Bearing Witness to Stories of Sexual Abuse and Racial Trauma

The Allender Center Podcast

The Allender Center

Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Mental Health, Christianity, Trauma, Health & Fitness, Theology

4.6 • 628 Ratings

🗓️ 22 March 2024

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

*Please note that this episode contains discussions of sexual abuse and sexual activity, and is intended for adult audiences only. Listener discretion is advised.*

Linda Royster and Sue Cunningham join Dan Allender to discuss the transformative impact of Recovery Weeks.

Recovery Week is a holistic experience designed to create a relational, healing space for survivors to explore and engage the impact of their stories of sexual abuse. The Allender Center offers a Men’s Recovery Week, a Women’s Recovery Week, and a Women’s Recovery Week with a Focus on Racial Trauma & Healing for Women of Color.

With extensive involvement in Women’s Recovery Weeks for many years, Linda and Sue, along with Vanessa Sadler, are leading this year’s inaugural Women’s Recovery Week with a Focus on Racial Trauma and Healing.

Reflecting on her initial experience as the sole Woman of Color in attendance, Linda shares how profoundly impactful the healing experience was, sparking her desire to create a dedicated space addressing the intersectionality of sexual abuse and racial trauma for Women of Color.

An important aspect of this Recovery Week is the acknowledgment of how women of color may carry the shame of trauma differently. Linda emphasizes understanding the reality of identity and how it informs the response to the harm suffered within both the community and the larger context. This unique identity informs questions about whether care will be available and whether spaces will be made accessible for women who hold certain identities. This aspect of the work during the Recovery Week aims to recognize and honor these differences, ensuring that care is accessible and tailored to the needs of Women of Color.

For those curious about the essence of a Recovery Week, this episode offers a glimpse into the healing processes and profound connections forged during these events.

You’ll hear firsthand about how participants engage in intimate conversations exploring their healing journey, confronting the challenges of shame and betrayal, and celebrating the beauty of finding belonging and mutual support through bearing witness to each other's stories.

If you’d like more information about Recovery Weeks with the Allender Center, please visit theallendercenter.org/workshops.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Friends, we cannot ignore the traumatic effects of racism in our country, our communities, and in our own lives.
0:10.2	At the Alondocenter Center, we believe the process of writing and sharing our stories with one another is a powerful pathway to begin to experience healing.
0:20.7	Hi, I'm Linda Royster from the Allanda Center,
0:23.7	and I'm thrilled to share with you two profound healing events designed for our BIPOC community
0:30.1	that are happening this spring. On May 17 through 19, 24, we're honored to once again host the story workshop for racial trauma in healing.
0:41.3	This is a profound event that invites you deeply into the themes of your life, particularly
0:46.7	core things that are common to those within racially marginalized communities.
0:52.3	On May 17th through the 19th, 2024, we're honored to once again
0:57.3	host the Story Workshop for Racial Trauma and Healing. This is a profound event that invites
1:03.6	you deeply into the themes of your life, particularly core themes that are common to those
1:09.4	within communities of color who have experienced personal
1:13.7	and collective trauma. By focusing on the experiences of people of color, this story workshop can
1:20.1	create a safer space for you as you seek to understand, write, tell, and live your story
1:26.4	in deeper and more transformative ways.
1:29.9	This three-day workshop will be offered May 17th through the 19th of this year in a live
1:36.0	interactive online format, and you can find details at theelandercenter.org slash workshops.
1:43.5	We're also excited to introduce a brand new event this June in North Carolina,
1:50.1	Women's Recovery Week with a focus on racial trauma and healing.
1:54.6	This is a sacred space for survivors of childhood sexual abuse,
1:59.1	led by and created four women of color. This recovery week
2:03.9	will take place June 27th through the 30th of this year and applications are now open. We're committed
2:12.2	to making both of these offerings financially accessible and need-based scholarships are available
	...

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