Dreaming in the Debris: Melissa Menny’s Journey from Childhood Trauma to Healing Through Words

In this powerful episode of Conversations That Heal, we sit down with Melissa Menny—writer, poet, and founder of theAddressHer.com—as she opens up about her extraordinary journey of healing after surviving what she calls “a wreckage of a home.”

Melissa’s story begins with unimaginable adversity: the death of her father from alcoholism at age 13, a mother imprisoned and battling schizophrenia, and the weight of raising herself alongside her siblings. But her story doesn’t end in the pain. It evolves into a narrative of resilience, reflection, and reclaiming her voice.

Melissa shares how the #MeToo movement became a turning point in her life, unlocking memories and truths she hadn’t fully named until she was 30 and preparing to become a mother herself. She speaks candidly about infertility, breaking generational cycles, and choosing to build a healthy marriage despite never having seen one modeled.

Through it all, Melissa has used writing as both a tool of survival and empowerment. Her latest book, My P is Political, gives voice to the female experience through raw, poetic honesty.

Her message is clear: Your trauma does not define you. You can rise above the statistics. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt stuck in their past but dared to dream anyway.

Visit: www.theaddressHer.com Read her latest work: My P is Political