Welcome to Back from the Abyss. I'm Dr. Craig Ecock. It's really great to be back.

Producing Back from the Abyss in seasons is both a gift and a tiny bit of torture,

because I feel like I'm playing hooky all summer, not releasing an episode every two weeks.

So, welcome to the season five opener, and I can't wait to share this story with all of you.

But first, a quick announcement.

I have a couple of openings for consultation and mentoring for psychiatrists,

psychiatric MPs, PAs, or psychotherapists.

So if you're interested, please contact me through my website,

craighecockm.D.com.

I've had a number of requests from listeners for a story about sexual

healing, and I've been on the hunt now for months for the right person. And I knew that this was a

big ask, and that I had to be very mindful and careful about who I approached. And then,

earlier this summer, while on a run, of course, there's a shocker, it hit me.

I knew just the person to take on this heavy lifting, someone who could share what sexual

healing looks like, and it had to be my good friend and colleague, Shelly Weinmiller,

a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, a trauma therapist here in

Fort Collins, and a joyous and radiant soul. Her story is definitely a hard one, but it's

also beautiful and profound and tender. It made me laugh and cry, and I learned a lot while making

this. I hope you too find meaning and I learned a lot while making this.

I hope you too find meaning and strength and wisdom in Shelley's words.

One note, Shelly tells her story chronologically,

but due to her protective dissociation,

...