Dear Katie: Survivor Stories

"How do you forgive without an apology?"  Vulnerable due to neglected parenting, Becky is targeted by bullies and abusers. Falling victim to a powerful school superintendent, her journey seeking safety and connection takes her through trials and tribulations. She finally finds healing through a technique called brainspotting; hear more about her story and her healing in her book Anger, Alcohol, and Healing through Brainspotting.  Becky Nulle is a full-time student and published author. She lives in a rural area in Wisconsin with her Doberman and eight ducks, as well as the best husband in the world. She spends each day waking up thinking of something to be grateful for. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Faced with sexual violence at 10, Farhan used personal reflection and healing to push past societal stigmas and cultural barriers to break his silence, consciously committing to living bravely and authentically. Today, Farhan Manjiyani is a compassionate, relentless, brave leader living his vision of ending sexual assault in the world by being the permission slip for others to begin their own healing. Proudly identifying as an Ismaili Muslim with deep roots in the South Asian community, he leverages his personal and cultural experience to engage audiences with vital conversations around male sexual trauma. His latest short-term goal is to perfect his butter-chicken recipe. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

For Donna Besel, words are her life. A dynamic writer, storyteller, and educator, she shares incredible insights from a lifetime of survivorship and reckoning, and how her truth rocked her small hometown. Donna's best-selling memoir, The Unravelling: Incest and the Destruction of a Family, provides an honest glimpse into the tolls of sexual violence on survivors and communities.  Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Leaving a successful football career for a new calling, Don McPherson has spent the last few decades challenging classic notions of masculinity. Giving us the ins and outs of 'locker room talk' and male-only spaces, he shares insights from years of lived experience and activism.  Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Fighting to be believed in the face of a famous abuser, Stacey Pinkerton left her entire life to put her experiences behind her. But as news of Bill Cosby's arrest reaches her decades later, she knows she must speak her truth. Now an advocate fighting tirelessly to make sure abusers are held accountable, she has been featured in several award-winning documentaries such as "We Need To Talk About Cosby" and "The Case Against Cosby".  Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Our guest today is Danika, a Canadian author, traveler, and dance instructor who traded a conventional career path in sciences for a life of exploration and creativity. Moving abroad to teach internationally led her to unexpected opportunities—like teaching ballet in Iraq. Her travel memoir, 'One Year and a One-Way Ticket', shares her journey of self-discovery through solo travel and breaking expectations. Her work has been featured in Intrepid Times, Go World Travel Magazine, and more. Today, she’s here to share her insights on solo female travel safety, adventure, and making space for authenticity—welcome, Danika! Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Clare Awada is a survivor of childhood grooming and sexual abuse. Now a wife, mother of 3 boys, and forensic/SANE RN, Clare is working on spreading awareness of childhood sexual abuse and the red flags of grooming by sharing her story. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Growing up disconnected from her culture, Cher Obediah details her path to reconnect with the missing part of her indigenous background. She reflects on how colonialism and generational trauma affected her in an abusive relationship. Now, she helps others turn their “pain into purpose.” Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Tammy Valicenti, LICSW, is an international psychotherapist and speaker. With expertise in trauma recovery, she has achieved remarkable success in co-transforming various forms of trauma and has developed Transformation Soulution™, a cutting-edge synthesis of Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and other evidence-based therapies. This approach accomplishes in weeks or months what traditional psychotherapy achieves in years. Tammy practices modalities of healing she has personally benefited from, and invites you to do the same. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

"I feel that the glass is both half full and half empty." Rowena Chiu is a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein. In 1998, she was sexually assaulted by him at the Venice Film Festival and was coerced into signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which silenced her for over twenty years. In 2017, a New York Times journalist came to her home and doorstepped her husband of over a decade, revealing information about the assault and NDA. Rowena was featured in the subsequent NYT investigation, but she insisted on remaining anonymous. In 2019, she finally broke her story on the NBC Today Show, live in front of three million viewers. Rowena's story was featured in both the book and the movie, SHE SAID. She has given over 700 media interviews across four continents, for international news outlets such as ABC, BBC, CBS, and NBC, and has testified at the House of Commons, the Massachusetts State House, and the State Of The Union. Rowena is writing a memoir, a novel, and a screenplay, in addition to working as a global #MeToo activist, advocating for the rights of those who are oppressed or voiceless, in churches, schools, universities, and workplaces around the world. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Brutally raped by a stranger in a hotel parking garage, Kira Wahlstrom was faced with a choice: remain nameless or speak her truth. Choosing the path of justice, she sues the hotel for failing to protect her from this man, who had raped an employee just 11 days prior. Kira elects to have her face and name associated with the case, and after 6 years of fighting, she wins, setting an incredible precedent in the state of Massachusetts. Now a survivor advocate, Kira continues to share her story and fight for survivors, and is currently working on a film about her case.  Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Sydney Searchwell-Simpson is a writer, artist, yogi, permaculture practitioner, and lover of Life whose work (and embodied life) merges spirituality and social action. Inspired by insights on her spiritual journey, her experience of sexual and domestic violence, and a lifetime of activism, Sydney’s upcoming books and podcast explore how we can love and be free through and beyond what she calls “domination consciousness”. She walks a path of the Heart and is intentionally exploring how she can live, build, love, and create new ways of being and relating that are conducive to Life. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Missing her uniform jacket after a long work day, Kelly runs back into the bar where she works to grab it. Ready to go home, she gets ready to unlock her car when a strange man appears from the darkness. Running for her life through a parking lot, Kelly screams for help when her assailant grabs her ponytail and beats her into the pavement. Dismissed by the police and blaming herself, she finds herself continually trying to prove her own worth. Continually challenging herself to physical extremes, Kelly begins to find balance and healing, becoming an advocate for other women in the health and fitness space.  Dr. Kelly Barron is a dedicated advocate for women’s health, specializing in empowering women to navigate menopause and other key life transitions with confidence and strength. She is a licensed chiropractor, menopause specialist, founder of Tempesta and host of The KellFire Show. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producer: Emily Wang

'I also understand and see that the experiences that I have survived are the same experiences that many members of our community continue to experience today, particularly young people.' Bamby Salcedo is a prominent and celebrated transgender Latina activist, known all over the world for her passionate and productive social, political, and economic influence. As the President and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, Bamby steadily leads this nationally recognized organization that advocates for and addresses the issues of transgender Latinas throughout the United States. She received her Master’s Degree in Mexican and Latin@ Studies from California State University, Los Angeles, and also developed the Center for Violence Prevention & Transgender Wellness, a multimillion-dollar, multipurpose, multiservice space for Trans people in Los Angeles. Her life story has been the subject of two documentary films, TransVisible: Bamby Salcedo’s Story and LA QueenCiañera. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang  

As a high school teacher, Sophie Maddocks first noticed her students engaging with technology in novel, dark ways. Determined to protect the young people around her, she went on to study how technology has shaped the landscape of sexual abuse. Today, Sophie is an expert on digital abuse with 12 years of experience working across schools, universities, and non-profits. She is passionate about collaborating with young people to navigate the challenges of growing up online. Hosts: Katie Koestner and Catrina Aglubat Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Making waves across the country, three activists discuss their experiences organizing Take Back the Night, sharing insights into safety, survivorship, and making a difference.  Kori Koschalk-Newmister is a higher education professional focusing on eradicating interpersonal violence. Her 20+ years in prevention education have allowed her to educate, empower, and support thousands of individuals in her community. She is currently the Assistant Director of Interpersonal Relations at Bowling Green State University and pursuing her Masters in Popular Culture. When she's not on campus, you can find her with her wonderful partner, Mike, pups, Lily and Marvin, watching reality TV (specifically on Bravo). Rebecca Pacheco (she/her) is the Development & Education Manager at Embrave: Agency to End Violence and the Coordinator of the Peel Committee Against Women Abuse (PCAWA). She is driven by her passion for gender equity, intersectional feminism and ending gender-based violence. She is a strong advocate for the policy and system-level change that is necessary to prevent gender-based violence and properly support survivors of violence. Faith Fluker is a 22-year-old reproductive justice and sexual health advocate pursuing a degree at Auburn University. She started as a curvy and confused preteen, but has recently become a confident young woman who believes in sticking up for herself and those around her. Faith has worn many hats in the past, including President of her college’s Planned Parenthood chapter, where she hosted a Take Back the Night March. She is also a Spring ‘25 initiate of the Kappa Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Sydney Tiller Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

'I remember Mark being a really good friend to me.' Coping with grief after the loss of her father, Jeannie finds support among a small gathering of friends. Feeling safe enough to drink, one of her closest high school friends assaults her when she is unconscious in his bed. Recalling her sense of betrayal, Jeannie shares her journey through denial and doubt to owning her story and healing. Pouring her truth into her writing, she is the author of multiple nonfiction works, including Things We Didn't Talk About When I Was a Girl. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

In today's throwback episode, Zahabiyah Yamasaki, founder of “Transcending Sexual Trauma Through Yoga”, gives us a glimpse of her work with trauma survivors. Due to her college stranger rape at the University of California - Irvine, Zahabiyah has dedicated herself to helping others who have also experienced trauma explore their mind body connection, feeling safe in their body, and healing. In her work, she emphasizes the importance of community through survivorship, where resilience and tenderness shine through. Hosts: Claire Kaplan and Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producer: Emily Wang

With over four decades of experience,  Ann Simonton has dedicated herself to teaching media literacy, with a particular focus on exposing everyday sexism and promoting awareness of sexual abuse prevention. She has fearlessly engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience — resulting in 11 arrests — to highlight social hypocrisy, racism, corporate greed, and the perpetuation of misogyny under patriarchy and capitalism. Simonton has spoken globally on the various ways mainstream media encourages and invites harm to women and children using examples from advertising, film, pornography, radio, television, popular beauty pageants, and more. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

'It doesn't go away.' 'It's there forever.' Sharing her experiences in an industry known for superficiality, actor Sarah Hodkinson navigates trust, violence, and betrayal throughout her personal journey. She brings to light the ways that denial and dismissal rob survivors of justice in the face of sexual violence, using her voice and her story to push for change.  Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Evan Mader Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang