a certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator, a BellaNet Teen support group facilitator, a Certified TRE® Provider, and a Trauma Recovery Coach. The mother of three children, Svava has dedicated her life to ending the cycle of child sexual abuse through education, awareness, and by helping survivors heal and thrive. She is a certified facilitator for Advance!, a program created by Connections to restore authentic identity. Every week, she writes about healing after trauma on her blog and also leads a discussion forum on child sexual abuse healing and recovery online, in her private Facebook groups and on her YouTube channel. After living in the US for 30 years, Svava now lives in Iceland and has a thriving practice offering somatic healing through TRE, and now has two self-published workbooks for survivors available on Amazon. 

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Re:wind to Re:process Track S4E9 Soul Singing & Pyschotherapy

Find new insights from this classic episode featuring Greg Kolwicz and Marcel Anderson. 

As a boy, Greg was groomed by an older friend, who showed him pornography for the first time and pushed him to engage in sexual acts. He struggled to accept that this abuse happened to him as a man and couldn’t share his experience for a decade.

As a young adult, Marcel suffered intense physical and sexual abuse after being held at gunpoint by an invader. His faith allowed him to survive the traumatizing experience that left him hospitalized. 

Greg and Marcel are bound by survivorship; today, they both are advocates for male victims of sexual assault and use their voices to shatter the stereotypes about sexual violence. In this special episode, we share two different stories to spark a discussion about the shared steps in their journeys of pain and healing.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Benter Oluoch

Producers: Emily Wang and Luiza Leite

S7E16 Jurisdiction and Justice in Antigua

'The adrenaline in my body was like nothing I've ever felt.' 

Ten years ago, Derrick's world was rocked when his daughter was raped by a police officer. Fighting for justice in a system built against survivors, he pushes to have her voice heard. Derrick walks us through the experience of being a supportive parent during the aftermath of sexual assault, guiding us through the ways he cared for his daughter and fought for justice. 

Derrick Hurley is a proud husband and father of three daughters. He spent his 37-year career in the Retail Technology industry and left his career early to advocate for survivors after his oldest daughter was assaulted in 2015.  

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S7E15 The Daughter of the Rapist: Sexual Violence Has Many Victims

'Sometimes I don't want to be a warrior anymore.'

Dianne Braley is a Massachusetts-based, multi-award-winning author and nurse. During the process of writing her second novel, a person in her family was charged and convicted of sexual assault. This turned Dianne and her family's world on its head and led her to take on writing the book in the voice of a secondary victim, the perpetrator's daughter. Although fiction, this book was largely inspired by this horrific crime and the ensuing trial.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S7E14 Taking Off Trauma's Sunglasses for 4 Hours

This week, walk through the inner workings of the mind with therapist Rachel Stanton. She shares how she works with clients to process traumatic memories and creates emotional safety to address difficult feelings. 

Rachel Stanton is a psychotherapist with a practice in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. She specializes in helping people heal after traumas like sexual assault, and offers EMDR intensives that help people get better in days, not years. 

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S7E13 Meeting Your Match on Callisto

'That's how they evade justice ... they drop out of school and that Title IX case goes away.' 

'No record is ever made.' 

Tracy DeTomasi is a licensed clinical social worker and has worked in the field of gender based violence for nearly 25 years. As the CEO of Callisto, she is bringing innovative technology as a solution to addressing sexual assault. Callisto is a national nonprofit organization leveraging cutting-edge technology to empower survivors of sexual violence. Callisto’s encrypted platform enables campus survivors to securely document their assault, discover if their perpetrator has harmed others, and explore their options, whether or not they report. 

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S7E12 Secrecy and Sexual Abuse in Mormon Country

Valarie Clark Miller seemed to live a picture-perfect life, but her flawless facade masked a haunting past. Suffering a lifetime of abuse that eventually takes her life, her fight for justice continues with a newly released book, Hometown Betrayal: A Tragic Story of Secrecy and Sexual Abuse in Mormon Country, featuring the perspectives of her family. John R. Miller shares his experience navigating the cultures that protect sexual predators and raises awareness about sexual violence and its generational impact. He gives voice to the tragedy that Valarie experienced and carries her dream of helping other women and girls share their stories and heal. 

John R. Miller is the CEO of JR Miller Enterprises, overseeing a diverse portfolio in real estate, private companies, public securities, agriculture, and aquaculture. He resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Nataliya, and is a devoted father and grandfather. 

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

S7E11 Custody Battles in the Court of Abuse

Today, we're joined by Reneé Rodriguez, founder of Best Foot Forward Consulting and creator of The Custody Blueprint®, who empowers parents navigating custody battles with narcissistic co-parents.  Drawing from her own experience and a diverse background in education, coaching, and strategic planning, Reneé provides a proven framework for presenting evidence effectively in court.  She helps parents, often victims of psychological abuse, protect their children, build a case strategy, and secure the best possible custody arrangement.  Reneé's work, including her signature program The Custody Blueprint®, addresses the shame and helplessness many parents feel, offering them a path to victory and peace.

Host: Katie Koestner

Editor: Evan Mader

Producer: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang