“Sometimes healing sounds loud. Sometimes healing sounds like standing in front of a microphone and finally letting yourself take up space.”

“The first time I heard ‘Butterfly Fly Away,’ I didn’t just hear a song about growing up. I heard the story of my mother surviving domestic violence and teaching me that even after trauma, we could still dream.”

Trauma responses often show up as anxiety, feelings we don’t always understand until after they’ve already taken over.

When I watched Bastard Out of Carolina, I saw a life that looked painfully familiar. Bone’s story reflected the abuse I was living through.

A child. Abused. Pregnant. And forced to give birth. If that’s called protection, we need to ask—who are we really protecting?

Some of the people who help us survive are the ones who quietly raise us up.

Standing up for what is right sometimes means standing apart, and that’s scary. But it’s also powerful.

The good news: negative thoughts are not facts. They’re thoughts. And you can learn how to challenge negative thoughts in a way that’s groun

So many survivors carry an inner voice that says we weren’t enough, weren’t strong enough, should’ve done more. This anthem interrupts that.

Happiness is not something survivors have to earn, it’s something they deserve.

Survivors’ Anthem Series # 12: “I Will Survive” - Gloria Gaynor

Survivors’ Anthem Series #11: “Perfect Fan” - Backstreet Boys

Survivors’ Anthem Series #10: “Stay” - Little Big Town

Reconnecting with "Breanna" from the books.

My appearance on The Through the Eyes of Survivors Podcast.

Survivors’ Anthem Series #8: “Warrior” - Avril Lavigne

Finding joy without guilt is one of the most radical things a survivor can do.

This is how we break cycles. This is how we turn survival into connection. This is how hope spreads, thread by thread.

You don’t need permission to celebrate how far you’ve come.

Every year, I make my annual trip back to Middle-earth with my friends, and every year, I realize just how much I need it. This Lord of the Rings marathon isn’t just a movie weekend. It’s something we all genuinely look forward to. It’s a tradition rooted in comfort, familiarity, and connection. For a few days, time slows down. The outside world quiets. Middle-earth fills the room, and for a little while, everything feels steadier. My love for Tolkien’s world began when I was