Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of intimate partner violence, including emotional, psychological, verbal, and physical abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

This is one of the hardest stories I’ve ever told.

In this episode, I open up about my experiences with intimate partner violence, from the early warning signs to the moments that changed everything.

I share pieces of my past relationships that didn’t begin with fear, but with what felt like love. The subtle control. The emotional manipulation. The words that cut deeper over time. And eventually, the moments that became impossible to ignore.

Abuse doesn’t always start loud. Sometimes it whispers. Sometimes it looks like care. Sometimes it convinces you to stay.

For a long time, I felt trapped, but my relationship with God became the turning point that saved my life.

If you’re in something that doesn’t feel right, this is for you.

You are not alone.

You are not crazy.

You don’t have to stay.

There is help. There is hope. There is a way out.

Resources & Support:

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, support is available:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Call: 1-800-799-7233

Text: START to 88788

Chat: thehotline.org

Love Is Respect

Call: 1-866-331-9474

Text: LOVEIS to 22522

Chat: loveisrespect.org

RAINN (for sexual violence support)

Call: 800-656-HOPE

Chat: rainn.org

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

You deserve to be safe. Reaching out, even quietly, is a powerful first step💜

Content Warning:

This episode contains sensitive content regarding domestic violence, abuse, and controlling and manipulative behavior. This may be triggering for some. Please listen with care and take space if needed.

In this episode, I share my experience growing up in a home affected by domestic violence and how it shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand until much later. Some of what stayed with me didn’t come from what I saw, but from what I heard and deeply felt.

I talk about what it was like to live in an environment where fear, control, and chaos could surface at any moment. In those spaces, I often felt small, trapped, and unsure of my own voice. Those experiences followed me into the way I saw myself and connected with others.

This is a reflection on the weight of a family dynamic marked by instability, the patterns they can create, and the courage it takes to finally face them. Because healing doesn’t come from minimizing what happened. It begins with telling the truth about it, and allowing that truth to lead us somewhere freer.

Resources & Support

If this episode brings up difficult emotions or connects with your own experiences, support is available. You don’t have to go through it alone.

• National Domestic Violence Hotline:

Call: 1-800-799-7233

Text: START to 88788

Chat: thehotline.org

• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline:

Call or Text: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

Live chat available

Episode 5: What Was Taken, What I’m Taking Back

Content Warning: This episode discusses sexual trauma, abuse, and mental health struggles, which may be triggering for some listeners.

In this episode, I share parts of my journey through sexual trauma from childhood into young adulthood, and how those experiences impacted my identity, mental health, and sense of self. For a long time, I lived in silence, carrying shame, confusion, and pain.

This is a conversation about breaking that silence and finding the courage to speak, beginning the healing process, and leaning on faith to rebuild what was lost. You are not alone, and your story matters.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse or assault, help is available:

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): Call 800-656-HOPE or visit online.rainn.org (24/7 confidential support)

• National Sexual Violence Resource Center: nsvrc.org

• If you are in immediate danger, call 911 (U.S. emergency services)

You don’t have to go through this alone.