Over the past few weeks, I have seen other abuse survivors spread awareness through social media, which has brought criticism about the manner in which they are spreading that awareness. To be honest, I think there may have been a time when I would have had similar critiques. “Why are they using social media?” “Isn’t there a more appropriate way to handle this?” Or maybe something like “Not everything needs to be put on the internet.” If I am being even more honest, I would have thought that...

Picture this: You were told to trust the people around you, respect authority, and protect the family. You thought you were doing the godly thing, so you kept your head down and convinced yourself that the conviction you felt must be your own paranoia. Then one day you realize you were a puppet in someone else’s crafted story. The truth got too ugly, so a polished narrative was created, and you were expected to simply go along with what you were told. ​The story I am sharing today involves a...

Today, I get to share the story of a young woman who experienced two very different situations that followed the same pattern. They began with small boundary violations that gradually escalated over time. We'll talk about boundary testing, the misuse of authority, and why inappropriate behavior often develops one small step at a time. We'll also explore why these situations are so difficult to recognize when you are in them and how trust can create blind spots. You may hear part of your own...